Evaluation of the Performance and Microstructure of Ecofriendly Construction Bricks Made with Fly Ash and Residual Rice Husk Ash

This research presents the engineering performance and the microstructural characterization of ecofriendly construction bricks that were produced using a binder material made from a mixture of class-F fly ash (FA) and residual rice husk ash (RHA). Unground rice husk ash (URHA) was used as a partial...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Chao-Lung Hwang, Trong-Phuoc Huynh
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Hindawi Limited 2015-01-01
Series:Advances in Materials Science and Engineering
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/891412
Description
Summary:This research presents the engineering performance and the microstructural characterization of ecofriendly construction bricks that were produced using a binder material made from a mixture of class-F fly ash (FA) and residual rice husk ash (RHA). Unground rice husk ash (URHA) was used as a partial fine aggregate substitute (0–40%). The solid bricks of 220 × 105 × 60 mm in size were prepared by mixing FA and RHA with an alkaline solution and fine aggregates, formed by compressing the mixture in a steel mold under 35 MPa of forming pressure, and then cured at 35°C and 50% relative humidity until the required testing ages. The tests of compressive strength, water absorption, and bulk density were conducted in accordance with relevant Vietnamese standards in order to estimate the effect of the URHA content on the engineering performance of the hardened bricks. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were performed to determine the microstructure and the phase composition of the brick samples. The results show that properties of these bricks conformed to relevant Vietnamese standards. Therefore, FA and RHA are potential candidate materials for producing ecofriendly construction bricks using geopolymerization technology.
ISSN:1687-8434
1687-8442