Sustainable Usage of Calcium Carbide Residue for Soil Stabilization: A Review

Calcium carbide residue (CCR) is a waste by-product of the acetylene gas manufacturing industry. Because of its zero-recovery value, the current Indian practice is to dump it in open land or landfills. This adversely impacts the landfill volume and reduces the biodegradation process of many other wastes because of its high alkali content. Due to industrialization and modernization, a huge amount of CCR generated by industries causes a huge effect on environmental and human health due to disposal problems. Hence, it is necessary to reuse this industrial waste to support the environment. In addition, these materials can be utilized in soil stabilization. This comprehensive review examines the sustainable usage of CCR, which exhibits pozzolanic properties for improving the soil, especially clayey soil. CCR is the major calcium hydroxide composition that reacts with pozzolanic material such as fly ash and rice husk ash to form calcium silicate hydrate. This paper reviews traditional soil stabilization techniques using CCR with their respective geotechnical and engineering properties. This study also discussed the outcome of physicochemical effects on soil properties. A focus on chemical processes such as X-ray diffraction analyses and microstructure interaction using scanning electron microscopy has been reviewed in light of the findings of past researchers. The study concluded that using CCR for soil stabilization is suggested as a sustainable approach for developing countries.