Chemical and mechanical properties of geopolymer concrete incorporated with cigarette filters

Abstract

Smoking epidemics have increased the number of smokers around the globe. Moreover, the world urbanization steadily increases. As a result, environmental problems are exacerbated by the proliferation of combustible and electronic cigarettes and the cement invasion of permeable spaces. Therefore, sustainable construction/building materials that use recycled ingredients like cigarette filters are worth considering. This paper assesses and compares, for the first time in the literature, the chemical and mechanical properties of geopolymer concrete substituted by 0, 10, 15, and 20% by weight of cigarette filters. Results have shown that the higher the amount of cigarette filters, the lower the mechanical strength. However, the results also indicate that the geopolymerization reaction is still in progress as the compressive strength of all aged samples is still increasing.