Properties of Cement Mortar Using Limestone Sludge Powder Modified with Recycled Acetic Acid

One of the various methods of manufacturing low-carbon cement is substituting limestone powder as a raw material or admixture. Limestone sludge powder (LSSP) has the same composition as that of limestone powder. The surface characteristics of LSSP powder modified with recycled acetic acid (RAA) and the characteristics of cement using this modified LSSP as a substitute were investigated in this study. The surface of LSSP modified with RAA was converted into calcium acetate and had a large grain size. When conventional LSSP was used as a substitute for cement, the initial strength increased owing to improved pore filling; however, the strength after 28 days of aging was lower than that of non-substituted cement. In the case of modified LSSP being replaced with cement at up to 10% of the cement weight, however, the calcium acetate on its surface increased the amount of hydration products in the cement, thereby increasing both the initial and the long-term strength.