Improving mortar properties using traditional ceramic materials ground to precisely controlled sizes.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Civil Engineering
• Sustainable Construction Materials

Background:

• Portland cement production has significant environmental impact.
• Recycling traditional ceramic waste offers a sustainable alternative.
• Understanding ceramic powder properties is key to their effective use in cementitious materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of particle size reduction on ceramic materials (brick, tile, stoneware) as partial Portland cement substitutes.
• To evaluate the influence of ceramic powder fineness on mortar performance.
• To assess the reactivity and physical properties of ground ceramic powders.

Main Methods:

• Ceramic materials were ground to specific particle sizes (1, 5, 15 μm).
• Reactivity was measured by dissolution in lime solution.
• Mortars were prepared with 10% and 20% cement replacement.
• Compressive strength and pore size distribution (mercury intrusion porosimetry) were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Ceramic tile required less grinding energy; high-energy grinding increased amorphous content and reactivity.
• Finer ceramic powders (around 1 μm) improved mortar compressive strength.
• Increased fineness led to more mesopores and a reduced pore size threshold.
• Multiple linear regression effectively modeled the complex interactions influencing mortar strength.

Conclusions:

• Particle size reduction is crucial for enhancing the performance of ceramic substitutes in mortars.
• Finer ceramic powders exhibit filler and pozzolanic effects, improving mechanical properties and microstructure.
• Sustainable utilization of ceramic waste in construction is feasible and beneficial.