<![CDATA[This study explores the effects of incorporating palm oil fuel ash (POFA) and fly ash (FA) as partial cement substitutes on the mechanical properties and characteristics of high-quality mortar, specifically Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC). ECC mortar was fabricated by milling POFA waste and FA through a top-down method utilizing a ball mill. The resulting material was subjected to tests for slump flow, water absorption, compressive strength, and characterized through XRF, FTIR, SEM/EDX, and XRD analyses. FTIR analysis verified the existence of Si-O and Al-O groups within the composite made of POFA-FA ECC. XRF analysis of FA and POFA showed cementitious properties, with SiO2+Al2O3+Fe2O3 exceeding 50% and CaO surpassing 10%. SEM and XRD results indicated minimal cavity formation, suggesting a high compressive strength in the mortar. Particle size distribution analysis revealed prevalent particles in the 1.5×10−1 to 2.0×10−1 μm range. The compressive strength test after 28 days, incorporating 15% FA and 10% POFA, yielded the highest strength at 59.30 MPa. The water absorption values ranged from 1.25% to 2.67%, indicating that POFA-FA assists in the cement hydration process and also serves as a filler. As a result, the material’s density is very high, leading to fewer voids formed, thus reducing the trapped water, which significantly affects the mortar’s strength.]]>
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