Effect of Temperature On Strength and Microstructure of Lime Stabilized Flyash
Effect of Temperature On Strength and Microstructure of Lime Stabilized Flyash
Effect of Temperature On Strength and Microstructure of Lime Stabilized Flyash
1 Introduction
Gray and Lin (1972) studied the gain in strength and the ultimate strength of lime-treated
fly ash and showed that it is sensitive to curing temperature. The lime-pozzolana
reaction required very long curing period to attain appreciable strength under ambient
temperature conditions (Reddy and Gourav 2011). The rate and mechanism of poz-
zolanic reaction of fly ash vary with curing temperature. Elevated curing temperatures
accelerate the rate of main reaction linearly (Narmluk and Nawa 2014). Formation of
‘calcium silicate hydrate’ as a result of reaction product of lime-rice husk ash was shown
by Ali et al. (1992) through XRD analysis. Ghosh and Subbarao (2001) studied the
surface morphology of lime stabilized flyash specimen and found that formation of gel
like substance of C-S-H and C-A-H found at higher doses of lime. Also, needle like
structures of ettringite is visible at long curing period. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies
are generally employed to distinguish the crystalline phases in the stabilized fly ash.
Croft (1964) observed the appearance of gel-like varieties of CSH and CAH.
In the present analysis, an effort has been made to study the effect of elevated
curing temperature on the lime-stabilized flyash. This paper elucidates the reason of
improvement in properties of lime-stabilized fly ash through mechanical and
microstructural studies.
2 Materials
Fly ash used for this investigation was obtained from captive power plant of Rourkela
steel plant (RSP), India in dry condition. The chemical composition of the flyash is
given in Table 1. The major elements of this fly ash are silica, alumina and iron oxide.
Calcium present in the fly ash is less than 20%. So, according to ASTM specification C
618-89 (1992), this fly ash belongs to a Class-F category. The specific gravity of flyash
was found to be 2.38. The grain size distribution of the fly ash showed that it contained
88% fines (<75 lm). The Cu and Cc values were found to be 8.34 & 2.08 respectively;
indicating uniform gradation of the sample. Its gradation curve is given in Fig. 1.
Commercial grade hydrated lime of 90.2% purity was used in this study.
3 Methodology
The raw flyash blended with different percentages of lime content such as (0%, 2%,
4%, 8% and 12%) of its dry weight. These samples were condensed with two different
compactive energies i.e. 593 kJ/m3 and 2483 kJ/m3. The lime stabilized flyash
(FA) specimens prepared at compaction energy of 593 kJ/m3 were designated as L0,
L2, L4, L8, L12 and at compaction energy of 2483 kJ/m3 were designated as H0, H2,
H4, H8, H12.
Laboratory compaction tests the moisture content, dry density relationships were
found as per IS: 2720 (Part VII) 1980. From the dry density and moisture content
relationship, optimum moisture content (OMC) and maximum dry density
(MDD) were determined for both compaction energies with varying percentage of lime
are reported in Table 2.
For CBR study the test specimens were prepared for both soaked and unsoaked
condition according to IS: 2720(Part XVI)-1987 in a rigid metallic cylindrical mould
having diameter of 150 mm and a height of 175 mm. The samples were prepared for
both the compactive energies with separate percentage of lime at their respective MDD
and OMC cured for 7 and 30 days (4 days of soaking before testing for soaked
samples) before testing. Furthermore, the specimens were tested after specified curing
periods in a mechanical loading machine equipped with a movable base that moves at a
uniform rate of 1.2 mm/min.
The X-ray diffraction tests were used to determine the hydration product appeared
in the lime treated specimen after specified curing periods by using Philips X’PERT
high score. The samples were prepared from the fractured unconfined specimens and
soaked in an anhydrous ethanol to stop further hydration. Microscopic study were
undertaken to examine the morphology and microstructure of hydrated specimens.
These were done by a JEOL 6480 LV scanning electron microscope.
Fig. 5. Comparisons between different compaction energy at different lime content and curing
period
strength. However, flyash added with lower percentage of lime does not show this
trend. This indicates that higher temperature favors a better pozzolanic reaction than a
lower temperature especially when the lime content is high. Higher curing temperature
(90 °C) favours an early strength gain, but the strength at a later age is found to be
lower than the samples cured at moderate temperatures like 25 °C and 45 °C. Samples
Fig. 10. Variation of soaked CBR with lime content for 7 days cured specimen
Fig. 11. Variation of unsoaked CBR with lime content for 7 days cured specimens
110 A. Pani and S.P. Singh
Fig. 12. Variation of soaked CBR with lime content for 30 days cured specimens
Fig. 13. Variation of unsoaked CBR with lime content for 30 days cured specimens
CBR values are found to increase with increase in lime content beyond 4% which gives
marginal strength. Also, the Soaked and unsoaked CBR value gives lesser value when
cured for 7 days; as curing period increase up to 30 days these values are slightly
increased due to presence of some short of cementing material (free lime). So, higher
doses of lime treatment needed for better strength.
Effect of Temperature on Strength and Microstructure of Lime Stabilized Flyash 111
The soaked CBR value of flyash is relatively low ranging from 1.3% to 5.8% as
compaction energy increases from 595 to 2483 kJ/m3. However, the flyash treated with
12% lime gives comparatively higher CBR value of 44.2% after 7 days in soaked
condition. When the sample subjected to a curing period of 26 days and a soaking period
of 4 days, CBR value considerably increases due to pozzolanic reaction of lime. This
phenomenon occur mainly because fly ash, a fine-grained material, when placed at 95%
of Proctor maximum dry density and corresponding water content, exhibits capillary
forces, in addition to friction resisting the penetration of the plunger and thus high values
of CBR are obtained. On the contrary, when the same fly ash samples are soaked for 24 h
maintaining the same placement conditions, they exhibited very low values of CBR. This
can be attributed to the destruction of capillary forces under soaked conditions.
Fig. 14. X-ray diffraction pattern of lime stabilized flyash specimens cured at different
temperature (Q – Quartz, E – Ettringite, C – Calcium carbonate, CASH – Calcium aluminium
silicate hydrate, CSH – Calcium silicate hydrate)
112 A. Pani and S.P. Singh
hydrate or calcium aluminium silicate hydrate gel which gives early gain in strength.
These compounds are already found in texture analysis. Extension of the curing
temperature enhanced the pozzolanic reaction and formation of hydration products.
5 Conclusions
• Maximum dry density of compacted specimens is found to change from 1.12 to
1.236 g/cc with change in compaction energy from 595 kJ/m3 to 2483 kJ/m3,
whereas the OMC is found to decrease from 40.5 to 33%. This shows that fly ash
sample responds very poorly to the compaction energy.
• Increase in curing period of lime treated fly ash specimen shows improvement in the
unconfined compressive strength. But with smaller amount of lime that is 1%–2%
the strength improvement is practically insignificant, even if cured for long time.
This is similar to the colloidal reaction with lime, which is mainly responsible in
modifying the physical properties not the mechanical strength. As the lime per-
centage increases this facilitates the pozzolanic reaction that form cementitious gel
that binds the particles. The process of pozzolanic reaction is improved with curing
period which results higher strength.
• The unconfined compressive strength of flyash added with higher percentage of
lime show a remarkable increase in strength with increase curing temperature.
However flyash added with lower percentage of lime does not show this trend. This
indicates that a higher temperature favours early strength gain and better pozzolanic
reaction than a lower temperature especially when the lime content is high.
• Both the unsoaked and soaked CBR values are found to increase with lime content
up to 4% beyond which the increment is marginal. This trend is observed for
specimens cured for 7 days. However specimens cured for 30 days showed a
continuous increase in CBR value with lime content. This indicates that the reaction
of lime with flyash is slow and a higher curing period is needed to complete the
pozzolanic reaction.
• From the diffraction study the new amorphous humps of calcium aluminium silicate
hydrate, calcium silicate hydrate and ettringite with low intensity are detected.
Abundance of needle-like structures of ettringite is found in the specimen at lower
temperature. As curing temperature proceeds up to 90 °C the needle shaped crystals
are seen wrapped with gel like substances of calcium silicate hydrate (CSH) and
calcium aluminium silicate hydrate (CASH) gel which takes a major role in strength
enhancement.
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