Evaluation of Durability and Microstructural Properties of Waste Foundry Sand as A Sustainable Alternative to M-Sand in Concrete Production

Abstract

High-quality natural river sand is becoming harder to find and is becoming less readily available. There is a limited amount of this resource; hence, attempts are being made to investigate alternatives. Naturally occurring river sand is considered a non-renewable resource because it takes millions of years for it to be produced. It is possible for manufactured sand to completely replace natural sand. Waste foundry sand has been used in place of produced sand in the manufacturing of concrete due to a lack of investigation. Concrete's durability and mechanical qualities are enhanced by the addition of reclaimed foundry sand. This work explores the long-term performance and microstructure of concrete, including both synthetic and recycled foundry sand. At intervals of 7, 14, 28, 56, and 90 days, we evaluated M40 grade concrete, both as a control combination and as mixtures comprising different percent (10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50%) of waste foundry sand with manufactured sand in concrete. Tests for acid resistance (MgSO4), chloride attack (HCL), and rapid chloride permeability were performed on the specimens made and tested to learn more about the WFS concret e's durability features. Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA/DSC), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) are some of the cutting-edge techniques used to examine the microstructural properties of concrete made using M-sand with WFS. The findings are compared concerning particle morphology and elemental composition. In order to make WFS work as a substitute for fine aggregate in concrete, the right quantity was added based on results from microstructure and durability tests.