Investigating the ternary cement containing Portland cement, ceramic waste powder, and limestone

The cement production process produces enormous amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2). Hence, using new types of cement, like ternary cement, which contains calcined clay, limestone, and cement clinker, can significantly reduce the CO2 emissions of the cement industry and even increase the mechanical properties and durability of samples. This paper investigates the cement mortar's mechanical and durability characteristics, containing ceramic waste powder (CWP) and limestone powder (LSP) as partial cement substitution. Samples with 5, 10, and 15 % LSP and 10, 20, and 30 % (by weight of cement) CWP as cement substitutes were produced. The mortar specimen tests were performed after 7, 28, and 90 days of curing in the water pool, then compressive strength and alkali-silica reaction (ASR) tests were evaluated. Furthermore, setting time test, thermogravimetric analyses, X-ray diffraction analyses, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of cement paste were carried out. The ternary cement mortar containing 10 % CWP and 15 % LSP has the highest compressive strength. Also, the ternary cement mortar containing 30 % CWP and 15 % LSP shows the lowest compressive strength (decreased by 8.5 % compared to the reference sample). In addition, the mix containing 20 % CWP and 15 % LSP has a lower ASR value than the control sample (52 % less). Eventually, SEM images showed the reference sample and the specimen containing 30 % CWP and 15 % LSP have the lowest and highest pores and cavities, respectively.