Advanced Low-Carbon Building Materials from Lime Sludge and Pozzolanic Additives: Review & Perspectives

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-695-1_13How to use a DOI?

Keywords

lime sludge; metakaolin; pozzolans; performance; strength

Abstract

This study critically explores the potential of lime sludge, a predominant byproduct from the pulp and paper industry, as a sustainable constituent in building materials. The literature reveals that thermally treated lime sludge demonstrates significant pozzolanic reactivity, making it a promising candidate for incorporation in cement, mortar, bricks, ceramics, and related composites. Integration of lime sludge not only addresses environmental challenges by reducing landfill disposal and conserving natural resources, but also directly mitigates the carbon intensity of conventional cementitious products. The findings indicate that lime sludge, either as a standalone substitute or blended with supplementary cementitious materials such as fly ash or metakaolin, can effectively replace up to 10–30% of cement by mass without detriment to the durability and strength characteristics of concrete and mortar, though excessive replacement can impair workability and strength. In brick and ceramic production, the use of lime sludge up to 40% by weight has been shown to lower sintering temperatures while preserving structural integrity. Beyond its role as a binder, lime sludge contributes to solid waste management and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, with negligible leaching of harmful elements. The review highlights the necessity for ongoing research into chemical and alkali activation, geopolymer technology, and large-scale application, emphasizing life cycle assessments to establish lime sludge as a mainstream, low-carbon alternative in construction. Such advancements are pivotal for the sustainable transformation of the building sector, providing both ecological and economic benefits.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

Download article (PDF)

TY  - CONF
AU  - Arti Chouksey
AU  - Nirendra Dev
AU  - V. V. L. KantaRao
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/05/30
TI  - Advanced Low-Carbon Building Materials from Lime Sludge and Pozzolanic Additives: Review & Perspectives
BT  - 2nd International Conference on Advanced Materials & Devices for Futuristic Applications-2024 (IC-AMDFA 2024)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 215
EP  - 238
SN  - 2590-3217
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-695-1_13
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-695-1_13
ID  - Chouksey2026
ER  -