Study of mortars added with fluid catalytic cracking catalyst residue (FCC) under the influence of high temperatures

Abstract

In  this  article,  the  effect  of  the  addition  of  a  petrochemical  industry  residue,  called  spent  catalyst  from  the  catalytic  cracking  (FCC),  in  cementitious  materials  exposed  to  temperatures  of  25  °C,  200  °C,  300  °C,  500  °C,  750  °C,  1000  °C and 1200 °C was analyzed. Metakaolin (MK) and silica fume (HS) were used as reference materials. The additions were incorporated into a 10% replacement of the proportion of cement (OPC) in the mixture. The effects of temperature exposure in the weight change and compressive strength were evaluated. Also, changes in the physical appearance of the specimens after thermal exposure were studied. Techniques of Thermogravimetric Analysis (TG) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to analyze the changes. The results indicate that the addition of the FCC acts positively on the performance of Portland cement. It is noteworthy that the residual strength of OPC mortars at temperature of 750 °C is 16.53% of the strength at room temperature compared to the mortars added, which reach up to 29.24%. The FCC addition delayed the appearance of cracks in the elements exposed to high temperatures compared to those without addition; its residual strength at 750°C is 26% higher than the reference material (OPC).