Cement mortars with incorporation of foundry industry wastes: physical, mechanical and durability behavior

Abstract

Planet Earth is facing real challenges that require urgent and significant measures. It is necessary to give a new direction to the construction sector, making it essential to change the way that raw material is selected, giving preference to industrial byproducts. The utilization of industrial wastes allows minimize the high consumption of natural raw materials, energy consumption and waste deposition in landfills. It is important to note that the use of waste in the construction industry is a great opportunity, however, the heterogeneity of these materials and sometimes their contamination can compromise the durability. The lost-wax process in foundry industry is currently an expanding area, so more and more manufacturing industries have serious problems related to their waste management. During its production process, wastes of ceramic mold shells and paraffinic wax are generated and until now any practical application is known. The main objective of this study was the evaluation of the durability and mechanical behavior of cement mortars with incorporation of paraffin wax and ceramic mold shells. The main results allowed to observe an increase in the water/binder ratio with the incorporation of ceramic mold shells and paraffinic wax and a decrease in the mortars water absorption, flexural and compressive strengths, without ever compromising the performance necessary for its function. Regarding the freeze-thaw tests, it was also possible to verify that the incorporation of foundry waste did not affect the performance of the developed mortars.