Acid resistance of sustainable ternary cement with sugarcane bagasse ash and waste glass powder

The utilisation of agro-industrial wastes as supplementary cementitious materials addresses both the high carbon dioxide emissions from cement production and the challenges of waste disposal. While the use of sugarcane bagasse ash (SBA) and waste glass powder (WGP) as individual pozzolanic materials in blended cementitious systems has been examined in previous studies, research exploring their combined application in ternary cement blends is limited. In this study, the performance of ternary cementitious systems containing SBA and WGP under exposure to sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid and nitric acid was investigated. The ternary cementitious systems were evaluated in terms of reductions in compressive strength, mass loss and microstructure. Specimens made with a ternary blend including 10% SBA and 5% WGP exhibited the lowest mass and strength losses. Visual inspection and scanning electron microscopy revealed notable colour changes, surface degradation and the formation of gypsum, ettringite, tenuous structures and microcracks. X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermal analysis confirmed the presence of gypsum and ettringite in acid-exposed specimens. Moreover, the hydration products in the SBA–WGP ternary cement specimens demonstrated relatively higher resistance to acid-induced deterioration.