Characterization of Diatomite for Its use in Construction: Case Diatomite Sampled in Northern Chad
Abdallah DADI Mahamat1, Abakar ALI2, Jean-Michel Mechling3, André DONNOT4, Salif GAYE5
1Abdallah DADI Mahamat, Department of Energy Engineering, National Higher Institute of Sciences and Techniques of Abéché, INSTA, Chad.
2Abakar ALI, Department of Civil Engineering, National School of Public Works, ENSTP, Ndjamena, Chad.
3Jean-Michel Mechling, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Lorraine (LERMAB) Nancy, France.
4André DONNOT, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Lorraine (LERMAB) Nancy, France.
5Salif GAYE, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iba Der Thiam University Thies, Senegal.
Manuscript received on 29 August 2023 | Revised Manuscript received on 05 September 2023 | Manuscript Accepted on 15 October 2023 | Manuscript published on 30 October 2023 | PP: 32-36 | Volume-13 Issue-1, October 2023 | Retrieval Number: 100.1/ijeat.A42931013123 | DOI: 10.35940/ijeat.A4293.1013123
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© The Authors. Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP). This is an open access article under the CC-BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Abstract: The need for energy for thermal comfort in buildings is constantly growing. To minimise this need, we can improve the performance of the building envelope, which is the site of several thermal stresses, encouraging us to develop, apart from renewable or alternative energies, construction materials for buildings capable of storing energy. For this, the integration of innovative passive materials in the building envelope enables the reduction of energy consumption. It ensures thermal comfort in countries with extremely hot climates, such as the desert zone of Chad. We were thus interested in characterising diatomite, which is used to build a significant majority of dwellings in the Lake Chad, Kanem, and BET regions. To this end, samples of diatomite used in the construction were taken from Faya, the capital of Chad’s far north, on which we carried out mineralogical analyses as well as thermal and mechanical characterisations. Observations at the SEM, analyses by X-ray fluorescence, and Diffractograms confirm the presence of pure diatomite. Furthermore, the results of the various thermo-physical and mechanical tests presented a material that has low mechanical resistance but good thermal resistance. Therefore, the diatomite, which is the subject of this study, has no adverse environmental impact; it is an excellent thermal insulation material capable of storing thermal energy in buildings.
Keywords: Diatomite, Mineralogical Analysis, Thermal Resistance, Mechanical Resistance, Thermal Storage.
Scope of the Article: Mechanical Design