A highlight on the application of industrial and agro wastes in cement-based materials

In oil-well cementing, Portland cement is commonly used as a binder in cement slurry formulations. However, a significant amount of CO₂ is released into the atmosphere during the production of clinker, the main in-process materials in cement manufacturing. Again, the use of non-renewable resources in cement production makes the process unsustainable. Over the years, chemical and physical analyses of some industrial and agro wastes have revealed characteristics that make them useful as supplementary cementitious materials. Some of these byproducts contain chemicals that can be extracted to modify the fresh and hardened properties of cement-based materials. These materials include coal fly ash, ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS), silica fume, granite waste powder (GWP), rice biomass, palm oil biomass, sugarcane biomass, wood biomass, coconut biomass, and corn biomass. The purpose of this study is to investigate the industrial and agro wastes that were used in cement-based materials and make recommendations for future applications of these materials in oil-well cementing. An overview of experimental procedures and conclusions from laboratory and field studies conducted to evaluate the performance of such materials as cement admixtures is presented. A summary of key findings has also been reported. We recommend extensive evaluation of GWP as a filler/pozzolanic material or alternative to silica flour as an anti-strength retrogression agent. Secondly, we recommend an investigation into the use of other waste materials such as RHA as fillers in cement formulations to enhance the early-age strength development of fly ash and GGBFS oil-well cement systems, especially at low-temperature conditions. Finally, we recommend an assessment of POFA as an extender and the evaluation of both POFA and RHA as anti-strength retrogression agents in oil-well cement formulations.