Elemental and Radiological Characteristics of Neem Wood Biomass Ash: A Neutron Activation Analysis Based Evaluation for Sustainable Cementitious Materials

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Abstrakt

This study evaluates the elemental and radiological characteristics of Neem wood biomass ash (WA) to evaluate its suitability as asustainable cementitious material (SCM). Using Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) and supplementary Energy Dispersive X-rayFluorescence (EDXRF), the study characterizes the chemical profile of Neem tree ash in comparison to ordinary Portland cement(OPC). Results indicate that Neem wood produces a high ash yield of 6.28%, which is advantageous for large-scale industrial use.Elemental analysis revealed that while the ash contains beneficial oxides like CaO (72.3%), its primary pozzolanic oxides (SiO2 + Fe2O3+ Al2O3) total only 7.23%, fell below standard benchmarks for high-reactivity pozzolans. Radiological assessment showed that althoughthe potassium (40K) concentration in WA is significantly higher than in OPC (exceeding it by a factor of 29), the resulting radiologicalindices including the radium equivalent activity and hazard indices remain well within international safety limits for building materials.The addition of WA to OPC up to 30% was found to slightly decrease the alpha index, potentially reducing the risk of radon-inducedlung cancer from the OPC-WA binder. The study concludes that while neem wood ash is radiologically safe, green and cheapsupplementary cementitious material its low pozzolanic activity suggests that high replacement levels may negatively impact concretestrength and durability.

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