Feasibility study on the suitability of dielectric barrier discharge plasma treatment of desert sand for concrete production purposes

Due to the continuously increasing building and construction industry, sand has become one of the most questioned raw materials worldwide. However, the available amount of sand suitable for concrete production is orders of magnitude lower that the demand and consumption. Even though desert sand is sufficiently available, it is not usable for realizing stable concrete due to its surface shape. Against this background, the suitability of energy-efficient 'cold' dielectric barrier discharge plasma operated at atmospheric pressure for improving the properties of concrete produced from desert sand was investigated in this contribution. It is shown that such plasma treatment allows for a certain roughening and re-shaping of sand grains. As a result, the mass flow of treated sand is decreased due to an improved wedging of sand grains. This leads to a certain increase in compressive strength of concrete samples. Even though this increase is marginal, the suitability of the applied type of plasma for modification of the geometry and surface chemistry of sand grains was proven, showing its basic potential for the treatment and preconditioning of sand used for concrete, mortar or plastering.