Microstructural Characterization of ITZ in Copper Slag Concrete Composite
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 34, Issue 8
Abstract
The use of copper slag as an alternative to natural fine aggregates in concrete construction has two advantages: effective management of hazardous waste and assistance in conserving natural resources. In order to build confidence among stakeholders and to improve the utilization of copper slag in concrete construction to the required extent, this article evaluates the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) of hardened copper slag concrete composites through various experimental studies. This includes tests on compressive and split-tensile strengths, sorptivity, microhardness, and microcrack properties of ITZ. This paper also examines the surface morphology of ITZ along with its elementary compositions using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) imaging and energy dispersion spectroscopy (EDS) analysis. The results show that copper slag improves the ITZ characteristics of hardened concrete due to its higher level of pozzolanic reactivity compared to natural sand.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 34 • Issue 8 • August 2022
Copyright
© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: May 29, 2021
Accepted: Dec 27, 2021
Published online: May 26, 2022
Published in print: Aug 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Oct 26, 2022
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