Application of the Computed Tomography Method for the Evaluation of Porosity of Autoclaved Materials

Abstract

This article describes the use of recycled glass sand in the production of autoclaved products. Traditional autoclaved bricks consist of crystalline sand, lime and water. The conducted research aimed at the complete elimination of quartz sand in favor of glass sand. This work focuses on porosity as the functional property of the materials. The aim of this article is to determine the number and structure of the pores of autoclaved bricks. Two types of research were carried out: (a) non-destructive, i.e., computed tomography examination as a pictorial and quantitative method and (b) mercury porosimetry as a quantitative method, i.e., a test that exposes the porous skeleton of the material for destruction. The tests showed the presence of pores with a size in the range of 0.1 ÷ 100 μm, and the volume of voids in the material was determined at the level of about 20% for the sample modified with glass sand (GS) and for the reference sample made of traditional silicate brick. In order to complete the research on the internal structure of autoclaved bricks, microstructure studies were performed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The tests showed the presence of tobermorite in the reference sample (with 90% QS-quartz sand) and the presence of natrolite and gyrolite in the sample modified by glass sand (90% GS).