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<p>Highly porous, eco-friendly nano-silica is essential for sustainable applications. Biomass-derived nanosilica (<i>n</i>-SiO<sub>2</sub>) provides a sustainable route to enhance cement-based materials (CBMs); however, the role of its intrinsic properties, particularly specific surface area (SSA), remains inadequately understood. This study systematically and uniquely explores how engineered SSA in highly porous <i>n</i>-SiO<sub>2</sub> interacts with varying water-to-binder systems to govern low-carbon cementitious performance. Using a Box–Behnken Design (BBD), the cement strength was optimized. The impact of these influencing factors on hydration kinetics, microstructural properties, and the mechanisms underlying the enhanced properties has been explained. The study revealed that lower and medium SSA <i>n</i>-SiO<sub>2</sub> (263 and 579&#xa0;m²/g) significantly enhanced cement strength at low w/b ratios, whereas high SSA performed better in high w/b systems. The 3% <i>n</i>-SiO<sub>2</sub> mixture at 579&#xa0;m²/g, with a w/b ratio of 0.5, showed the greatest strength increase of 41% at 28 days. Optimum conditions were SSA ≈ 264.7&#xa0;m²/g, <i>n</i>-SiO<sub>2</sub> content ≈ 2.98%, and a w/b ratio of 0.5 for attaining maximum strength across all curing ages (statistically significant <i>p</i> &lt; 0.0001). Meanwhile, BET pore structure analysis revealed that gel pores (&lt; 10&#xa0;nm) dominated in the <i>n</i>-SiO<sub>2</sub>-modified sample mixes. Use of engineered, highly porous silica with SSA of 758&#xa0;m²/g showed better hydration kinetics, with an 85.5% reduction in induction time and a 360% increase in cumulative heat release at 24&#xa0;h. The enhancement mechanism involved nucleation seeding and pozzolanic reactions, resulting in a refined pore structure and an enhanced interfacial transition zone. This study provides critical insights for optimizing biomass-derived, engineered high-SSA <i>n</i>-SiO<sub>2</sub> to achieve superior performance in cementitious materials, thereby supporting its broader adoption as a sustainable and environmentally friendly SCM.</p>

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Engineered waste-derived mesoporous green n-SiO2 for low-carbon cementitious materials: Box Behnken Design modelling and mechanisms

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月21日

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  • Safiki Ainomugisha,
  • Moses J Matovu,
  • Farid Abed,
  • Hussein M. Hamada,
  • Zaid A. Al-Sadoon,
  • Musa Manga

摘要

Highly porous, eco-friendly nano-silica is essential for sustainable applications. Biomass-derived nanosilica (n-SiO2) provides a sustainable route to enhance cement-based materials (CBMs); however, the role of its intrinsic properties, particularly specific surface area (SSA), remains inadequately understood. This study systematically and uniquely explores how engineered SSA in highly porous n-SiO2 interacts with varying water-to-binder systems to govern low-carbon cementitious performance. Using a Box–Behnken Design (BBD), the cement strength was optimized. The impact of these influencing factors on hydration kinetics, microstructural properties, and the mechanisms underlying the enhanced properties has been explained. The study revealed that lower and medium SSA n-SiO2 (263 and 579 m²/g) significantly enhanced cement strength at low w/b ratios, whereas high SSA performed better in high w/b systems. The 3% n-SiO2 mixture at 579 m²/g, with a w/b ratio of 0.5, showed the greatest strength increase of 41% at 28 days. Optimum conditions were SSA ≈ 264.7 m²/g, n-SiO2 content ≈ 2.98%, and a w/b ratio of 0.5 for attaining maximum strength across all curing ages (statistically significant p < 0.0001). Meanwhile, BET pore structure analysis revealed that gel pores (< 10 nm) dominated in the n-SiO2-modified sample mixes. Use of engineered, highly porous silica with SSA of 758 m²/g showed better hydration kinetics, with an 85.5% reduction in induction time and a 360% increase in cumulative heat release at 24 h. The enhancement mechanism involved nucleation seeding and pozzolanic reactions, resulting in a refined pore structure and an enhanced interfacial transition zone. This study provides critical insights for optimizing biomass-derived, engineered high-SSA n-SiO2 to achieve superior performance in cementitious materials, thereby supporting its broader adoption as a sustainable and environmentally friendly SCM.