Abstracts Book - IMRC 2018

• SE2-O021
IMPROVING STRENGTH AND DURABILITY IN CALCAREOUS
CEMENTS MIXTURES ADDING POWDERED NOPAL (OPUNTIA
FICUS INDICA)
Carlos Gabriel Hernández Carrillo 1 , Jairo Alberto Gómez Cuaspud 2 , Carlos Eduardo Martínez
Suárez 1
1 Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia, Faculty of Engineering, Colombia.
2 Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia, Science Faculty, Colombia.
Nowadays the most used construction material in Colombia and the world are
the calcareous cements, much of its properties are conceived according to their
constituents, which provide specific mechanical characteristics and durability;
the use of additives in the cement industry and construction is one of the most
relevant alternatives to improve the physical and chemical properties and the
final performance of the materials, especially when they contribute to the
mitigation of polluting effects caused by CO 2 emissions. The present work
focuses on the obtaining and incorporation of the pulverized Nopal (opuntia
ficus indica), as an addition to the new Colombian cements classified by
performance. To determine the compositional variability of these cements, were
characterized different batches of comercial cements by X rays (XRD), scanning
electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF), finding little
compositional variability of the elements present in the smaller quantities and
minimum difference in particle size. In order to evaluate the optimum Nopal
dehydration temperature, were performed thermogravimetric analysis (TGA-
DSC) and this plant was characterized by infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman
spectroscopy and elemental chemical composition by X-ray fluorescence (ED-
XRF), determining a uniformity of composition of these samples and related
functional groups the presence of polysaccharides and protein components in
high concentrations which favors from the structural point of view the
development of hydration of cement mixtures. Subsequently, powdered nopal
was added to calcareous commercial cement in concentrations of 0, 1, 2 and 5%
(w / w), evaluating the changes produced in the normal consistency, increasing
from 27% to 54% and reduction in time of from 43% to 75%, this effect is due to
the addition of Nopal, highly complex matrices are formed, which prolongs the
hydration of the cement matrix by means of water sequestration; fluidity in
mortars decreased from approximately 8% to 53% and the number of voids
decreased to 22%, and an increase in mechanical strength from 3% to 10% in
proportions of 1% and 2% Nopal; The above allows to relate a better quality of