USO DE LA CENIZA DE BAGAZO DE CAÑA (CBC) COMO REMPLAZO PARCIAL DEL CEMENTO PORTLAND: CASO COLOMBIA

Sugarcane bagasse ash is a residue that is derived from the sugar manufacturing process. In the stage of the cane’s milling, a fiber (bagasse) is produced which is used in the sugar mills, both for the start of combustion in the ethanol production furnaces, and for energy generation. As a result of this material’s incineration, a new residue is generated, which is cane bagasse ash. Due to its possible environmental impact, the use of this ash in construction is a practice that has been implemented in some producing countries. This waste has been used as an addition or replacement of fine aggregate (Sales and Araújo, 2010). However, its greatest potential is as a partial replacement for Portland cement because its chemical composition gives it pozzolanic properties (Cordeiro, 2006, Oliveira de Paula, 2006, Giraldo Escandon, et al, 2012). Several investigations have found that the use of ash improves the mechanical properties of concrete (Camargo et al., 2014, Valencia et al., 2012, Onésippe et al., 2010). In Colombia, the region of sugarcane crops includes the northern area of the Cauca department, the central zone of the Cauca Valley department and the southern zone of the department of Risaralda. According to Cenicaña (2018), the covered cultivation area was 243,232 hectares by the year 2017, and it is estimated that around 6.5 million tons of Bagasse are generated in sugar production. According to Sales and Araújo (2010), for each ton of this incinerated material, 25Kg of ash are produced, which after grinding can become a partial replacement of Portland cement. The use of ash as a pozzolanic addition has been satisfactory in countries like Brazil, being an example for other sugar producers worldwide of how to handle this type of waste. In Colombia, for its part, there are very few investigations that verify and corroborate the data, this being a very important research object for the region. Due to the environmental impact generated by the cement and construction industry, it is important to promote the use of industrial waste, as it is demonstrated that these additions improve the different properties of the concrete and thus help so-called wastes can be reincorporated into the cycle. The purpose of this work is to review the cane bagasse’s ash state of art as a replacement for Portland cement, given that for a country such as Colombia it is important to implement and carry out studies to make safe use viable. and functional of these materials.