A Study of Compressive Strength of Mortar Mixed with Palm Oil Fuel Ash and Expansion of Mortar Bars Mixed with Palm Oil Fuel Ash and Rice Husk-Bark Ash
Abstract:
This research was to study the utilization of Palm Oil Fuel Ash (POFA), a by-product from palm oil mills, which palm oil residues was burnt as fuel for electricity generation. Pozzolanic property of mortar containing POFA was investigated. Original POFA from a palm oil industry was improved the quality by grinding until the particle sizes retained on sieve No. 325 were 15-20 (fine POFA) and less than 5 percent (very fine POFA) by weight. Then, Portland cement type I was partially replaced by ground or unground POFA at the rates of 10 to 40 percent by weight of binder to cast mortars. All mortars were separated into 2 groups, the first group was cured in water and the other was immersed in 5 percent of magnesium sulfate solution. The compressive strengths of both groups of mortars were tested at the ages of 7, 28, 60, 90, 180, 270, and 360 days. In addition, the expansions of mortar bars containing POFA and RHBA (Rice Husk-Bark Ash) due to 5 percent of magnesium sulfate solution were also investigated by using prism having the cross section of 2.5x2.5 cm and 28.5 cm in length. The results revealed that when curing in water, the compressive strength of mortars mixed with original POFA were lower than that of Portland cement type I mortar at all ages. The compressive strength of original POFA mortars decreased as the percent replacement of POFA increased. However, the mortars mixed with fine and very fine POFA at 10 and 20 percent, respectively gave the compressive strength as high as that of Portland cement type I mortar at the age of 90 days and tended to increase higher at the later age. For mortars immersed in magnesium sulfate solution, the compressive strength of all mortars were as high as those of mortars cured in water until 180 days and reduced at the age of 360 days. The strength loss of POFA mortars in magnesium sulfate solution was increased with the increase of the replacement of cement. However, the compressive strength of mortar mixed with 10 percent of very fine POFA was higher than that of Portland cement type V mortar although it was immersed in magnesium sulfate solution for 360 days. The expansions of all mortar bars containing POFA or RHBA at the age of 364 days were less than that of mortar bar made from Portland cement type V. The use of ground POFA or ground RHBA at the rates of 30 and 20 percent by weight of binder, respectively gave the lowest expansion value of each type of pozzolan and tended to increase with the increase of the replacement of cement.