Effect of mechanical activation of fly ash added to Moroccan Portland cement

Abstract

Nowadays, the cement industry is the largest emitter of CO2. In 2015, cement production accounts for roughly 8% of global CO2 emissions. In order to reduce this impact, cement plants are working on alternative solutions, for instance, producing cement by adding additives like fly ash known for reducing the emissions of CO2 and minimizing production costs. The thermal power stations in Morocco produce more than 500 000 tons per year. For ecological and sustainable development reasons, it is desirable to recycle these quantities according to beneficial methods to their addition in the cement. This study aims to investigate the influence of grinding fly ash on the physico-chemical and mechanical properties of fly ash blended CPJ45 cement. The addition of the fly ash particles to the grinder leads respectively to the breakage of the particles and to reduce the agglomeration effect in the balls of cement grinder. Fly ash milling was found to improve particles fineness, and increase the silica and alumina content in the cement. Furthermore, milled fly ash blended cements show higher compressive strength compared to unmilled fly ash blended cements, due to improved fly ash reactivity through their mechanical activation.