Improving the properties of mortars by using recycled paper ash flakes

This study addresses the need to improve life on earth by finding a way to reintroduce ubiquitous waste back into the system. On a hand, there is the amount of cellulosic waste that can no longer be reintroduced into the paper recycling process. On the other hand, the amount of cement used globally, is growing alarmingly. My study seeks the balance of a mix of these two materials, which would generate desirable effects both from an engineering and ecological point of view. Paper ash, is a material made of particles of various sizes and can play various roles in the composition of mortars. The efficacy of particles up to 0.025 mm in size (powder ash) as a cement substitute and the efficiency of particles in size between 0.025 and 8 mm (flakes) as a pozzolanic additive are demonstrated. The results of the mechanical tests to which the samples were subjected show the possibility of reducing the amount of cement used in standard recipes by adding ash from recycled paper, without compromising the physical and mechanical properties of the mortars. The cement economy can rise up to 20 percent while the mechanical strength increases by 5-10 percent compared to the basic recipe.