Eggshell Produced Limes: Innovative Materials for Soil Stabilization

Abstract

The search for innovative solutions that reduce the need for exploitation of natural resources and make use of residues to produce alternative construction materials is a necessity. Eggshell residues are a solid waste material rich in calcium carbonate (CaCO3). The present research investigates quicklime and hydrated lime produced from eggshell residues and blended with ground waste glass, analyzing their possible usage as a binder material for soil stabilization. The quicklime and hydrated lime studied herein are produced from the calcination of eggshell residue. Eggshell quicklime (EQL) and eggshell hydrated lime (EHL) were characterized for their physical properties (grain-size distribution, specific surface area, photo microscopy, and X-ray spectroscopy), mineralogy (X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis), and chemical composition (X-ray fluorescence spectrometry). EQL and EHL consist predominantly of calcium oxide (CaO) and calcium hydroxide [Ca(OH)2], respectively. Increasing the amount of eggshell quicklime/hydrated lime resulted in the increase of the blend’s mechanical properties, such as strength and stiffness. In general, the results show that both EQL and EHL retain outstanding physical, mineralogical, and chemical characteristics suitable for soil stabilization with an alternative pozzolanic material.