Abstract
•Sugar-beet waste (CLR) was incorporated as a cementitious material.•Cement was partially replaced with 5–25% CLR.•5% CLR has a positive effect on strength and microstructure.•10–25% have a negative effect of strength and microstructure.•It is possible to use CLR as a cementitious material.
This work is the first attempt to investigate the possibility of using sugar beet waste named carbonation lime residue (CLR) as a cementitious material. For this purpose, cement was partially replaced with CLR at ratios of 5–25%, by weight. The effect of CLR on the consistency, setting time, bulk density, total porosity, water absorption and mechanical properties was investigated. The crystalline phases, hydration process and microstructural were examined by using sophisticated tools such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric/thermogravimetric derivative (TGA/DTG) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results confirmed that it is possible to use CLR as a cementitious material. The incorporation of 5% CLR was the optimum content, of which the compressive strength and the microstructure were enhanced due to the filler effect. On the other hand, higher amount of CLR decreased the compressive strength and increased the total porosity as well as water absorption regarding to the dilution of cement and reduction in packing density due to the higher amount of fine particles. Utilizing this material as a part of cement not only can save and reduce the amount of cement but also can reduce the environmental concerns about by-products landfills.