Effects of waste material from solar panels on mechanical properties and durability of cement based materials

摘要

This study investigated the influence of the fineness of waste material from solar panels on the mechanical properties and durability of mortar. Fine aggregate and cement were replaced with amorphous silicon particles (passing 4.76 mm) and amorphous silicon powder (passing 0.076 mm) respectively from discarded solar panels with a high proportion of silicon dioxide. An investigation of fresh and hardened concrete, including microstructure and durability, revealed that the both particles and powder enhance the workability of the mortar. The substitution of these materials in small quantities (fine aggregate 10-20%; cement 5-10%) enhances compressive strength throughout all stages of hardness development; while in larger quantities (fine aggregate 30-50%; cement 15-20%), amorphous silicon particles and powder only increase the compressive strength in late ages but show no effect on the durability of mortar.