Characterization of Palm Oil Fuel Ash as Cementitious Supplement: A Review

Palm oil fuel ash (POFA) is a by-product procured from the palm oil mill through the incineration of empty fruit bunches, mesocarp fibers, and shells so as to produce electricity. POFA was considerably used as a cementitous supplement in various types of concrete, bricks, blocks, mortar, and grout due to its pozzolanic content. However, using raw POFA as cementitious replacement caused a distinct deterioration on the properties of the hardened mixture. Therefore, various treatment methodologies were adopted to enhance the properties of POFA to improve the mechanical properties of the hardened mixture. This study reviews the treatment approaches performed on POFA and their effects on the physical, chemical, and microstructural properties of POFA. It was documented that grinding POFA increased its fineness and decreased the voids and porosity of the mixture. However, the optimum use of grounded POFA was ranged 5 to 25% by weight of cement. On the other hand, thermal treatment of POFA exhibited a substantial improvement on the physical, chemical, and morphological properties of POFA; consequently, the hardened properties were dramatically developed. Thermal-treated POFA could be used as binder supplement up to 70% by weight of cement, whereby environmental pollution was dropped and sustainability was achieved. It was concluded that the higher fineness of POFA contributed to a significant pozzolanic reaction and thus promoted better performance in the hardened matrix. However, future detections should address the leaching behavior of POFA and the leaching performance of the hardened mixture incorporating POFA. Besides, the durability of specimens containing POFA as binder supplement should be well covered in the prospectus research.