Research on the Possibility of Using Volcanic Sand of Kamchatka as a Component of a Composite Binder

Composite binders with the use of raw materials of various genesis as a siliceous component are a promising material, as their application allows solving a number of significant problems, in particular, to expand the raw material base for regions where there is no natural raw material; to reduce the load on the environment by using raw materials stored in heaps and reducing the clinker component; and to obtain materials with unique properties. The results of research aimed at studying the possibility of using the volcanic sand of Kamchatka from the Klyuchevskoy volcano (the lower waterfall of the Krutenkaya River) as a component of composite binders are presented. Based on the fact that the main obstacle to the extensive application of composite binders are significant energy costs associated with its production by grinding, the possibility of using not only the sand itself, but also its silt fraction was considered. For this purpose, the material composition, morphology and granulometry of volcanic raw materials and its silt fraction were studied. Based on the obtained results, conclusions are made about the feasibility of using the studied raw materials as a component of composite binders and the possibility of additional reduction of energy consumption for their production due to the use of a silt fraction.