Hydration of oil well cement containing sugarcane biomass waste as a function of curing temperature and pressure

•Sugarcane biomass waste was used in oil well cement slurries.•Oil well cement slurries were cured at low and high temperature/pressure.•Sugarcane biomass waste reacts with Ca(OH)2 present in cement slurries.•The addition of SBW improved the compressive strength and reduced the permeability.•Sugarcane biomass waste can be used as a mineral additive to partially replace cement.

The present study evaluates hydration of oil well cement containing sugarcane biomass waste. Thus slurries were cured at low temperature (22 °C) and ambient pressure for 28 days. Additional curing at high temperature (280 °C) and high pressure (17.2 MPa) for 3 days was evaluated. Slurries containing 10–40% by weight of cement were evaluated by thermogravimetry, X-ray diffraction, compressive strength and permeability. The results revealed that sugarcane biomass waste reacts with calcium hydroxide present in cement slurries. Slurries containing 20% of the residue and cured at 22 °C for 28 days depicted the reduction of ~49.9% of the calcium hydroxide content. The addition of 40% SBW and curing at 22 °C for 28 days and 280 °C/17.2 MPa for 3 days yielded the transformation of common C–S–H into silica-rich C–S–H. Sugarcane biomass waste can replace the silica flour as an additive for oil well cement, resulting in improved compressive strength and permeability of the slurries.