Factor Analysis of the Physical–Mechanical Properties for Geopolymers Based on Brick Dust and Biomass Bottom Ash as Eco-Friendly Building Materials

Abstract

The production of building materials is unavoidable if the well-being and development of society are to be maintained. However, in manufacturing these materials, significant greenhouse gas emissions and environmental effects are produced. For this reason, and with the aim of reducing the impact of the manufacture of these materials, this work developed a geopolymeric material made up solely of wastes, brick dust and biomass bottom ashes which replaced the traditional ceramic materials. To evaluate the quality of this sustainable geopolymeric material, different groups of specimens were formed with different percentages of both residues, subsequently determining the physical properties of the new-formed geopolymers and guaranteeing they accomplish the prescriptions of the ceramic regulations for construction. In addition, the results of the geopolymer characterisation tests were statistically analysed using factor analysis, with the sole purpose of establishing connections and interdependence between the variables that influence the geopolymerisation process. Thus, it was possible to demonstrate that the combination of brick dust and biomass bottom ashes produced geopolymers with adequate qualities to replace traditional ceramics, as well as that the different combinations of both residues produced feasible materials to be used as ceramics with various characteristics, with two main factors determined by factorial analysis that governed the physical properties of the geopolymer obtained: the percentage of brick dust and the theoretical porosity.