Abstract
The present work aims at exploitation of CKD in presence of quartz sand by its conversion into eco-friendly wollastonite ceramics. Different batch compositions of cement kiln dust (CKD) with 30 to 55 wt % quartz with an increment of 5 wt % were designed to prepare wollastonite and its composites. The batches were designated as B30, B35, B40, B45, B50, B55 where the number indicates the weight percent of quartz in the batch composition and the rest is cement kiln dust. These batches were wet mixed, dried at 100°C for 24 h, grounded, sieved, uniaxially pressed and fired at different temperatures. Phase composition, microstructure, densification parameters, and mechanical properties of the obtained fired specimens were investigated. The results showed that α- & β-wollastonite polymorphs and their composites were synthesized successfully at lower temperatures (1150–1250°C) without addition of any mineralizers. The output of this work might be considered as a real solution for the environmental problem relevant to cement industry.
