Mechanical properties of pavement quality concrete with secondary aluminium dross as partial replacement for ordinary portland cement

Abstract

Innovative method of waste disposal can be through utilizing them in concrete production as a filler material or pozzolana. Aluminium dross is a by-product obtained from the aluminium re-smelting process. Aluminium waste is processed in rotary kilns to recover the metal and residual salt cake is sent to landfills. The present study investigates the utilization of secondary aluminium dross as a binder in producing the concrete. It is observed that the initial setting time of the cement paste increases and final setting time decreases with varying percentages of Aluminium dross replacement. This property makes it suitable for hot weather conditions. It was replaced in 5, 10, 15 and 20% of the weight of the cement and optimum dosage is found to be 15 %. The mechanical properties like Compression strength, split tensile strength, flexural strength and water absorption of the M40 grade concrete were determined. It is observed that up to 15% replacement of cement by secondary aluminium dross is giving better results comparable with the conventional concrete. Results show that the Aluminium dross can be replaced as supplementary cementitious material in concrete with no compromise in the mechanical properties of the concrete.