Effect of Superplasticizer Type on Cementitious Materials Incorporating Industrial Waste

The construction industry contributes significantly to global carbon dioxide emissions, particularly through cement manufacturing. In this context, recycling industrial waste materials such as fly ash and blast furnace slag as partial substitutes for cement is a sustainable strategy to minimize pollution. The use of superplasticizers reduces water consumption and improves the performance of cementitious materials, thus contributing to the development of more environmentally friendly and efficient materials. In this study, the influence of superplasticizers such as sodium lignosulfonate (LS), naphthalene formaldehyde sulfonates (SNF), melamine formaldehyde sulfonates (SMF), and polycarboxylate ether (PCE) on the properties of cementitious materials was analyzed. The cement was partially replaced with 5% fly ash and 15% blast furnace slag. Properties such as density, compressive strength, flexural strength, and adhesion to the substrate were determined. In addition, the influence of these superplasticizers on water consumption was investigated by determining the water/cement ratio. The results showed a decrease in the water/cement ratio from 52% for the reference sample to 44% with the use of SNF and 37% with the use of PCE. Density increased by up to 7% with SMF and by 11% with PE. Adhesion to the substrate increased by up to 63% with LS and by 113% with PE. Compressive strength reached values up to 155% higher with PCE, while flexural strength increased by up to 75% with the same superplasticizer. The study demonstrated that the use of PCE was effective in improving all the characteristics of the materials obtained by partially replacing cement. At the same time, the use of LS led to significant improvements and was also environmentally beneficial, as it is obtained from the processing of an industrial by-product. The results support the use of superplasticizers as an effective approach for producing more sustainable cement-based materials.