Use of silicon and ferrosilicon industry by-products (silica fume) in cement paste and mortar

With increased environmental awareness, recycling/utilization of industrial byproducts is gaining ground. One such by-product is silica fume (SF), which is byproduct of the smelting process in the silicon and ferrosilicon industry. By-products of the production of silicon metal and the ferrosilicon alloys having silicon contents of 75% or more contain 85–95% non crystalline silica. Silica fume is very useful in the design and development of high quality cement paste/mortar and concrete.This paper presents comprehensive details of the physical, chemical, properties, and its reaction mechanism. It also covers the hydration characteristics, consistency, setting times, workability and compressive strength of cement paste and mortar.