The influence of partial replacement of natural sand aggregates by grits residues on the mechanical properties of an ecological mortar

The great technological development has significantly increased the production of industrialized goods and the volume of mineral resources exploited. Consequently, there was a huge increase in the amount of waste produced daily throughout the world. For instance, the production of cellulose by the Kraft process results in large amounts of grits residues, solid industrial wastes with high potential of environmental contamination if not properly treated. Therefore, the objective of this study was the evaluation of the effects of partially replacing the natural sand aggregate of an ecological mortar by different percentages of grits residue on the compressive strength, flexural strength and tensile bond strength of the material. Three percentages of grits residue were used in this experiment to partially replace the aggregates: 10, 15, and 20%, as mass percentage, respectively. Data were statistically analyzed using the MINITAB 18.0® software at a significance level of 5%. The replacement ratio of sand aggregates by grits residues have great influence on the flowability of recycled mortar. The best flexural response was obtained when the sand aggregate was replaced by 15% grits residues. These results indicate the potential of using this residue as a partial replacement of fine aggregates in coating mortars, and suggest that 15% can be considered the ideal replacement ratio. •The replacement ratio of sand aggregates by grits residues have great influence on the flowability.•The ecological mortar was able to withstand compressive stresses higher than those applied in the reference mortar.•10 and 15% of substitution of sand aggregates by grits residues resulted in the highest compression responses.•The results obtained in this research can be used to predict values of compression efficiency.