Sustainable Utilization of Tannery Waste Sludge in Cement concrete: Integrated Analysis of Strength, Durability, Microstructure, LCA, and Cost Efficiency

Sustainable Utilization of Tannery Waste Sludge in Cement concrete: Integrated Analysis of Strength, Durability, Microstructure, LCA, and Cost Efficiency | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Sustainable Utilization of Tannery Waste Sludge in Cement concrete: Integrated Analysis of Strength, Durability, Microstructure, LCA, and Cost Efficiency Achintya Kumar Mondal, amit shiuly, Debasis Sau This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8202823/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 4 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The disposal of tannery sludge (TS), a hazardous by-product of the leather industry, poses serious environmental concerns but also offers potential for sustainable cementitious applications. This study evaluates the use of TS as a partial replacement for cement in concrete production at substitution levels of 0%, 6%, 12%, 18%, 24%, and 30%. Experimental results reveal that a 12% TS replacement of cement in concrete provides optimal performance, achieving a 28-day compressive strength of 37.6 MPa compared to 31.4 MPa for the control mix. Durability assessments further demonstrate significant improvements at 12% replacement, including reduced sorptivity, enhanced resistance to chloride ion ingress, and higher acid resistance. These enhancements are may be the formation of additional C–S–H and C–A–H gels, which densify the matrix. Improved carbonation resistance and effective heavy-metal immobilization further confirm the environmental safety of the modified mix. Microstructural analyses (XRD, SEM-EDX, TGA-DTG, FTIR) support these findings, showing reduced porosity and improved C–S–H formation. Further life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted whilerarely a notable reduction in CO₂ emissions and land-use impact at 12% replacement, aligning with sustainability targets. A Cost analysis further reveals a 7% reduction in material cost per cubic meter. Overall, the findings establish that the tannery sludge, when used in controlled proportions, can serve as a sustainable, safe, and economically viable alternative to ordinary Portland cement in concrete production. Tannery sludge Sustainable concrete C–S–H gel formation Compressive strength Durability performance Microstructural analysis Life cycle assessment (LCA) Cost efficiency Full Text Supplementary Files Newfinalgraphicalabstract.pptx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 10 Dec, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 10 Dec, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 10 Dec, 2025 First submitted to journal 08 Dec, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8202823","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":558316662,"identity":"5ae85bec-ae8c-42a5-a762-756497285716","order_by":0,"name":"Achintya Kumar Mondal","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Jadavpur University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Achintya","middleName":"Kumar","lastName":"Mondal","suffix":""},{"id":558316663,"identity":"52bb2ca3-92f7-4bdb-8024-6f318ce0ec22","order_by":1,"name":"amit 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Efficiency","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"environmental-science-and-pollution-research","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"espr","sideBox":"Learn more about [Environmental Science and Pollution Research](https://www.springer.com/journal/11356)","snPcode":"11356","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/11356/3","title":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"Tannery sludge, Sustainable concrete, C–S–H gel formation, Compressive strength , Durability performance, Microstructural analysis, Life cycle assessment (LCA), Cost efficiency","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8202823/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8202823/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThe disposal of tannery sludge (TS), a hazardous by-product of the leather industry, poses serious environmental concerns but also offers potential for sustainable cementitious applications. This study evaluates the use of TS as a partial replacement for cement in concrete production at substitution levels of 0%, 6%, 12%, 18%, 24%, and 30%. Experimental results reveal that a 12% TS replacement of cement in concrete provides optimal performance, achieving a 28-day compressive strength of 37.6 MPa compared to 31.4 MPa for the control mix. Durability assessments further demonstrate significant improvements at 12% replacement, including reduced sorptivity, enhanced resistance to chloride ion ingress, and higher acid resistance. These enhancements are may be the formation of additional C\u0026ndash;S\u0026ndash;H and C\u0026ndash;A\u0026ndash;H gels, which densify the matrix. Improved carbonation resistance and effective heavy-metal immobilization further confirm the environmental safety of the modified mix. Microstructural analyses (XRD, SEM-EDX, TGA-DTG, FTIR) support these findings, showing reduced porosity and improved C\u0026ndash;S\u0026ndash;H formation. Further life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted whilerarely a notable reduction in CO₂ emissions and land-use impact at 12% replacement, aligning with sustainability targets. A Cost analysis further reveals a 7% reduction in material cost per cubic meter. Overall, the findings establish that the tannery sludge, when used in controlled proportions, can serve as a sustainable, safe, and economically viable alternative to ordinary Portland cement in concrete production.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Sustainable Utilization of Tannery Waste Sludge in Cement concrete: Integrated Analysis of Strength, Durability, Microstructure, LCA, and Cost Efficiency","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-12-15 09:37:47","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8202823/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"","date":"2025-12-10T23:49:18+00:00","index":0,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-12-10T14:58:23+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-12-10T05:21:55+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","date":"2025-12-08T06:07:22+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"environmental-science-and-pollution-research","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"espr","sideBox":"Learn more about [Environmental Science and Pollution Research](https://www.springer.com/journal/11356)","snPcode":"11356","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/11356/3","title":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"2408782f-6ad5-453a-9e70-f83bb6ebbe9b","owner":[],"postedDate":"December 15th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-12-15T09:37:47+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-12-15 09:37:47","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8202823","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8202823","identity":"rs-8202823","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}