Novel activation method of waste concrete powder for sustainable clinker-free binder

This study investigates the environmental and mechanical implications of incorporating silica fume into lime-activated thermo-mechanically treated waste concrete powder (TMWCP) to develop a sustainable clinker-free binder. The novel activation method involves thermo-mechanical treatment of WCP, followed by lime and calcium formate chemical activation. The results demonstrated that incorporating silica fume enhanced the pozzolanic reactivity , which led to the formation of C–S–H, pore refinement, and a dramatic increase in compressive strength . For instance, the incorporation of 20 % and 25 % silica fume exhibited compressive strength of 46 MPa and 43 MPa after 28 days of curing. The developed clinker-free binder with the addition of 20 % silica fume demonstrated a reduction in mineral resource consumption of 99.3 % and CO 2 emissions of 13 % and 69.3 % compared to the sample without silica fume and ordinary Portland cement , respectively. This study offers a promising avenue for the widespread utilization of WCP as an environmentally friendly clinker-free binder.