The effect of attapulgite powder on the mechanical properties of cement mortar containing optimum silica fume percentage

• Main Authors: Abdulrasool, Abdulrasool Thamer, Hussain, Wail Asim Mohammad, Kadhim, Noor R., Mohammed, Safaa S., Abdulhadi, Ahmed M.
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Subjects: Clay; Compressive strength; Concrete industry; Flexural strength; Mechanical properties; Mortars (material); Silica fume
• ISSN: 0094-243X; 1551-7616
• DOI: 10.1063/5.0164610

The current concern for the concrete industry is to make concrete more sustainable and more environmentally friendly. So, the objective of this study is to determine the optimum amount of Attapulgite clay to cement in concrete with an optimum percentage of silica fume replacement to provide the most durable concrete while enhancing its mechanical characteristics. Different percentages of attapulgite were used, including 0%, 4%, 8%, 12%, and 16%, which were prepared for testing the compressive strength and flexural strength. Other properties of mortar concrete were measured, such as absorption and density, to investigate the effect of attapulgite clay on these properties. The findings indicate that using attapulgite clay in replacement of cement content results in sustainable concrete with enhanced mechanical properties for percentages of 4% the compressive strength increased by 9% in comparison with the control sample. While for flexural strength the 8% percentage was the highest with only 3% reduction from the reference sample. In general all concrete mortar mixes that were prepared with different attapulgite percentages results in acceptable mechanical properties.