Abstract
The compressive strength and selected fresh-state responses to incorporating acid-modified granular activated carbon (GAC) in cement mortars, were compared to physical cement behaviors associated with the incorporation of otherwise unmodified GAC and a commercial polycarboxylate superplasticizer. Specific surface area of unmodified and acidified GAC, porosity, pH at charge neutrality (pH PZC ), and surface-associated functional groups were compared. Fresh- and hardened-state responses were observed, including slump, setting time, zeta potential, and compressive strength. Results suggest that substituting 1% of the fine aggregate mass with GAC particles that had been pre-treated in nitric acid, can improve compressive strength and workability of cement mortar.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 59-69 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Construction and Building Materials |
| Volume | 207 |
| Early online date | 23 Feb 2019 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 20 May 2019 |
Funding
The authors gratefully acknowledge to Dr. Jennifer Underwood and Dr. Tyler Kane (USGS-Boulder), Catherine Lucero, P.E. (USBR-Denver) and, CIDI-UAG (Centro de Investigación para el Desarrollo Industrial) belonging to the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara (UAG) (México) for their support during the experiments of this study. This research was supported by the Mexican National Council for Science and Technology ( CONACYT ) (Fellowship No. 103259 ) and by the Department of Civil, Environmental & Architectural Engineering at the University of Colorado-Boulder through a Doctoral Dissertation Completion Fellowship.
Keywords
- Acidified activated carbon
- Cement mortar
- FTIR
- Polycarboxylate-ether
- Superplasticizer
- Workability
- Zeta potential
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Civil and Structural Engineering
- Building and Construction
- General Materials Science