Investigating the sustainable application of unprocessed sugarcane bagasse ash and alccofine in cementitious mortar from a physical, mechanical, and microstructural perspective

This study investigated the physical, mechanical, and microstructural properties of binary and ternary cementitious mortars containing unprocessed sugarcane bagasse ash (USBA) and alccofine (AF). USBA was obtained from a sugar mill waste disposal site and was minimally processed by sieving through sieve no. 50. Binary mortars substitute cement with either USBA or AF, whereas ternary mortars use both. The results show that incorporating USBA increases the water demand owing to its porous structure, while ternary mixes reduce this demand by varying the AF content. Mortars with USBA displayed lower densities, whereas those with AF showed higher densities. Initially, USBA reduced the compressive strength, but this improved with time owing to its pozzolanic characteristics. Mortars containing AF exhibited higher compressive strengths, whereas ternary blends showed significant enhancements. The study also highlights an exponential relationship between compressive strength and ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), with R values of 0.93 for USBA binary mortars, 0.60 for AF binary mortars, and 0.61 for ternary mortars. Microstructural analysis using XRD, SEM, EDAX, and FTIR confirmed the continued hydration and pozzolanic activity. These findings support the use of USBA and AF to improve mortar properties and performance.