Binderless fabrication of pulp and paper mill sludge (PPMS) binder via hot pressing and AI-based compressive strength prediction

초록

This study explored the upcycling of pulp and paper mill sludge (PPMS) into a binderless, high-strength composite to mitigate the environmental burden of landfilling and to develop a sustainable construction material. PPMS powder was hot-pressed under various temperatures, pressures, and pressing times, achieving a maximum compressive strength of 105 MPa under optimized conditions. The in-situ specimen height proved to be a key parameter for process optimization, as it strongly correlated with compressive strength at a given pressing temperature and enabled real-time control of pressing variables. Based on the experimental dataset, an artificial intelligence (AI) model incorporating interpolation-based data augmentation was developed to predict compressive strength with a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 7.67% under moderate conditions. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of producing a high-strength, binderless PPMS composite and highlight its potential as a sustainable alternative material for construction applications.

키워드