Evaluation of phase formation and physical-mechanical properties of Portland cements produced with civil construction waste

Abstract

Cement is the most widely used building material worldwide. Its production demands a large amount of natural resources, in addition to high energy consumption. Thus, the cement industry has been looking for solutions that effectively reduce the use of these resources as well as greenhouse gas emissions. This research aims to show the technical feasibility of incorporating civil construction waste (CCW) in the production of Portland cement. To this purpose, the physicochemical characterization of the raw materials used was carried out, dosage and manufacture of the raw mix, which were calcined at 1450 °C. Clinkers were characterized mineralogically, by means of XRD, to verify the formation of the crystalline phases. Subsequently, the clinkers were ground, resulting in Portland cements, and their physical-mechanical properties were evaluated. The results showed the potential of using CCW as an alternative raw material, since experimental cements presented performance similar to industrial cements used as a reference.