A Study of Concrete Deterioration Faced by Distillery Industry

Author(s): Ramaswamy K. P, Padmanabhan K and Manu Santhanam
Paper category: Proceedings
Book title: Proceedings of International Conferences (ICACMS) Advances in Construction Materials and systems Vol 2
Editor(s): Manu Santhanam, Ravindra Gettu, Radhakrishna G. Pillai, Sunitha K. Nayar
ISBN: 978-2-35158-194-0
e-ISBN: 978-2-35158-191-9
Publisher: RILEM Publications SARL
Publication year: 2017
Pages: 510-519
Total Pages: 10
Language : English

Abstract: Distillery spent wash is a highly polluting effluent generated from molasses based distillery industry. The high toxicity and large quantity of effluents generated demand the storage of these effluents in concrete tanks for treatment processes. Owing to its acidic nature, the effluent could react with cementitious materials resulting in degradation due to acid attack. The paper presents a case study in which concrete tanks used to store distillery spent wash in a molasses based distillery plant experienced premature deterioration. The nature of degradation was investigated by using characterisation techniques such as X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray microtomography. The test results show that the deterioration could be due to the combined action of sulphuric and other organic acids present in the spent wash. The deterioration mainly results in the dissolution of crystalline hydrates to form an amorphous silica gel. Gypsum and calcite were found to be the secondary reaction products when sulphuric acid reacted with hydrates. Organic acids could also react with hydrates leading to the formation of soluble salts which leach out leaving the matrix highly porous as evident from the tomography images.

Online publication : 2017
Publication type : full_text
Public price (Euros) : 0.00