• Journal of the Korean Recycled Construction Resources Institute
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.89-96
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• 2023

In this paper, a ferrosilicon by-product was evaluated to confirm the feasibility of recycling it as supplementary cementitious material of ordinary Portland cement in concrete. Three different levels of replacement ratio (10 %, 20 % and 30 % of total binder) were applied to find which is the most beneficial to be used as a binder. Ferrosilicon concrete was initially assessed at setting time and compressive strength. Durability was evaluated by the resistance to chloride penetration test(RCPT) and alkali-silica reaction(ASR) with a comparison to silica fume concrete due to their similarity in chemical composition. The porosimetry and X-ray diffraction analysis along with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy give information on the microstructural characteristics of the ferrosilicon concrete. It was found that 10 % ferrosilicon concrete has higher strength while 20 %, 30 % have lower strength than OPC concrete. However, chemical resistance to chloride attack is higher when replacement is increased. Compared to silica fume, the durability of ferrosilicon might be less efficient however, it is obviously beneficial than OPC. High SiO₂ content in ferrosilicon results in producing more C-S-H gel which could make denser pore structure. Most of the risk of alkali silica reaction to silicate binders through length change tests was less than 0.2 %, and both mortar using ferrosilicon and silica fume showed better resistance to alkali silica reaction as the substitution rate increased.Reuse of industrial waste rather than producing highly refined additives might reduce environmental load during manufacture and save costs.