A Sustainable Method for Enhancing Cementitious Composites Using Corn Stover Ash and Predictive Soft Computing Techniques

Abstract

The present invention relates to a sustainable method for producing enhanced cementitious composites by utilizing corn stover ash (CSA) as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM). Corn stover, an agricultural residue, is processed through controlled combustion at temperatures between 500°C and 800°C and ground to a particle size of 5–50 microns to maximize pozzolanic reactivity. The CSA is incorporated into cementitious compositions, replacing 5–20% of Portland cement by weight, resulting in improved mechanical properties such as compressive strength and enhanced durability against chloride penetration, and sulfate attack. The pozzolanic reaction of CSA with calcium hydroxide forms additional calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H), densifying the composite microstructure and reducing porosity. The invention also integrates predictive modeling using soft computing techniques, including artificial neural networks (ANN), to optimize mix designs and predict composite behavior under varying conditions. This approach

Specification

Description:[001] The present invention pertains to the domain of sustainable construction materials and computational modeling. Specifically, it relates to the utilization of corn stover ash (CSA) as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM) in cement composites to improve performance characteristics and reduce environmental impact. Additionally, it employs predictive soft computing techniques for the optimization and modeling of CSA-based cementitious formulations.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[002] The following description provides the information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
[003] Further, the approaches described in this section are approaches that could be pursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it , Claims:1. A method for producing sustainable cementitious composites, comprising:
a) Preparing corn stover ash (CSA) by drying corn stover, combusting it at 500°C to 800°C to maximize pozzolanic reactivity, and grinding the resulting ash to a particle size of 5-50 microns, and
b) Replacing 5-20% of Portland cement by weight with CSA in cementitious compositions to improve compressive strength and durability.
2. The method as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the prepared CSA reacts with calcium hydroxide during hydration to form additional calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H), resulting in a densified microstructure and reduced porosity in the cementitious composite.
3. The method as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the CSA-based cementitious composite demonstrates improved durability by resisting chloride penetration and sulfate attack.
4. A cementitious composite material comprising:
A mixture of Portland cement and 5-20% CSA by weight,
Superplasticizers or water-reducing admixtures to enhance workability, and
Optimized pozzolan

Documents