Microstructural properties of hardened cement paste blended with coal fly ash, sugar mill lime sludge and rice hull ash

The synergistic interactions of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) with ordinary portland cement (OPC) in multi-blended systems could enhance the mechanical and durability properties of concrete and increase the amount of cement that can be replaced. In this study, the characteristics of the hydration products as well as paste microstructure of blended cement containing 20% coal fly ash, 10% rice hull ash and 10% sugar mill lime sludge in quaternary blended system was investigated. Portlandite content, hydration products, compressive strength, pore size distribution and microstructural architecture of hydrated blended cement pastes were examined. The quaternary blended cement paste showed lower compressive strength, reduced amount of Portlandite phases, and higher porosity compared to plain hardened cement paste. The interaction of SCMs with OPC influenced the hydration products, resulting to the formation of ettringite and monocarboaluminate phases. The blended cement paste also showed extensive calcium silicate hydrates and calcium aluminate silicate hydrates but unrefined compared to plain cement paste. In overall, the expected synergistic reaction was significantly hindered due to the low quality of supplementary cementitious materials used. Hence, pre-treatments of SCMs must be considered to enhance their reactivity as good quality SCMs can become limited in the future.