Effect of sodium sulfate on strength and microstructure of alkali-activated fly ash based geopolymer

The main objective of this paper focuses on the changes that occur in the strength and microstructural properties of sodium silicate activated fly ash based geopolymer due to varying the sulfate salt and water content.A series of tests including X-ray diffraction,Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,scanning electron microscopy,physical adsorption and unconfined compressive strength were used to investigate this effect.The results indicate that the higher water content has an adverse effect on the alkali activation and microstructural properties of geopolymer,so the optimum mass ratio of sodium sulfate in alkali-activated geopolymer under different water-to-binder ratios shows a“peak shifting”phenomenon,i.e.,the higher the water-to-binder ratio,the higher the optimum mass ratio.Lower presence of sodium sulfate has no significant effect on the alkali-activated geopolymer systems;higher addition of sodium sulfate,however,could cause the symmetrical stretching vibration of Si—O and the symmetrical stretching vibration of Si—O—Si and Al—O—Si,and promote the formation of N-A-S-H gels.Furthermore,the cement effect of the gel and sodium sulfate aggregate could improve the integrity of pore structure obviously.The maximum strength of geopolymer curing at ambient temperature was 52 MPa.This study obtains the rule that the strength properties of alkali-activated geopolymers vary with the water-to-binder ratio and sodium sulfate content.The feasibility of geopolymer co-activated by sodium sulfate and sodium silicate was investigated,and reference for engineering application of alkali-activated geopolymer in salt-bearing areas was provided.

Tests on Alkali-Activated Slag Foamed Concrete with Various Water-Binder Ratios and Substitution Levels of Fly Ash

To provide basic data for the reasonable mixing design of the alkali-activated (AA) foamed concrete as a thermal insulation material for a floor heating system, 9 concrete mixes with a targeted dry density less than 400 kg/m3 were tested. Ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) as a source material was activated by the following two types of alkali activators: 10% Ca(OH)2 and 4% Mg(NO3)2, and 2.5% Ca(OH)2 and 6.5% Na2SiO3. The main test parameters were water-to-binder (W/B) ratio and the substitution level (RFA) of fly ash (FA) for GGBS. Test results revealed that the dry density of AA GGBS foamed concrete was independent of the W/B ratio an RFA, whereas the compressive strength increased with the decrease in W/B ratio and with the increase in RFA up to 15%, beyond which it decreased. With the increase in the W/B ratio, the amount of macro capillaries and artificial air pores increased, which resulted in the decrease of compressive strength. The magnitude of the environmental loads of the AA GGBS foamed concrete is independent of the W/B ratio and RFA. The largest reduction percentage was found in the photochemical oxidation potential, being more than 99%. The reduction percentage was 87% - 93% for the global warming potential, 81% - 84% for abiotic depletion, 79% - 84% for acidification potential, 77% - 85% for eutrophication potential, and 73% - 83% for human toxicity potential. Ultimately, this study proved that the developed AA GGBS foamed concrete has a considerable promise as a sustainable construction material for nonstructural element.