Carbon-dust cement composite experimented

A new paper has experimentally investigated the effect of using carbon dust, generated as an industrial waste-product from aluminium factories, in creating a cement composite material. Here Neil Ballinger, head of EMEA sales at automation parts supplier EU Automation, explores the implications of this experiment.

The paper was published in the journal materials by researchers from Qatar University’s Center for Advanced Materials and the Jordan University of Science and Technology in July, 2020.

In the experiment, the team collected the carbon dust by-product from aluminium production, characterised the dust and used it to partially replace cement particles in cement mortar production. 

Their results showed that the, “incorporation of carbon dust in cement mortar production not only reduces its environmental side effects but also enhances the strength of cementitious composites. Up to 10 per cent carbon dust by weight of cement can be added to the mixture without adversely affecting the strength of the mortar. Any further addition of carbon dust would decrease the strength. [The] best enhancement in compressive strength (27 per cent) is achieved in the case of using [a] five per cent replacement ratio.”

The team used a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipment to generate images that showed that incorporating a small amount of carbon dust, less than ten per cent, produced a denser and more compact-structure cement mortar.

If further, large-scale research can support this initial experiment, the implications of this research could be potentially significant. Managing industrial waste is an ongoing problem in industry. Solving this problem is part of a wider move towards sustainability and the re-use of materials, that has garnered traction in recent years with the movement of the circular economy and numerous sustainability initiatives.

Carbon dust in particular is a widespread problem. It’s a super fine black powder that’s generated on a large scale by aluminium companies during the aluminium production process, when anode butts are crushed and when bath material is cleaned during the shot blasting process. 

A large part of this industrial waste material usually finds its way into landfill and also creates issues during handling and transport due to how fine it is. As a result, it can cause air pollution and has the potential to leach into groundwater. 

For businesses and factories across industry this highlights the need for two things. Firstly, businesses should continually consider new and innovative materials, especially ones that can contribute to sustainability. Second, they should ensure that their industrial plant machinery and equipment is adaptable to meet the increasingly complex handling needs of modern materials. 

This process should involve a thorough lifecycle risk analysis of existing and planned equipment, and a scheduled repair and replacement strategy. In doing so, businesses can work to be more sustainable while ensuring they remain productive.

To find out more about automation technologies, visit the EU Automation website.

This article first appeared in the January/February 2021 edition of Industrial News.