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Title: Use of expanded perlite powder for cleaner production of

cementless lightweight plaster composites: An investigation into thermo-
physical, mechanical and microstructural Properties

Article Type: Research Paper

Keywords: cementless binder; lightweight mortar; mechanical performance;

thermal conductivity; solar reflectivity; durability

Corresponding Author: Dr. hamada shoukry,

Corresponding Author's Institution: housing & building national research

center

First Author: Khalifa Al jabri

Order of Authors: Khalifa Al jabri; hamada shoukry; Mahmoud Mokhtar;

Mohamed Morsy

Abstract: This study reports on the thermo-physical, mechanical and

microstructural properties of lightweight cementless mortars prepared
primarily from natural resources and industrial solid wastes. Lime-silica
fume (Lime-SF) paste (1:1 wt.) was considered as a green binder
alternative for cement. The binder was combined with expanded perlite
(EP) aggregate with various aggregate volume contents of 25, 50 and 75%.
The compressive strength, indirect tensile strength, density, thermal
conductivity, thermal diffusivity and solar reflectivity of the hardened
mortars were determined at 28 days of curing. Thermo gravimetric analysis
(TGA) was used to assess the phase composition. The durability of the
developed composites was estimated with accelerated aging test; in which,
the mechanical performance and microstructure characteristics were
examined for the hardened composites subjected to 20 wet/dry cycles after
curing. Based on the experimental results of this study, the newly
developed lightweight cementless mortar possesses reasonable mechanical
performance, reduced thermal conductivity and enhanced solar
reflectivity. The increased porosity of EP-blended composites facilitates
water migration within the hardened structure; leading to remarkable
enhancement in resistance to wet/dry cycling and hence improved
durability. TGA patterns revealed a phase composition similar to that of
the hydrated cement. Scanning electron microscopy SEM revealed good
bonding between the hardened lime-pozzolan matrix and EP aggregate. The
developed composites can be highly recommended for sustainable and energy
efficient building plastering applications.

Suggested Reviewers: Ertug Aydin

Civil Engineering, European University of Lefke
eraydin@eul.edu.tr
full prof. in civil engineering

Saleh Abd El-Aleem

chemistry department, Faculty of Science, fayoum university, Egypt
Saa09@fayoum.edu.eg
specialized in the subject of the study, he has more than 40
publications in the field of study. Editor-in-Chief of: International
Journal of Engineering Research and Technology

Grigory Yakovlev
Civil Engineering, Izhevsk State Technical University Izhevsk, Russia
gyakov@istu.ru
specialized in the field of the study, he has many ISI publications in
the field of cement and concrete research

Hongjian Du
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering,, National University
of Singapore
ceedh@nus.edu.sg
specialized in the field of the study
he published more than 28 articles in cement and concrete composites and
modification of cement based materials

Mehran Khan
Department of Civil Engineering,, Dalian University of Technology,
Dalian, China
drmehrankhan@mail.dlut.edu.cn
specialized in the subject of the study
Cover Letter

Cover letter

Subject: SUBMISSION OF MANUSCRIPT

Dear: EDITOR,

We appreciate the opportunity to submit our article [Use of expanded perlite

powder for cleaner production of cementless lightweight plaster
composites: An investigation into thermo-physical, mechanical and
microstructural Properties] for possible publication in Powder Technology
journal.

Corresponding author
H. Shoukry
*Graphical Abstract (for review)
*Abstract

Abstract

This study reports on the thermo-physical, mechanical and microstructural

properties of lightweight cementless mortars prepared primarily from natural
resources and industrial solid wastes. Lime-silica fume (Lime-SF) paste (1:1 wt.) was
considered as a green binder alternative for cement. The binder was combined with
expanded perlite (EP) aggregate with various aggregate volume contents of 25, 50 and
75%. The compressive strength, indirect tensile strength, density, thermal
conductivity, thermal diffusivity and solar reflectivity of the hardened mortars were
determined at 28 days of curing. Thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to
assess the phase composition. The durability of the developed composites was
estimated with accelerated aging test; in which, the mechanical performance and
microstructure characteristics were examined for the hardened composites subjected
to 20 wet/dry cycles after curing. Based on the experimental results of this study, the
newly developed lightweight cementless mortar possesses reasonable mechanical
performance, reduced thermal conductivity and enhanced solar reflectivity. The
increased porosity of EP-blended composites facilitates water migration within the
hardened structure; leading to remarkable enhancement in resistance to wet/dry
cycling and hence improved durability. TGA patterns revealed a phase composition
similar to that of the hydrated cement. Scanning electron microscopy SEM revealed
good bonding between the hardened lime-pozzolan matrix and EP aggregate. The
developed composites can be highly recommended for sustainable and energy
efficient building plastering applications.
*Manuscript
Click here to view linked References

Use of expanded perlite powder for cleaner production of cementless

lightweight plaster composites: An investigation into thermo-physical,
mechanical and microstructural Properties

K. Al-Jabria, H. Shoukryb*, M.M. Mokhtarb, M. S. Morsyb

a
Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, College of Engineering, Sultan Qaboos
University, P.O. Box 33, Al-Khoud, Post Code 123, Oman

b
Housing and Building National Research Center (HBRC), Building Physics Institute (BPI),
87 El-Tahrir St., Dokki, P.O. Box 1770, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

This study reports on the thermo-physical, mechanical and microstructural

properties of lightweight cementless mortars prepared primarily from natural
resources and industrial solid wastes. Lime-silica fume (Lime-SF) paste (1:1 wt.) was
considered as a green binder alternative for cement. The binder was combined with
expanded perlite (EP) aggregate with various aggregate volume contents of 25, 50 and
75%. The compressive strength, indirect tensile strength, density, thermal
conductivity, thermal diffusivity and solar reflectivity of the hardened mortars were
determined at 28 days of curing. Thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to
assess the phase composition. The durability of the developed composites was
estimated with accelerated aging test; in which, the mechanical performance and
microstructure characteristics were examined for the hardened composites subjected
to 20 wet/dry cycles after curing. Based on the experimental results of this study, the
newly developed lightweight cementless mortar possesses reasonable mechanical
performance, reduced thermal conductivity and enhanced solar reflectivity. The
increased porosity of EP-blended composites facilitates water migration within the
hardened structure; leading to remarkable enhancement in resistance to wet/dry
cycling and hence improved durability. TGA patterns revealed a phase composition
similar to that of the hydrated cement. Scanning electron microscopy SEM revealed
good bonding between the hardened lime-pozzolan matrix and EP aggregate. The
developed composites can be highly recommended for sustainable and energy
efficient building plastering applications.
Keywords: cementless binder; lightweight mortar; mechanical performance; thermal
conductivity; solar reflectivity; durability

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1. Introduction
Lightweight mortars are characterized by low bulk density and low thermal
conductivity; these unique properties help in improving energy-efficiency of buildings
by retarding heat flow through building envelopes and thus reducing indoor cooling
loads in hot climate countries [1]. The most commonly used methodology for the
development of lightweight mortars is by replacing (partially or fully) the
conventional aggregate (fine sand) by an artificial lightweight aggregate such as
expanded perlite (EP) [2], expanded vermiculite (EVM) [3], expanded polystyrene [4]
expanded clay (EC) [5], glass hollow sphere (GS) and ceramic microsphere (CM)
[4,6] . Shoukry et al. [1] reported a reduction in the thermal conductivity of mortars
incorporating expanded perlite (EP) with grain size of about 0–3 mm at levels ranging
from 10% to 70%, by volume. The mortar containing 70% EP achieved considerable
reduction in thermal conductivity by 84.21%. The development of cement-based
lightweight mortars has been widely considered by many researchers all over the
world. However, the application of lightweight aggregates in lime-based matrix has
been addressed by few researchers.
The high energy consumption and generation of CO2 emissions during the
manufacturing of Portland cement have revived interest in using lime-based binders
as environmentally friendly alternative construction and building materials. Recent
studies affirmed that lime-pozzolan paste LPP demand less energy and emit less CO2,
so they are considered greener than Portland cement [7]. Furthermore, LPPs have
additional advantages where their lighter unit weight reduces the dead load of
structural members and therefore they are a cost-effective building material.
Hydraulic LPP mixtures with 25% silica fume and 25% fly ash were prepared and
cured for 28 and 90 days. These hardened blends exhibited 28- and 90-day strength of
19.9 MPa and 29.8 MPa, respectively [7]. The compressive strength of pastes made
from hydrated lime blended with SF and type F fly ash, with total pozzolan content up
to 40% was recently examined [8]. The 28- day strength was found to be relevant for
many applications when concrete with moderate strength is required. Furthermore, it
was concluded, in this study, that the highest compressive strength was obtained for
the samples cured in water at 60 ºC. Also, the study concluded that the developed
LPP can thus be utilized as alternative to the Portland cement pastes (PCP) or replace
the PCP pastes in some applications with economic and environmental benefits.
Morsy et al. [9] recently studied the mechanical strength, microstructure

-2-
characteristics and the phase analysis of a binder produced from metakaolin MK and
slaked lime in 4:1 proportion by weight. Anhydrous Gypsum was mixed as an
activator in different ratios ranging from 5 to 20 wt.%. Addition of 5% anhydrous
gypsum provided enhancements in the compressive and flexural strengths by about
68% and 72%, respectively. The hydration characteristics and compressive strength of
lime-SF pastes were studied using initial lime/SF molar ratios of 0.80, 1.0, 1.30, 1.70
and 2.0. The mix with lime/SF molar ratio of 1.0 showed the highest compressive
strength [10].
Lightweight lime-burnt clay shale pozzolan plasters combined with expanded clay
EC-sand aggregates were investigated [5]. The volumetric ratio of sand and EC was
varied over a wide range. Plaster composites with the volumetric ratio of 1:1 between
sand and EC, has attained the best mechanical and thermal performances among the
examined composites, two times lower thermal conductivity with marginal
deterioration in compressive and flexural strengths have been obtained as compared
with the control lime-pozzolan plaster with sand aggregates. The developed
composite showed a good potential for practical applications. Zach et al. [11] studied
the feasibility of using expanded obsidian as aggregate replacement in thermally
resistive plasters. Expanded obsidian, when combined with lime hydrate, possessed
enhanced thermal characteristics with slight degradation in mechanical properties.
The literature review conducted as part of this study revealed that few studies have
investigated the use of lightweight aggregate with the lime-pozzolan binders for the
production of lightweight cementless mortars as environmentally friendly alternative
plaster composites for energy efficient building applications. The aim of current study
was to investigate the thermo-physical, mechanical and microstructural characteristics
of lime- SF green binder combined with EP aggregate with various aggregate volume
contents of 25, 50 and 75%. The results obtained from this experimental investigation
are discussed in this paper.

2. Experimental Testing Program

2.1. Materials
The materials used in this study are hydrated lime (non-hydraulic), pozzolan material;
silica fume (SF) and lightweight aggregate; expanded perlite (EP). The hydrated lime
(Ca(OH)2) was obtained by burning limestone (CaCO3) rocks at 1000 ºC to yield
quick lime (CaO). Then, water was added to the lime to obtain hydrated lime

-3-
 Ca(OH)2. SF was supplied from an Egyptian company for ferrosilicon alloys, EDFO.
SF is a by-product of silicon alloy manufacturing. Silicon alloys are produced in
electric furnaces, i.e., "submerged arc electric furnaces". The raw materials are quartz,
coal, and woodchips. The smoke emitted from the furnace is collected and sold as SF,
and the utilization of SF as a partial substitute for raw materials in construction
applications has been shown to be helpful for improving the mechanical performance
of cement and concrete structures and conserving landfill space. Furthermore, SF is
classified as a very reactive pozzolan. EP was supplied by the Egyptian company for
manufacturing perlite and vermiculite (E.C.P.V). The chemical compositions of the
raw materials were determined by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis as presented in
Table 1. The surface areas of SF and lime are approximately 20 and 1.05 m2/g,
respectively. The mineralogical analyses of the raw materials used were performed
by XRD and are presented in Fig. 1. The XRD pattern of hydrated lime indicated the
presence of portlandite Ca(OH)2 and a minor amount of calcite (CaCO3) due to slight
carbonation. The SF showed a broad peak from 15º to 35º, which indicates the
presence of a non-crystalline (amorphous) silicate phase. The EP also showed an
amorphous nature with some traces of crystalline phases like quartz and feldspar. The
physical properties of EP are summarized in Table 2. The microstructure of the EP
aggregate was investigated by SEM and presented in Fig. 2. It can be seen from Fig.
2 that EP aggregate possesses cellular honeycomb structure.

Table 1–Physical properties and chemical composition of raw materials (mass %)

Surface
Specific
Material SiO2 Al2O3 Fe2O3 CaO MgO Na2O K2O L.O.I. area
gravity
m2/g
Non-hydraulic lime 1.6 1.3 1.2 94 0.9 -- -- 1 2.40 1.05
SF 94.3 1.9 0.9 0.6 0.4 -- -- 1.9 2.45 20
EP 77.77 11.91 0.78 3.09 0.01 2.66 2.36 1.42 0.138 11

Table 2–Physical properties of EP

Color white
Refractive index 1.5
Free moisture, max (%). 0.48
Specific gravity 0.138
Grain size (mm) 0-4
Specific heat (J/kg.K) 1030
Thermal conductivity at 25 ºC (W/m.K) 0.05

-4-
Count/sec (CPS) P
800
Hydrated Lime
600

400
P
200 P P
c
0
140 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
Count/sec (CPS)

120 Silica Fume

100
80
60
40
20
0
300 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
Q
Count/sec (CPS)

Expanded Perlite
200
F

100

0
10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

2θ
P: portlandite, C: calcite, F: feldspare, Q: quartz
Fig. 1– XRD pattern of hydrated lime, SF and EP

Fig. 2– SEM micrograph of EP

-5-
2.2. Sample preparation, identification and testing
In order to investigate the thermo-physical, mechanical and optical properties of the
newly proposed lightweight cementless mortar, four sets of samples were prepared;
the first one was made by combining 50 wt.% of SF with 50 wt.% of hydrated lime
to form a cementless binder as recommended by previous study [10], while the
lightweight EP aggregate was used in the other three sets as replacement of the lime-
SF binder to form the lightweight mortar, at ratios of 25, 50 and 75 vol.%. The mix
design is clarified in Table 3.
Both SF and lime for the first group or SF, lime and EP for the other three groups
were firstly dry mixed for 5 minutes to achieve homogeneity. Then the water
necessary to obtain a standard consistency and constant flowability was added to
produce the fresh composites.
The fresh composites were molded into 5×5×5 cm cubes for compressive strength,
indirect tensile strength, thermal conductivity and wet/dry cycling tests. Additional
group was molded into plastic disks (5 cm Dia and 1cm height) for the solar
reflectivity measurements. The molds were vibrated for 1 minute to remove any
contained air bubbles. The samples were kept in their molds for the first 24 h. and
then removed to cure in water at room temperature for 27 days prior to testing.
At the 28th of curing, three specimens for both compressive and indirect tensile
strengths were tested and the average values were reported. The broken pieces of the
cubes were then fractured into pieces for SEM examination and then ground for TGA
and XRD analysis, also thermal conductivity and wet/dry cyclic tests were performed
as described hereinafter.

Table 3–Details of mix designation (vol.%)

Constituents, vol.%
Mix. code *W/B
*Binder EP aggregate
M1
100 0 0.5
(control)
M2 75 25 0.56
M3 50 50 0.61
M4 25 75 0.69
*Binder: 50 wt.% non-hydraulic lime + 50 wt.% SF
*W/B: water/binder ratio
Compressive strength

The compressive strength of the samples was measured after 28 days of curing on 5
cm cubic specimens in accordance with ASTM C 109 [12] using RMU digital
compressive testing equipment, 57-2400 BERGAMO ITALY at a loading rate of 0.5
kN/sec. The compressive strength was calculated using the following equation:

(1)

-6-
Indirect tensile strength
The indirect tensile strength of the prepared composites was performed by the
splitting test [13]. In this test, a load is applied along the center of two opposite faces
of a cube by means of narrow steel strips. Fig. 3 shows the experimental setup of this
test. This test was carried out on 5cm cubic samples after 28 days of curing using
RMU digital testing machine, 57-2400 BERGAMO ITALY at a loading rate of 0.16
kN/sec. The indirect tensile strength (Ts) is calculated from the following equation:
(2)
Where: P is the load required to split the cube (N) and L is the edge length of the cube
(mm).

Fig. 3. The test samples during the compressive and indirect tensile strength tests.

Wet/dry accelerated aging cycling test

The wet/dry cycling test has been widely considered to estimate the durability of
cementitious composites specified for plastering applications [14,15]. This test
simulates the aggressive environmental conditions that causes the deterioration of the
materials and accelerate the failure of the exposed structures. The wet/dry cycling
conducted in this study was 72 h drying in an oven with open air circulation at 60 ºC
followed by 96 h total immersion in water at room temperature as summarized in
Table 4. The drying was always gradually started with the oven at room temperature,
and the wetting process with the water at 20°C to avoid the effect of thermal shock in
the test samples.
Table 4–Conditions for wet/dry cycling test
Specimen size 5 x 5 x 5 cm
Wet condition Soaking in water at (20°C)
Dry condition Drying in oven (60°C)
72hours in dry condition – 96hours in wet condition (This
Cycle
means 1 cycle)
Test end Total 20 cycles

-7-
Bulk density
The bulk density of cube samples with dimensions of 5 × 5 × 5 cm was determined in
oven-dry state in accordance with ASTM 6426 [16].

Thermal conductivity
The transient line heat source is the most common procedure for determining the
thermal properties of cement based composites as reported in many previous studies
[17–19]. In this study, KD2 Pro - thermal properties analyzer was used to measure
the thermal properties of the prepared mixtures following the thermal needle probe
procedure according to ASTM D5334-14 [20]. The analyzer is provided with three
thermal needle probes 10 cm, 6 cm single needles, and 3 cm dual needle to measure
thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity and specific heat. In this study, the dual
needle 1.3 mm diameter x 30 mm long, 6 mm spacing was used to determine the
thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity. Two parallel grooves were created in 3
test cubes of every mix during the period of initial setting by dipping two metal
needles having the same dimensions of the measuring probe with the aid of 6 mm
spacer; paraffin was used to avoid the adhesion of metal needles with the hardened
paste and to help the easy removal of these needles at the time of testing. After 28
days of curing, the samples were oven dried at 60 °C for 48 h, to avoid the influence
of moisture content on the thermal conductivity. Thermal grease was used to ensure
good contact between the needle surface and the test sample and to avoid the contact
thermal resistance of the probe.

Optical reflectivity
The optical reflection was measured by using UV-VIS-NIR spectrophotometer
equipped with integrating sphere (UV-3600, Shimadzu - Japan), considering both
specular and diffuse radiation according to ASTM E 903-96 [21]. The reflectivity
was determined at wavelength intervals of 1 nm from 250 to 2500 nm, which is the
solar spectrum range with the highest concentration of solar energy according to
ASTM G 173-03 [22].

Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)

In order to explore the phase composition of the developed mixtures, TGA was
conducted by using schimadzu TGA 50 thermal analyzer at a heating rate of 10oC/min
under nitrogen atmosphere with a flow rate of 100 ml/min.

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)

SEM micrographs of the fresh fracture of each mix were collected by a scanning
electron microscope (FEI-Inspect S) to investigate the microstructure characteristics.

-8-
3. Results and discussion
3.1. Compressive strength
Fig. 4 shows the variations of compressive strength results along with the standard
deviation for the mixtures containing different proportions of EP after 28 days of
hydration and after 20 wet/dry accelerating aging cycles. As expected, the highest
value of compressive strength was attained for the control binder (without EP); the
compressive strength slightly decreases as EP content increases. The mix containing
75% EP (M4) exhibits about 5.9 MPa i.e., equivalent to about 76% of the compressive
strength of the control Lime-SF binder. This value is comparable with strength of
previously investigated lightweight lime based plasters and may satisfy the prescribed
plastering requirements [5]. The pozzolanic activity of EP due to its high amorphous
silica content results in the creation of additional cementing phase (CSH) [23]; this
might explain the lower loss of strength rate obtained for the EP-blends. The slight
loss of strength can be assigned to the increased porosity and the lack of cohesion
caused by the EP aggregate [1]. The compressive strength of the mixes exposed to
wet/dry cycling possessed controversial trend since the control binder showed the
lowest strength, the wet/dry cycling caused loss of strength for the control binder of
approximately 46%. This behaviour can be attributed to the structural defects
occurred due to the stresses formed by water transport. In addition, the loss of
strength decreases at a slower rate as the EP content increases. This is occurred due
to the porous structure of the EP-blended mortars as a result of the formation of
permeable pore voids inside the paste’s skeleton which facilitates the transport of
water molecules and, in turn; this decreases the internal mechanical stresses
responsible for the structural deformations and the loss of strength as compared to the
control compact binder.
10

9
Before cycling After cycling
8
Compressive strength, MPa

0
M1 M2 M3 M4
Mix code

Fig. 4. Compressive strength for the mixtures containing different proportions of EP cured for
28 days as compared with the aged ones.

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3.2. Indirect tensile strength
Fig. 5 shows the variations of indirect strength results along with the standard
deviation for the mixtures containing various amounts of EP after 28 days of
hydration and after 20 wet/dry accelerating aging cycles. Under tensile stress, the
composites examined before and after the wet/dry cycling showed a similar behaviour
to the compressive strength results. The indirect tensile strength decreases with the
increase of EP percentages. It decreased from about 1.21 MPa for the plain binder
(M1) to about 0.59 MPa for the composite mix (M4) with 75% EP replacement, with
a reduction rate of about 50%. The high loss of tensile strength can be attributed also
to the high degree of porosity created with the incorporation of EP in addition to the
lower concentrations of hydration products especially CSH which is responsible for
the strength or hardening in the lime-pozzolan blends. By replacing the binder with
EP aggregate, the pozzolanic reaction decreases causing the hydration products to
decrease. This is confirmed by TGA patterns. Furthermore, the increased water
required to attain the standard consistency for the EP-blended mortars increased the
degree of porosity in the lime-pozzolan matrix, which in turn contributes to a further
reduction in mechanical strength. The EP-blends showed an advantage over the
control binder; where, the loss of strength decreases with the increase of the EP
replacements due to the formed tracks for water migration, this is helpful in enhancing
the durability of the plaster composites.
1.4

Before cycling After cycling

1.2
Indirest tensile strength, MPa

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
M1 M2 M3 M4
Mix code

Fig. 5. Indirect tensile strength for the mixtures containing different proportions of EP cured
for 28 days as compared with the aged ones.

- 10 -
3.3. Thermal properties
Fig. 6 shows the relationship between the thermal conductivity (K) on the left y-axis,
thermal diffusivity (D) on the right y-axis and the density as x-axis of the newly
developed composites. As it was expected, the dry bulk density of the test samples at
28 days of curing decreased with increasing of EP content in the mixtures which can
be attributed to the lower density of EP aggregate. The bulk densities varied between
680 kg/m3 and 1310 kg/m3. The highest density was obtained for the control binder
(without EP); however, the lowest density was obtained for the mixture containing
75% EP i.e. M4. Both the thermal conductivity and diffusivity decreased with the
increased dosage of EP, higher dosage of EP contributes to higher void content and
hence lower density, thermal conductivity and diffusivity. These results agree with the
findings of previous study that investigated the thermal properties of Lime-based
plasters combined with expanded clay-silica aggregate [5]. The thermal conductivity
of lightweight concrete was found to decrease due to the decrease in density as a
result of OPC replacement with silica fume and fly ash that have lower specific
gravities than OPC [24]. It was also reported that latex, methylcellulose and silica
fume lowered the density and thermal conductivity of cement paste [25]. Another
study concluded that thermal conductivity decreased due to decreasing density of
concrete which results in an increase in void content [26]. It is well known that
thermal diffusivity is strongly dependent on porosity of the solid structures. The
experimental results revealed a similar linear trend of the relationship between density
and thermal diffusivity. The thermal diffusivity controls the time rate of temperature
change as heat passes through the structure. The reduced thermal diffusivity indicates
enhancement in this thermal resistance (R value) of the material which leads to
improve the energy efficiency of buildings by retarding heat transfer through building
envelopes and thus reducing indoor cooling loads [27].

Fig.6. Relationship between the thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity with the density
for the developed plaster composites.

- 11 -
3.4. Thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA)
Fig. 7 displays the thermo gravimetric analysis results of the developed composites at
28 days of curing. The TGA patterns resemble/match to a greater extent to that of the
hydrated Portland cement [28]. It can be seen from Fig. 7 that the hardened pastes
showed a reduction in mass up to 230 oC due to the decomposition of CSH gel.
Moreover, the mass loss at 470 oC is attributed to the calcium hydroxide (CH) phase
decomposition [29,30]. It is clear that, the intensity of both CSH and CH steps
decreases gradually as the dosage of EP increases, this is attributed to the decrease of
the hydration products in the EP blended composites owing to the volume
replacement of the binder with EP aggregates. This mechanism explains the slow rate
in degradation of the mechanical performance (compressive and tensile strengths) of
the prepared lightweight composites.
100

M1 M2 M3 M4
98
CH decomposition

96
Weight (%)

94

92

90

88 CSH decomposition

86
35 135 235 335 435 535
Temperature (ͦC)
Fig.7. TGA patterns of the developed composites at 28 days of curing.

- 12 -
3.5 Solar reflectivity
Increasing the solar reflectivity of exterior plastering materials leads to reduce
absorbed solar radiation and hence reduce surface temperatures. This, in turn, result in
reducing the heat flow by conduction into the building interiors i.e., this is helpful in
improving the thermal performance of exterior exposed walls in residential buildings,
controlling the indoor air temperature and reducing loads on air-conditioning systems.
Therefore, investigating the reflectivity of exterior plastering can be considered as an
important theme for the energy efficient building design in hot weather regions. Fig. 8
shows the reflectance measurements of the prepared composites as a function of
wavelength. As it can be seen from Fig. 8, the control binder showed the lowest
reflectivity of about 36.5% in the near infrared region (700-2500 nm). The reflectivity
was found to increase with the increase of EP content. The M4 mix showed the
highest reflectivity about 52.6% i.e., an enhancement by about 44% is achieved. The
high reflectivity of EP itself is responsible for the enhanced overall solar reflectivity
of the EP-blended mortars as confirmed by a previously published study [1]. In other
words, the EP aggregate distributed through lime-SF hardened matrix acts as
scattering centers for the solar rays especially in the visible and near infrared bands.
Fig. 9 presents the total reflection/scattering mechanism for the solar ray incident on
the EP aggregate. Since the near infrared is the solar spectrum range with the highest
concentration of solar energy, the achieved reflectivity values can be considered as a
significant and will contribute in the energy saving in buildings.

70
M1 M2 M3 M4
60

50
Reflectivity, %

40

30

20

10

0
250 500 750 1000 1250 1500 1750 2000 2250 2500
Wavelength, nm

Fig.8. Reflectance measurements of the prepared composites as a function of

wavelength

- 13 -
 Polygonal cell

Incident ray
Reflected ray

Fig.9. Representation of the total reflection/scattering mechanism for the solar ray incident on
the EP aggregate

3.6. Microstructure characteristics

The SEM analysis was used to assess the structure quality and to explore the
structural defects in the developed composites after the accelerated aging cycling test.
Fig. 10 shows pictures and SEM micrographs of the developed lightweight mortars
after 20 wet/dry cycling. The SEM image of the control binder specimen showed the
formation of high number of micro cracks with approximate width of 5µm through
lime-pozzolan matrix. These cracks are responsible for the remarkable degradation in
mechanical strength of the control hardened binder exposed to the wet/dry cycling.
The SEM images also show the overall view of the interfacial transition zone (ITZ)
between the lime-pozzolan matrix and EP aggregate. In addition the microstructure
characteristics of the lime-pozzolan matrix were inspected at higher magnification
(5000 X) from which it can be seen that the SEM images for the EP-blended
composites revealed tight bonding between the matrix and EP aggregate.
Furthermore, the microstructure of the lime-pozzolan paste appeared more compact
with marginal structural defects/micro cracks. The tight bonding of the EP aggregate
with the lime-SF matrix is attributed to the high glassy/amorphous silica content of
perlite [23]. Due to its high active silica content, EP particles participate in the
pozzolanic reaction with the unreacted lime and produces additional amount of CSH
which may deposits in the zone between EP and lime matrix i.e., improving the ITZ
and contributing to the strength enhancement. The good structural quality of the lime-
SF matrix in the EP-blends is attributed to the permeable voids provided by the EP
aggregate which is useful in facilitating the water molecules mobility in and out of the
structure.

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M1

M2

M3

M4

Fig. SEM micrographs of the developed lightweight mortars

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4. Conclusions

In this study, eco-friendly lime based lightweight plaster composites with reduced
thermal conductivity; improved solar reflectivity and reasonable mechanical
performance are developed. The pozzolan materials utilized in this study (silica fume)
was chosen from industrial solid wastes to reduce their environmental impact. The
(EP) is one of the natural locally available and cost-effective lightweight aggregate.
The thermo-physical properties, mechanical strength and the resistance to wet/dry
cycling were investigated; the results from the present investigation warranted the
following conclusions:
 The compressive strength of the developed plasters showed slight decrease
with the increasing EP percentage; however, the indirect tensile strength was
remarkably decreased.
 The compressive strength of the developed plaster achieved 5.9 MPa and the
tensile strength is 0.6 MPa, these values are significant and fulfill the technical
requirements specified for plaster materials.
 The increased porosity of EP-blended composites facilitates the water mobility
within the lime-pozzolan hardened matrix; leading to remarkable improvement
in resistance to wet/dry cycling and hence enhanced durability.
 The developed composites revealed reduced thermal conductivity (as low as
0.29 W/.m.k) and enhanced solar reflectivity especially in the near infra-red
range.
 The TGA thermograms revealed a phase composition similar to that of the
hydrated ordinary Portland cement, this point to the good hardening
characteristics of the developed composites.
 The microstructure investigation showed a good quality of ITZ between the
hardened lime-pozzolan matrix and EP aggregate.
 The present study has technical and economic advantages over the previous
studies since in this study, non-hydraulic lime was utilized, which requires a
lower calcination temperature in comparison with hydraulic lime and
consequently saves an appreciable amount of energy.

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Compliance with ethical standards

Conflict of interest: The authors declare that they have no conflict of
interest.

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*Highlights (for review)

Highlights
Cementless lightweight plaster composites with improved physical, mechanical
and microstructural Properties

EP aggregate considerably reduces thermal conductivity and enhances solar

reflectivity of plaster

EP increases resistance to wet/dry cycling and improves durability

characteristics