Production and Characterization of Pearl Millet Husk Ash as a Pozzolan

Abstract

ABSTRACT Pearl millet husk ash is a byproduct of the combustion of pearl millet husks, commonly used in various industries. This study presents a novel approach to producing pozzolan from millet husk, focusing on identifying the most effective production metrics. The cleaned husks underwent calcination at various temperatures and dwelling times, resulting in six ashes for chemical composition analysis. The findings, which are of significant importance to the field of civil engineering and environmental sustainability, reveal that the optimal production metric for creating high silica content pozzolan from millet husk bio-wastes is a calcination temperature of 900⁰C and a dwelling time of 2 hours. The MHA generated at these conditions had a total of SiO2, Al2O3, and Fe2O3 content ranging from 96 %, surpassing the benchmark of 70 % for Class C ASTM C618-12 quality pozzolan. Therefore, this research provides valuable insight into producing high-quality pozzolan from millet husk bio-wastes, contributing significantly to the fields of civil engineering and environmental sustainability by offering a sustainable and efficient method for waste utilization and resource conservation through calcination at 900⁰C for 2 hours.