Properties of Calcium Acetate Manufactured with Etching Waste Solution and Limestone Sludge as a Cementitious High-Early-Strength Admixture

Abstract

Concrete is one of the most widely used construction materials. There are several methods available to improve its performance, with one of them being the use of high-early-strength admixtures (HESAs). Typical HESAs include calcium nitrate, calcium chloride, and calcium formate (CF). Industrial by-products, such as acetic acid and lime stone sludge (LSS), can be used together to produce calcium acetate (CA), which can subsequently be used as a cementitious HESA. In this study, calcium carbonate and LSS were mixed with cement in weight ratios of 1 : 1, 1 : 1.5, and 1 : 2, and the properties of the as-produced CA were evaluated. CA and CF were mixed with cement in different weight ratios (0, 1, 2, and 3 wt%) to obtain CA- and CF-mortars, respectively. The flow behavior, setting time, pH, and compressive strength of these mortars were evaluated, and their X-ray diffraction patterns were also analyzed. It was found that as the CF content in the CF-mortar increased, the initial strength of the mortar also increased. However, it impaired its long-term strength. On the other hand, when 1% CA was mixed with cement, satisfactory early and long-term strengths were achieved. Thus, CA, which is obtained from industrial by-products, can be an effective HESA.