Experimental Evaluation of Modified Sulfur Concrete for Achieving Sustainability in Industry Applications

Abstract

Portland cement concrete (PCC) has been the most widely used concrete in the construction industry. However, PCC has a short service life under some aggressive environments, leading to the need of costly repairs. The purpose of this research was to implement local materials to produce a modified sulfur concrete (MSC) with better performance in industrial applications. Several modified sulfur concrete mixtures were prepared using natural aggregates from the northern region of Colombia, and sulfur cement by combination of sulfur with a modifier, with the objective of achieving the best performance based on mechanical strength and chemical resistance. To achieve this purpose, an experimental program based on a k-factorial design was used to determine the optimal mix design based on the results of the compressive strength. The mixture presenting the best results was then examined further with standardized tests to determine its physical, mechanical, and chemical properties (compressive strength, abrasion resistance, bulk density, absorption, and chemical resistance). Final results showed that the sulfur concrete mixture is very resistant to chemical attack and an outstanding substitute for PCC. The results indicated that there is no significant loss in weight and no relevant variation in compressive strength after the specimens were immersed in sulfuric acid and sulfate solutions. In addition, similar results were obtained for the slabs located in chemicals plants whose conditions were assessed during a 60-day period of exposure.

A Critical Review on the Properties and Applications of Sulfur-Based Concrete

“…This analysis is used to identify the mineralogical composition which could possibly form during the hardening period [ 16 , 25 ]. The mineralogical matrix of sulfur-based concrete after one day of batching has major constituents like sulfur and silica while minor components are plagioclase, calcite, hematite, dolomite and hydrate of aluminum oxide [ 124 ]. High mechanical strength of sulfur-based concrete is justified by the availability of alumino and calcium alumino silicates in their respective oxides like SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 and CaO.…”

“…Much research has been done to increase the effectiveness of sulfur in concrete production and it has been proven that this waste has useful value for various applications [ 35 , 127 ]. In 2011, Sabour et al [ 124 ] investigated sewage pipes made of sulfur-based concrete. The results showed that sulfur-based concrete was significantly more resistant to strong acid effects (chemical corrosion) compared to cement concrete but less resistant to the effects of microbial corrosion.…”

“…The results showed that sulfur-based concrete was significantly more resistant to strong acid effects (chemical corrosion) compared to cement concrete but less resistant to the effects of microbial corrosion. Sulfur polymer concrete has good potential for the production of concrete blocks [ 124 ]. The mixture design, which contains 42% aggregate, 40% natural sand, 11.50% sulfur pellets, 1.2% modified sulfur and 5.3% fly ash, can be used for the manufacture of precast concrete structures.…”

Conversion of limestone-limestone mining waste by impregnation with polysulfide solutions

“…The disadvantage in this method is the difficulty of impregnation from the molten state. Currently, products impregnated with molten sulfur are used in special cases when it is necessary to protect concrete from aggressive environments (acidic environments and saline solutions) [21][22].…”

Experimental and Numerical Analyses of the Failure of Prestressed Concrete Railway Sleepers

“…In order to overcome this deficiency, with a bigger nominal concrete cover, to avoid corrosion of the reinforcement concrete, it was applied in concrete the corrosion inhibitors. Corrosion inhibitors are useful in cases where it is not possible to achieve full concrete cover on the reinforcement; however, they raise the price of the sleeper [8][9][10][11].…”