Mechanical Properties and Volatile Pollutants Absorbing Capacity of Mortar Composites with Addition of Coconut Shell Activated Carbon and Gamal Wood Chips Aggregates 10.32526/ennrj/24/20250337
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Abstract
The use of biomass has the potential to improve the mechanical characteristics of cement-based composites. Activated carbon is considered competitive in absorbing hazardous pollutants in the air, is able to reduce cracking and increase the mechanical strength of cement-based composites. The addition of gamal wood chips also has the potential to increase flexibility in mortar composites. The purpose of this study was to analyze the characteristics of the mechanical properties and pollutant absorption capacity of mortar composites with the addition of activated carbon and gamal wood chips. In this study, activated carbon is used as a fine aggregate (filler) with an addition of 1-5% to the weight of cement. Gamal wood chips are used as much as 1.5% of the total weight. Composite brick testing includes density, compressive strength, modulus of elasticity (MOE), modulus of rupture (MOR), adsorption capacity for ammonia, benzene, chloroform, and formaldehyde and thermal analysis of Field Emission Electron Microscopes (FE-SEM) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The density of composite mortar with the addition of activated carbon and gamal wood chips ranges from 1950.36±19.54-2137.24±45.09 kg/m3, compressive strength 8.48±0.76-9.71±1.68 MPa, MOE 421.74±69.59 -645.58±57.51 MPa, MOR 2.14±0.27-2.75±0.20 MPa. The composite mortar exhibited a total pollutant absorption rate of less than 3% for all tested parameters. The addition of activated carbon up to 4% can increase the mechanical strength and pollutant absorption capacity and can produce more CaCO3 in composite bricks. Morphological observations as analyzed by FE-SEM, were found to correlate with FTIR analysis, namely the formation of CaCO3. The following method produces an environmentally friendly mortar composite that performs exceptionally well and has a lot of potential for use in sustainable building.
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