Utilization of calcium carbide residue as a concrete component: A comprehensive review

Calcium carbide residue (CCR) is an industrial by-product of the acetylene gas manufacturing process. Typically, CCR is landfilled due to its poor recycling potential. Such landfilling of CCR damages the surface and groundwater owing to its high alkalinity. Given the environmental concerns provoked by the cement production industry, CCR was investigated by several studies as a possible alternative to cement. This review aims to assess the body of knowledge involving the use of CCR as a construction material to replace cement. Accordingly, a total of 51 studies were collected, compared, and analyzed. The preprocessing, physical properties, and chemical composition of CCR were thoroughly analyzed. In addition, the fresh, mechanical, durability properties, and microstructure of cement-based materials and cement-free binders containing CCR were reported. The findings revealed that the main focus of the studies was on specific properties, such as compressive strength, whereas durability properties were overlooked. Also, the results showed that replacing cement with CCR at low replacement levels of 5–10 % improved the performance of cement-based and cement-free materials and the improvement was significantly affected by the incorporation of the other supplementary cementitious materials in the mix. Furthermore, the research gaps and future research topics were furnished. • CCR was assessed as a concrete constituent by reviewing 51 technical studies. • Treating slurry CCR by grinding or sieving into a powder improves its reactivity. • Using 5–10 % CCR enhanced the performance of cement-based and cement-free materials. • Higher CCR content required the use of pozzolanic materials for improved properties. • Durability properties were not comprehensively assessed in past research studies.