Impact of Natural and Calcined Zeolite on Mortar Performance: Optimization of Cement Substitution Ratios and Calcination Temperatures

The environmental and economic efficacy of natural and calcined zeolite surpasses that of cement. However, due to the inherent lack of binder properties in natural and calcined zeolite, this study explores their potential as partial replacements for cement at varying ratios: 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%. Also micronized zeolite is subjected to calcination at temperatures of 600 ℃, 700 ℃, and 800 ℃ for an hour. Consistency is maintained through the incorporation of a superplasticizer, with water/binder ratios held constant. Mortars, incorporating natural and calcined micronized zeolites, are produced in dimensions of 50x50x50 mm. The compressive strength is assessed at 7 and 28 days, complemented by microstructure analyses utilizing Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) experiments. The experimental results indicate that the inclusion of natural and calcined zeolite with cement yields superior outcomes compared to the control mortar. Furthermore, samples containing 15% zeolite calcined at 700°C showed a notable increase in compressive strength, with approximately 12% higher strength at 7 days and 20% at 28 days compared to the control sample.