Sulfur concrete made with waste marble and slag powders: 100% recycled and waterless concrete

In this research, the mechanical properties and durability of sulfur concrete with two different waste aggregates were evaluated. The waste aggregates included ground granulated blast-furnace slag and waste marble powder. The properties of sulfur concrete were also compared with those of the conventional binder concretes (i.e., Portland cement concrete and sulfate-resistant cement concrete). The durability parameters included measuring water absorption capacity and resistance to different harsh chemical environments (5% HCl solution, 5 Molar NaOH solution, and 16% NaCl solution). It was found that sulfur concrete made with slag as aggregate exhibited the maximum strength, i.e., about 2 times higher than that of Portland cement concrete and sulfate-resistant cement concrete. Sulfur concrete made with slag and marble waste powder showed superior mechanical performance compared to that made with river sand. Thus, sulfur binder develops more favorable properties with eco-friendly fillers than it develops with natural sand. In harsh chloride and acidic environment, sulfur concrete with slag powder exhibited about 90–95% lesser mass loss than Portland cement concrete.