Experimental investigation on utilizing incinerated paper mill sludge ash for the manufacture of bricks and masonry

Abstract

Masonry bricks have been widely used as a building material in the newlineconstruction industry for a long time its high strength, low production costs, newlineand durability. The construction industry has been constantly adapting to newlineinclude a various of alternative materials and products in building projects, newlineaiming to enhance infrastructure while considering environmental factors and newlineresource availability. Pulp and paper mill industries are one of the fastest newlinegrowing and polluting industry in India. According to Indian Pulp and Paper newlinemill sector report 2022, 25.7 million tons of paper produced every year. About newline40 50 kg of sludge is generated in the production of 1 ton of paper at a paper newlinemill as a byproduct. Around 70 to 75% of paper mill sludge has been reused in newlinecement manufacturing industries, paper board industries and manure newlineindustries, etc., In some locations in India, the sludge has been dumped into newlineland fill to accumulate the vast land to create environmental issues. newlineIn recent years in India, Fly ash-lime-gypsum (FaL-G) brick newlineproduction has been adversely affected by the scarcity of fly ash and lime. To newlinemitigate this, the current study examines Incinerated Paper Mill Sludge Ash newline(IPMSA) as a supplement to fly ash and lime in FaL-G brick production, newlineaiming to present an eco-conscious alternative to conventional burnt clay newlinebricks. It focuses on four blends: blends 1 and 3, replacing fly ash with IPMSA newline(2.5-30 wt%); blends 2 and 4, substituting lime entirely with IPMSA (2.5-15 newlinewt%). Crusher sand is used as fine aggregate in blends 1 and 2, while crusher newlinepowder is used as fine aggregate in blends 3 and 4. A thorough material newlineanalysis preceded brick manufacturing, involving techniques like energydispersive newlineX-ray spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), newlineThermogravimetry Differential Thermal Analysis (TGA), Scanning newlineElectron Microscopy and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD). newline