Effect of Some Treatments on the compatibility of some lignocellulosic materials with Portland cement

This study investigated the effect of some treatments on the compatibility of three lignocellulosic materials with cement. The lignocellulosic materials used were sunt (Acacia nilotica) sawdust, bagasse and cotton stalks collected from Es-Suki Sawmill, EL Gunied Sugar Factory and the fields of EL Kamlin governarate, respectively. The treatments were control, addition of 3% CaCl2, hot water extraction, hot water extraction 3%CaCl2, 1%NaOH extraction, and 1%NaOH extraction+3%CaCl2. Two Dewar flasks and a digital thermocouple were used. Hydration characteristics (maximum hydration temperature, time to reach maximum temperature and rise in temperature above ambient) of the lignocellulosic materials with cement were determined for each lignocellulosic material. The most suitable treatment common to all materials was the 1%NaOH extraction +3%CaCl2. The average maximum hydration temperatures attained by this treatment were 63.87 °C for bagasse, 67.87 °C for cotton stalks and 67.9 °C for sunt sawdust. Bagasse was the least responsive material to the treatments used followed by cotton stalks and then sunt sawdust. Extraction with sodium hydroxide (1% solution) was found to be the most effective treatment for the three lignocellulosic materials under investigation.