Using wood ash to build a more sustainable future

The cement industry faces a major environmental challenge – to reduce CO₂ emissions without compromising material performance. In her doctoral thesis at Luleå University of Technology, Ece Ezgi Teker Ercan shows how wood ash, a by-product of the timber industry, can be used as a sustainable alternative in cement-based and alkali-activated materials.

“Cement production is responsible for a large share of global CO₂ emissions. Wood ash can be valorized as a supplementary cementitious material and can partially replace cement in concrete, potentially lowering its negative environmental impact.” says Ece Ezgi Teker Ercan, PhD student in Building Materials at Luleå University of Technology.

Turning waste into value

In her thesis Utilization and Reactivity Enhancement of Wood Ash in Cement-Based and Alkali-Activated Materials, she explores how mechanical activation via high-energy grinding can increase the reactivity of wood ash and make it suitable as a supplementary cementitious material.

The results show that properly treated wood ash can partially replace cement in concrete without substantially compromising strength or durability. In some mixtures, performance even improves. The research highlights how small changes in processing can have a big impact on the material's binding properties.

“Wood ash has great potential, but its composition varies depending on the source. Understanding how to optimize it for use in construction materials is essential to ensuring both performance and sustainability.“ Ece Ezgi Teker Ercan explains.

• Building Materials