Evaluation of the incorporation of charcoal residues in cement mortars

Abstract

Incorporating agroindustrial waste into cementitious composites can minimize natural resource consumption and decrease the construction industry's environmental impact. This paper aims to evaluate the potential of using charcoal residues (CR) to partially replace fine sand (by volume) on cementitious mortars’ properties. The microstructure and corresponding physicochemical compositions were determined with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fluorescence, and X‐ray diffraction without prior processing. Test specimens were produced with CR in the contents of 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30% concerning fine sand. After the test specimens curing period, the axial compression strength, tensile strength by diametrical compression, and the SEM were combined with X‐ray dispersion spectrometry. The results showed that although the CR does not present themselves as pozzolanic materials, their incorporation around 20% showed mechanical resistance of 28 MPa, which is confirmed by the analysis of variance. Such results corroborate with research that confirms the feasibility of including these residues in cementitious matrices, adding value to the material.