Alkali Activated Binders Based on Metakaolin

According to research conducted in last 25 years, alkali activated binders have been considered as one of the most progressive alternative binders, which can effectively replace Portland cement. Production of alkali activated binders differs from the Portland cement production and is associated with lower CO2 emissions. The use of recycled industrial by-products and wastes is also possible, what corresponds to the future guidelines and principles of sustainable binder production in the world.The aim of this study was to create innovative alkali activated binders by using secondary raw materials, which will be different from the ones described in the scientific literature – alkali activated binders with porous structure. Raw materials used for the binders were metakaolin containing waste, waste from aluminium scrap recycling factory and recycled lead-silicate glass; solid contents were activated with modified sodium silicate solution with an addition of sodium hydroxide.The physical properties of alkali activated binders, such as density, water absorption, open and total porosity, were determined and flexural and compressive strength of hardened alkali-activated binders were tested at the age of 28 days. Durability was examined by sulphate resistance test, which was performed according to SIA 262/1, appendix D: applicability and relevance for use in practice. 40x40x160 mm prismatic specimens were used for expansion measurement and determination of compressive strength. The open porosity of obtained materials was up to 45%, density from 380 to 1720 kg/m3, compressive strength up to 29,8 MPa, water absorption 6 – 114 wt.%. After analysing the results from the sulphate test it was concluded that glass additive reduced the alkali activated binder resistance to sulphate attack

Waste Stream Porous Alkali Activated Materials for High Temperature Application

The growing interest of using industrial waste as recycled raw materials for the production of new, innovative materials is associated with effective use of natural resources and circular (zero-waste) economy. The research object is waste stream materials coming from chemical and processing industries, such as aluminum scrap recycling waste, chamotte-like precursor, firebricks sawing residues, and their use in production of high-temperature resistant, porous insulation materials by using alkali activation technique with 6 M NaOH solution. Adding aluminum scrap recycling waste to the composition of the tested alkali activated materials (AAM) contributed to the porous structure of the material with the pore size ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 μm (detected by Micro-XCT, SEM). Lightweight (350–850 kg/m3) and heat-resistant (up to 1,000°C) AAM with compressive strength from 1.0 to 3.0 MPa was obtained. The mineralogical composition of the obtained AAM was detected (XRD) and the heat resistant minerals in the structure of AAM were identified. It was concluded that the increased amount of Al2O3 in the raw material composition resulted in improved thermal stability of the AAM. In case where SiO2/Al2O3 ratio is <2, the formation of high-temperature resistant minerals, such as carnegeite and nepheline, was observed. The obtained AAM could resist up to 8 thermal shock cycles and it could be easily adapted to the industrial production and application such as thermal insulation layer in laboratory furnaces

The Effect of Heat Treatment on the Properties of Ultra High Strength Concrete

The influence of heat treatment during curing process of ultra high strength concrete (UHSC) was researched. Four different heat treatment temperatures ranging from 50 to 200 °C were studied and compared to the reference temperature regime (20 °C).  Two series of heat treatment were applied: (a) at the early age of UHSC (3 days) and (b) after 27 days of standard curing regime in water at 20 °C. Concrete compressive strength was tested at the early age (4 days) and at the age of 28 days. The water absorption and water penetration under pressure were tested for heat treated and untreated UHSC specimens. SEM and XRD investigations of the studied samples were performed. UHSC with the strength of 123 MPa at the age of 28 days was tested at the standard curing conditions. Results indicate that early age curing at elevated temperature increases early compressive strength from 123 to 189% while at the age of 28 days the compressive strength was only 95 to 117% from reference and depends on the heat treatment regime. The heat treatment of UHSC at the age of 27 days was beneficial with regard to the strength development. Heat-treated UHSC provided compressive strength gain from 112 to 124% from reference. The water absorption for all UHSC specimens was from 2.6 to 3.2 wt.% and it was not affected by the heat treatment. The calcite was detected with XRD in heat treated UHSC samples which indicates the carbonization of Portlandite. This could explain the strength gain of heat-treated samples and the reason for slow compressive strength increase in the case of early heat treatment application. SEM images reveal dense structure and unreacted silica fume particles. The early heat treatment initiated high early strength but the strength of concrete reduced at the age of 28 days comparing to the early strength; therefore late heat application was beneficial for strength gain of the UHSC

Effect of Pozzolanic Additives on the Strength Development of High Performance Concrete

The aim of this research is to estimate the effect of pozzolanic substitutes on the temperature generated by the hydration and on the final strength of concrete. Differential thermal analyses (DTA) were conducted. Ternary cementitious systems with different ratios of Portland cement, silica fume and calcined illite clay were investigated. The results showed that the rates of pozzolanic reaction and portlandite consumption in the silica fume-blended cement pastes are higher than in the illite clay-blended cement pastes.12th international conference “Modern Building Materials, Structures and Techniques” (MBMST 2016)The research leading to these results has received the funding from Latvia state research program under grant agreement "Innovative materials and smart technologies for environmental safety, IMATEH”

Structural Investigation of Alkali Activated Clay Minerals for Application in Water Treatment Systems

Alkali activation technology can be applied for a wide range of alumo-silicates to produce innovative materials with various areas of application. Most researches focuse on the application of alumo-silicate materials in building industry as cement binder replacement to produce mortar and concrete [1]. However, alkali activation technology offers high potential also in biotechnologies [2]. In the processes where certain pH level, especially alkaline environment, must be ensured, alkali activated materials can be applied. One of such fields is water treatment systems where high level pH (up to pH 10.5) ensures efficient removal of water pollutants such as manganese [3]. Previous investigations had shown that alkali activation technology can be applied to calcined clay powder and aluminium scrap recycling waste as a foam forming agent to create porous alkali activated materials. This investigation focuses on the structural investigation of calcined kaolin and illite clay alkali activation processes. Chemical and mineralogical composition of both clays were determined and structural investigation of alkali activated materials was made by using XRD, DTA, FTIR analysis; the microstructure of hardened specimens was observed by SEM. Physical properties of the obtained material were determined. Investigation indicates the essential role of chemical composition of the clay used in the alkali activation process, and potential use of the obtained material in water treatment systems

Applicability of freeze-thaw resistance testing methods for high strength concrete at extreme −52.5 °C and standard −18 °C testing conditions

In the present paper an attempt was made to evaluate reliability and efficiency of two freeze-thaw testing methods by testing high strength concrete (HSC) with two different supplementary cementitious materials as a partial substitute to cement in binary blend. Silica fume (SF) or metakaolin containing by-product (MKW) was used replacing with them 5, 10 or 15 wt% of cement. The freeze-thaw resistance of HSC samples saturated with 5% NaCl solution was tested at standard −18 °C and extreme −52.5 °C testing conditions. HSC series with SF exhibited higher initial strength, while poor resistance against freeze-thaw cycles was observed. Strength loss from 8 to 25% was observed after 12 freeze-thaw cycles at −52.5 °C, while 15 cycles reduced the strength by 30 to 53%, which was similar to 110 or 150 freeze-thaw cycles at −18 °C. Hence, it was concluded that extreme low temperature testing can significantly reduce the time, which is necessary for evaluating freeze-thaw durability of HSC. HSC without air entraining additives with W/C ranging from 0.38 to 0.45 proved to be vulnerable to freeze-thaw exposure as its water absorption gradually increased. Ultrasonic pulse velocity measurements during freeze-thaw tests allowed to determine indirectly the strength loss and good correlation between the two was observed. Keywords: Freeze-thaw resistance, High strength concrete, Ultrasonic pulse velocit

Alkali-Activated Aluminium-Silicate Composites as Insulation Materials for Industrial Application

The article reports on the study of thermal stability of alkali-activated aluminium-silicate composites (ASC) at temperature 800–1100°C. ASC were prepared by using calcined kaolinite clay, aluminium scrap recycling waste, lead-silicate glass waste and quartz sand. As alkali activator, commercial sodium silicate solution modified with an addition of sodium hydroxide was used. The obtained alkali activation solution had silica modulus Ms=1.67. Components of aluminium scrap recycling waste (aluminium nitride (AlN) and iron sulphite (FeSO3)) react in the alkali media and create gases – ammonia and sulphur dioxide, which provide the porous structure of the material

The Effect of Heat Treatment on the Properties of Ultra High Strength Concrete

The influence of heat treatment during curing process of ultra high strength concrete (UHSC) was researched. Four different heat treatment temperatures ranging from 50 to 2000 C were studied and compared to the reference temperature regime (200 C). Two series of heat treatment were applied: (a) at the early age of UHSC (3 days) and (b) after 27 days of standard curing regime in water at 200 C. Concrete compressive strength was tested at the early age (4 days) and at the age of 28 days. The water absorption and water penetration under pressure were tested for heat treated and untreated UHSC specimens. SEM and XRD investigations of the studied samples were performed. UHSC with the strength of 123 MPa at the age of 28 days was tested at the standard curing conditions. Results indicate that early age curing at elevated temperature increases early compressive strength from 123 to 189% while at the age of 28 days the compressive strength was only 95 to 117% from reference and depends on the heat treatment regime. The heat treatment of UHSC at the age of 27 days was beneficial with regard to the strength development. Heat-treated UHSC provided compressive strength gain from 112 to 124% from reference. The water absorption for all UHSC specimens was from 2.6 to 3.2 wt.% and it was not affected by the heat treatment. The calcite was detected with XRD in heat treated UHSC samples which indicates the carbonization of Portlandite. This could explain the strength gain of heat-treated samples and the reason for slow compressive strength increase in the case of early heat treatment application. SEM images reveal dense structure and unreacted silica fume particles. The early heat treatment initiated high early strength but the strength of concrete reduced at the age of 28 days comparing to the early strength; therefore late heat application was beneficial for strength gain of the UHSC