Incorporation of dregs and grits wastes in mortars

evaluation of mechanical performance and durability

Abstract

Accelerated population growth, coupled with high consumption of natural resources, requires research focused on waste utilization. Solid waste from the pulp mill, originating from the Kraft process, is generated in large quantities and, despite its potential, still lacks an adequate destination. This paper investigates the mechanical properties and durability of coating mortars with the addition (7.5% and 15%) of the dregs and grits wastes, comparing them to a reference mix. The results indicate that the incorporation of dregs into the cementitious matrix offers advantages over both the reference and the grits waste. The use of dregs shows better mechanical performance and an alkali-silica reaction expansion equivalent to the reference for the 15% addition. However, the 7.5% addition of dregs results in the highest expansion among all the mortars studied. Both residues exhibit an expansion behavior inversely proportional to the addition rate of the wastes. With the addition of grits, all mortars show characteristics similar to the reference. Thus, the study identifies the potential for reusing both residues.