Investigation into the applicability of brewery sludge residue-ash as a base material for geopolymer concrete

Abstract

The environmental challenges such as high energy demand, large CO 2 emission, and exorbitant raw material consumption among others associated with ordinary Portland cement led researchers to the search for alternatives and thus the advent of geopolymer concrete. Fly ash, a waste product of the thermal generating power station, has been the base material commonly used in geopolymer production. However, Nigeria depends majorly on hydro-power and hence, fly ash is unavailable and this has contributed to the restricted application of geopolymer technology. Therefore, the suitability of brewery sludge residue (a waste byproduct generated in high quantity from brewing process) as an alternative base material in geopolymer concrete was investigated in this study. The physical and chemical properties of brewery sludge residue ash (BSA) were investigated to assess its suitability for use as a base material for geopolymer binder. Brewery sludge residue ash-based geopolymer concrete (BSAGC) specimens were produced by activating BSA with selected alkaline liquids (NaOH and Na 2 SiO 2) used as activator. The BSAGC specimens were subjected to compressive strength to assess the strength development and consequently the effectiveness of the polymerization reaction that occurred. It was found that, amongst other factors, the BSA exhibits less satisfactory oxide characteristics at 425micron particle size utilised and consequently the compressive strength development was low at 28days curing duration at the 1:2:4 mix proportioning threshold adopted for the BSAGC mix. Given the marginal strength development of BSAGC, BSA could be reckon as having potentials for application as base material for geopolymer binder, however, more investigation is required to determine the optimum processing parameters for its usage as a base material for geopolymer binder and geopolymer concrete.

Sludge‐based geopolymer materials: A review

“…However, the presence of a large amount of CaO hinders geopolymerization reactions, indicating the need for a moderate amount of CaO in geopolymer substrates. 39,42 Interestingly, sludge produces CaO during calcination, which has been observed by Kwon et al 40,41 via X-ray diffraction (XRD), as the calcite in sludge decomposes into CaO and CO 2 at 600 • C. A schematic of the calcination method for sludge treatment is shown in Figure 6A. The utilization of unprepared sludge for the synthesis of geopolymers is constrained by its low pozzolanic activity.…”

“…This is primarily due to the faster rate of condensation between silicate and aluminate compared to that between silicate and silicate. However, the presence of a large amount of CaO hinders geopolymerization reactions, indicating the need for a moderate amount of CaO in geopolymer substrates 39,42 . Interestingly, sludge produces CaO during calcination, which has been observed by Kwon et al 40,41 .…”

Sostenibilidad en la industria cervecera: una revisión crítica de los residuos generados y su gestión

“…Durante el proceso de producción de la cerveza, este material presenta una vida útil muy corta, puesto que queda saturada con el material orgánico. Se calcula que son generados aproximadamente de 14 a 20 kg de lodos por cada 100 L de cerveza producido (Goulart et al, 2011;Okeyinka et al, 2019). La problemática de su gestión radica en que los lodos de tierra diatomácea representan un residuo altamente contaminante debido a su contenido de SST, DBO y DQO (Olajire, 2020), además, desde el punto de vista de la salud, este residuo se clasifica como -residuo peligroso‖ tanto antes como después de la filtración y desde una perspectiva económica, el consumo de tierra diatomácea, al igual que la eliminación de los lodos, son generalmente el costo principal del proceso de filtración (Fillaudeau et al, 2006) Su aplicación en la agricultura también ha sido estudiada, en vista de que es posible usarla como un insecticida natural por el hecho de que la superficie de la diatomita tiene una punta afilada de espinas, por ello, cuando una plaga come o es expuesta al residuo, éste puede perforar el cuerpo del organismo invasor, causando dificultades en el movimiento, la respiración o la digestión del mismo (Shih et al, 2020), como lo muestra el estudio de Wille et al (2019).…”

Reuse of Oil Refining Sludge Residue Ash via Alkaline Activation in Matrices of Chamotte or Rice Husk Ash

“…Currently, a great effort is being made to find new viable alternatives for the use of this waste, giving rise to some very promising solutions, such as its use as a raw material for construction materials [ 30 , 31 ]. The use of sewage sludge as a secondary raw material in the manufacture of geopolymers has been studied by other authors, generally using metakaolin, steel slag or coal fly ash and commercial alkaline activators as the main precursor [ 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 ].…”