Utilization of waste animal blood as an additive in hydraulic lime-based mortars

Animal blood, which makes up approximately 4% of an animal's weight, is the primary by-product obtained during the slaughter process. However, most animal blood produced in developed countries is discarded in sewers and landfills. Despite some existing research on the use of waste blood in various materials, there still needs to be further improvement in preparation methods, applications, and the performance of building materials. To address this issue, this study investigates the potential use of waste animal blood as a chemical additive in hydraulic lime-based mortars. The aim is to examine its impact on the physical, rheological, mechanical, microstructural, and durability characteristics of these mortars. The results indicate that adding waste animal blood effectively reduces capillary water absorption and significantly improves the freeze–thaw resistance of lime-based mortars. Therefore, this study suggests that waste animal blood can be a promising and sustainable alternative additive for producing durable construction materials.