Sugar cane bagasse ash as a partial substitute of Portland cement: Effect on mechanical properties and emission of carbon dioxide

•Sugarcane bagasse ash has pozzolanic potential to be used in cementitious compounds.•The substitution of Portland cement by 10 % of sugarcane bagasse ash maintained the mechanical properties of the compounds.•The XRD tests indicated amorphous halo in the ashes studies.•The consumption of portlandite by ash was confirmed by the peak analysis of the XRD tests. The objective of this work is to analyze the mechanical strength of mortars with the partial replacement of Portland cement by ashes from the sugar cane bagasse, obtained in a sugar mill, in the region of Palmares-BR, and in a pizzeria, in Recife-BR. For the research the characterization of ashes was made by means of X-Ray powder diffraction analysis, demonstrating that the ashes of the pizzeria and the ones of the sugar mill had around 61 % and 62 %, respectively, of amorphous material. The analysis of the mechanical and chemical behavior (XRD and thermogravimetry) of cement pastes, both dosed with 15 % of substitution of Portland cement by the collected ashes, was also made. The essays were made until 91 days of age of the materials. Results indicated a possible use of 15 % of substitution of Portland cement by the sugar cane bagasse ash, since the mechanical strength was equivalent to the one of the reference series. The chemical analysis of the cement pastes confirmed the consumption of Portlandite and, in consequence, the pozzolanic potential of the studied ashes.