INFLUENCE OF BURNING TEMPERATURE ON RICE HUSK ASH MICROSTRUCTURE AND POZZOLANIC REACTIVITY

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Abstract

The excessive CO? emissions associated with Portland cement (PC) production have prompted research into sustainable alternatives. Rice husk ash (RHA) is one of the prominent agro-based supplementary cementitious materials that has been used as a sustainable and cost-effective alternative for partially replacing cement in concrete. However, variations in the calcination temperatures have resulted in pronounced differences in the RHA-concrete properties. This study therefore evaluates the effect of the calcination temperature of RHA on the pozzolanic reactivity and microstructural properties of RHA-blended cement concrete. Rice husk samples were obtained in Akure, Nigeria, and were calcined at three specific temperatures, namely, 550°C, 600°C and 650°C. X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction tests, and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were conducted to evaluate the pozzolanic reactivity and micro-structural properties, respectively, and compressive strength tests were conducted on the RHA-blended cement mixtures. The XRD results showed that all samples of the RHA550 to RHA650 are amorphous based on the peaks shown on the XRD graphs. High silica compounds were also observed (wollastonite, quartz and calcite), which confirm the pozzolanic reactivity of RHA between 550°C and 650°C. The XRF results depicted that the combination of silica (SiO?), alumina (Al?O?) and iron oxide (Fe?O?) in each sample is more than 70% in accordance with ASTM. The results of the setting time tests indicated that the addition of RHA accelerated the setting time from 567 mins for the control mix to 442 mins for the RHA650 mix. Compressive strength results showed that RHA600 performed best in terms of pozzolanic reactivity and strength, recording a strength of 18.2 N/mm² compared to 15.7 N/mm² for the control specimen at 56 days of curing. It is thus preferred for obtaining optimal concrete results. This research provides a validation for the adoption and processing of RHA for commercial use in the construction industry.

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2026-05-21
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How to Cite

INFLUENCE OF BURNING TEMPERATURE ON RICE HUSK ASH MICROSTRUCTURE AND POZZOLANIC REACTIVITY. (2026). FUTA JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING AND ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY, 20(Special), 237-247. https://doi.org/10.51459/futajeet.2026.20.Special.615

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