Alkaline activation of brick waste with partial addition of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) for reducing brick industry pollution and developing a feasible and competitive construction material

This study shows an alkaline activated cement (AAC), also known as geopolymer, made from red brick waste with partial addition of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC). This is a sustainable material since incorporates waste from the brick industry to make cements, therefore increasing the materials circularity and this reducing pollution. The material was cured at room temperature. The brick residue was activated with sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate in aqueous solution to form the hybrid cement. Several mixtures were made with different amounts of waste and proportions of alkaline activator. The mechanical properties of the materials were studied to determine their feasibility to be used in the construction sector. Three contents of OPC were used: 10, 20, and 30 wt%, which were added to improve the mechanical behavior and post-curing time. The activated hybrid cement was analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), compression, and flexural tests. The main results show that the addition of OPC to the brick derived AAC produces an increased compressive strength of 106 MPa when 30 wt% OPC was added, a very significant result since the control sample found was 33 MPa in compression strength, an improvement for more than 3 times. The data were corroborated by statistical analysis.