Adding zeolite to multi-component fine-grain concrete used for 3D construction printing

Introduction. Requirements, applied to materials used for 3D construction printing, can be met by adding modifiers at the stage of designing fine-grained concrete compositions. Natural zeolites can be considered highly effective finely dispersed additives capable of adjusting properties of concrete mixtures, that are particularly relevant for remote development areas having deposits of this mineral raw material.

Materials and methods. Research works and experimental data are reviewed to analyze the use of zeolites as a mineral additive in construction. Zeolites can partially, to different extents, replace cement in concrete to optimally meet the requirements of construction 3D printing. The setting time, the density and the dynamic shear stress of various compositions of concrete mixtures, as well as the density, ultimate compressive and bending strength values were determined for mature concrete. Results of strength and calorimetric testing were used to evaluate the activity of zeolite.

Results. The best performance was demonstrated by the specimens with 5–15 % zeolite content by the cement weight. The information is provided about the time it takes for the density of concrete mixture to become critical to ensure its suitability for a 3D printer, which is reduced by 60 to 80 minutes for compositions with the 5–15 % zeolite content compared to the controlling composition, provided that and the mixture suitability period can be optimized by choosing the concentration of zeolite. The initial density of the concrete mixture, evaluated using the Vicat cone penetrometer, did not demonstrate any great changes when the share of zeolite was increased.

Conclusions. Zeolite improves mechanical characteristics of fine-grained concrete and adjusts the setting time depending on the concentration of the mineral filler. Hence, zeolite can be considered as an effective component of concretes suitable for additive technologies.

1. Hadbaatar A., Mashkin N.A., Stenina N.G. Study of ash-slag wastes of electric power plants of Mongolia applied to their utilization in road construction. Procedia Engineering. 2016; 150:1558-1562. DOI: 10.1016/j.proeng.2016.07.111

2. Tak S., Gupta P., Kumar A., Sofi A., Yun C.M. Effect of using silica fume as a partial replacement of cement in concrete. Materials Today: Proceedings. 2023. DOI: 10.1016/j.matpr.2023.04.205

3. Du H., Dai Pang S. High-performance concrete incorporating calcined kaolin clay and limestone as cement substitute. Construction and Building Materials. 2020; 264:120152. DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.120152

4. Canessa E., Fonda K., Zennaro G. Accessible 3D printing for science, education and sustainable development. International Center for Theoretical Physics Abdus Salam, 2013; 192. (rus.).

5. Dem’yanenko O.V., Kopanitsa N.O., Sorokina E.A. Performance characteristics of 3D printing construction mixes depending on thermally-modified peat additive. Journal of Construction and Architecture. 2018; 20(4):122-134. DOI: 10.31675/1607-1859-2018-20-4-122-134. EDN XWCDCP. (rus.).

6. Panda B., Bhagath Singh G.V.P., Unluer C., Tan M.J. Synthesis and characterization of one-part geopolymers for extrusion based 3D concrete printing. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2019; 220:610-619. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.02.185

7. Khan S.A., Koç M., Al-Ghamdi S.G. Sustainability assessment, potentials and challenges of 3D printed concrete structures : a systematic review for built environmental applications. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2021; 303:127027. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.127027

8. Muminov S.Z. Research in the field of thermodynamics and thermochemistry of adsorption on clay minerals. Tashkent, Fan Publ., 1987; 144. (rus.).

9. Vasilyanova L.S., Lazareva E.A. Zeolites in ecology. Science News of Kazakhstan. 2016; 1(127):61-85. EDN XUOOGT. (rus.).

10. Toturbiev B.D. Natural zeolites — effective minerals for the manufacture of building materials. Proceedings of the Institute of Geology of the Dagestan Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences. 2012; 58:47-51. (rus.).

11. Krasny L.I., Morozov A.F., Petrov O.V. Geology and minerals of Russia. St. Petersburg, 2000; 1:552. (rus.).

12. Poberezhny S.K., Komovnikov B.K. Report on the environmental situation in the Kaliningrad region in 2012. Kaliningrad, 2013; 204. (rus.).

13. Lukyanova N.V., Bogdanov Yu.B., Vasilyeva O.V., Vargin G.P. State geological map of the Russian Federation. Scale 1:1,000,000 (third generation). Series Central European. Sheet N-(34). St. Petersburg, VSEGEI Mapping Factory, 2011; 226. (rus.).

14. Morozova N.N., Kais H.A. On the role of natural zeolite on the strength of fine-grained concrete. Bulletin of the Technological University. 2016; 19(10):64-68. EDN VXPEOR. (rus.).

15. Potapova L.I., Kais Kh.A. Protective properties of concrete with natural zeolite in relation to steel reinforcement. Innovation Science. 2016; 6-2:132-134. EDN WCFMGR. (rus.).

16. Rahul P., Ravella D.P., Chandra Sekhara Rao P.V. Durability assessment of Self-Curing high performance concretes containing zeolite admixture. Materials Today: Proceedings. 2022; 60:502-507. DOI: 10.1016/j.matpr.2022.01.352

17. Zheng X., Zhang J., Ding X., Chu H., Zhang J. Frost resistance of internal curing concrete with calcined natural zeolite particles. Construction and Building Materials. 2021; 288:123062. DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2021.123062

18. Dabbaghi F., Sadeghi-Nik A., Ali Libre N., Nasrollahpour S. Characterizing fiber reinforced concrete incorporating zeolite and metakaolin as natural pozzolans. Structures. 2021; 34:2617-2627. DOI: 10.1016/j.istruc.2021.09.025

19. Das M., Adhikary S.K., Rudzionis Z. Effectiveness of fly ash, zeolite, and unburnt rice husk as a substitute of cement in concrete. Materials Today: Proceedings. 2022; 61:237-242. DOI: 10.1016/j.matpr.2021.09.005

20. Sai Teja G., Ravella D.P., Chandra Sekhara Rao P.V. Studies on self-curing self-compacting concretes containing zeolite admixture. Materials Today: Proceedings. 2021; 43:2355-2360. DOI: 10.1016/j.matpr.2021.01.682

21. Madhuri P.V., Kameswara Rao B., Chaitanya A. Improved performance of concrete incorporated with natural zeolite powder as supplementary cementitious material. Materials Today: Proceedings. 2021; 47:5369-5378. DOI: 10.1016/j.matpr.2021.06.089

22. Erfanimanesh A., Sharbatdar M.K. Mechanical and microstructural characteristics of geopolymer paste, mortar, and concrete containing local zeolite and slag activated by sodium carbonate. Journal of Building Engineering. 2020; 32:101781. DOI: 10.1016/j.jobe.2020.101781

23. Najimi M., Sobhani J., Ahmadi B., Shekarchi M. An experimental study on durability properties of concrete containing zeolite as a highly reactive natural pozzolan. Construction and Building Materials. 2012; 35:1023-1033. DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2012.04.038

24. Makarov Yu.A., Tereshkin I.P., Lukashina S.V. Possibility of using natural zeolites as a mineral additive for concrete. Science Almanac. 2015; 8(10):852-855. DOI: 10.17117/na.2015.08.852. EDN ULGTDF. (rus.).

25. Lankin S.V. Features of the strength of concrete filled with zeolites. Problems of ecology of the Upper Amur region. 2014; 16:10-17. EDN SYQQKP. (rus.).

26. Morgun A.N. Frost resistance of concrete, ways to improve it. Science, technology and education. 2015; 7(13):101-105. (rus.).

27. Li J., Wu Z., Shi C., Yuan Q., Zhang Z. Durability of ultra-high performance concrete : a review. Construction and Building Materials. 2020; 255:119296. DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.119296

28. Kashani A., Ngo T. Production and placement of self-compacting concrete. Self-Compacting Concrete: Materials, Properties and Applications. 2020; 65-81. DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-817369-5.00003-9

29. Sharanova A., Dmitrieva M. Selection of compositions for additive technologies in construction. E3S Web of Conferences. 2019; 97:06018. DOI: 10.1051/e3sconf/20199706018

30. Lootens D., Jousset P., Martinie L., Roussel N., Flatt R.J. Yield stress during setting of cement pastes from penetration tests. Cement and Concrete Research. 2009; 39(5):401-408. DOI: 10.1016/j.cemconres.2009.01.012

31. Adamtsevich A.O., Pashkevich S.A., Pustovgar A.P. The use of calorimetry to predict the growth of the strength of accelerated hardening cement systems. Magazine of Civil Engineering. 2013; 3(38):36-42. DOI: 10.5862/MCE.38.5. EDN PZETSX. (rus.).

32. Sharanova A.V., Lenkova D.A., Panfilova A.D. Study of strength kinetics of sand concrete system of accelerated hardening. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering. 2018; 347:012014. DOI: 10.1088/1757-899X/347/1/012014

33. Linderoth O., Wadsö L., Jansen D. Long-term cement hydration studies with isothermal calorimetry. Cement and Concrete Research. 2021; 141:106344. DOI: 10.1016/j.cemconres.2020.106344