Thermal properties of cement mortar containing waste aluminium fine aggregate

Abstract

In this research, a study was conducted on the possibility of using aluminum filling (a waste from the manufacture of some building components) as a partial replacement of the natural sand in cement mortar. Different percentages of aluminum filling were used in the production of lightweight mortar. The replacements were (0, 20, 40 and 60%) by volume of the sand. The compressive strength under two different conditions was measured. The results showed that the use of this type of aggregate reduces the compressive strength of cement mortar cubes, tested at ambient temperature, compared to the reference mix which has natural sand. The results also revealed that replacing the sand with 40 and 60% aluminum filling decrease the rate of reduction in compressive strength when the samples tested immediately after heated at 55Co in an oven. The thermal conductivity test results were positive, where there was a decrease in thermal conductivity with increasing the aluminum waste content.