Study of Metakaolin-Based Geopolymer with Addition of Polymer Admixtures

In the present work, metakaolin-based geopolymer including different polymer admixtures was studied. Different types of commercial polymer admixtures VINNAPAS® and polyethylene glycol of different relative molecular weight were used as polymer admixtures. The main objective of this work is to investigate the influence of different types of admixtures on the properties of metakaolin-based geopolymer mortars considering their different dosage. Mechanical properties, such as flexural and compressive strength were experimentally determined. Also, study of the microstructure of selected specimens by using a scanning electron microscope was performed. The results showed that the specimen with addition of 1.5% of VINNAPAS® 7016 F and 10% of polyethylene glycol 400 achieved maximum mechanical properties

ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF FLY ASH GEOPOLYMER COMPOSITES WITH GRAPHITE CONDUCTIVE ADMIXTURES

Construction materials with increased electrical conductivity could be possibly used in health monitoring of structures (stress, deformation, damages), their maintenance or traffic monitoring. The aim of this study was the application of functional filler and its influence on the electrical properties of the alkali-activated fly ash matrix. The graphite powder was added to the reference material in the amount of 2–10 %. Besides the assessment of the critical amount of filler necessary to achieve a percolation threshold in the structure of the composite, the effect on the electrical properties of the matrix (resistance, capacitance, conductivity) was determined. The optimal amount of filler was also determined with respect to the changes in microstructure of the binder and its mechanical properties

Thermal behaviour of metakaolin/fly ash geopolymers with chamotte aggregate

Geopolymers are generally appreciated for their good resistance against high temperatures. This paper compares the influence of thermal treatment with temperatures ranging from 200–1200 °C on the mechanical properties and microstructure of geopolymers based on two different aluminosilicate precursors, metakaolin and fly ash. Moreover, the paper is also aimed at characterizing the effect of chamotte aggregate on the performance of geopolymers subjected to high temperatures. Thermal treatment leads to a deterioration in the strength of metakaolin geopolymer, whereas fly ash geopolymer gains strength upon heating. The formation of albite above 900 °C is responsible for the fusion of geopolymer matrix during exposure to 1200 °C, which leads to the deformation of the geopolymer samples. Chamotte aggregate improves the performance of geopolymer material by increasing the thermal stability of geopolymers via sintering of the aggregate particles with the geopolymer matrix in the contact zone

Benefits of sealed-curing on compressive strength of fly ash-based geopolymers

There is no standardized procedure for producing geopolymers; therefore, many researchers develop their own procedures for mixing and curing to achieve good workability and strength development. The curing scheme adopted is important in achieving maximum performance of resultant geopolymers. In this study, we evaluated the impact of sealed and unsealed curing on mechanical strength of geopolymers. Fly ash-based geopolymers cured in sealed and unsealed moulds clearly revealed that retention of water during curing resulted in superior strength development. The average compressive strength of sealed-cured geopolymers measured after 1 day of curing was a modest 50 MPa, while after 7 day curing the average compressive strength increased to 120~135 MPa. In the unsealed specimens the average compressive strength of geopolymers was lower; ranging from 60 to 90 MPa with a slight increase as the curing period increased. Microcracking caused by dehydration is postulated to cause the strength decrease in the unsealed cured samples. These results show that water is a crucial component for the evolution of high strength three-dimensional cross-linked networks in geopolymers

Impedance spectroscopy measurement of metakaolin-based alkali-activated building materials

Cement-containing as well as cement-free building materials are regarded as dielectrics. Therefore, electrically conducting admixtures are to be added to them in order to increase their electrical conductivity. Steel or carbon fibres, metal powder, graphite, carbon soot or carbon nanotubes are commonly used for this purpose. The conductivity increase offers new application options, such as sensor property materials, self-heated materials, or electromagnetic smog shielding materials. The specimens of the mixes to be studied were subjected to an electrical analysis carried out within the frequency range from 100 MHz to 3 GHz by means of an ZNC vector analyser and an SPEAG-made DAK-12 coaxial probe and, furthermore, a dedicated automatically measuring device operating within the frequency range from 40 Hz to 1 MHz. The frequency spectra of interest were measured on various copolymer specimens differing from each other by the content of graphite and carbon nanotubes. Higher content of these admixtures increases the electrical conductivity and the building materials thus become easier to measure by means of electromagnetic measuring methods

Effect of carbon nanotubes on the mechanical fracture properties of fly ash geopolymer

Fly ash geopolymer is amorphous aluminosilicate material which is considered as alternative to Portland cement concrete. One of the limiting factors of its utilization is an increased shrinkage and related deterioration of fracture properties. This paper reports on a study of the application of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to improve the fracture properties of fly ash geopolymer. The amount of MWCNTs added varied in the range of 0.05–0.2% of the mass of fly ash. Mechanical fracture properties were determined via evaluation of three-point bending fracture tests. Specimen response during fracture tests was also monitored by means of acoustic emission, and this method was also used for the determination of cracking tendency occurring during the hardening process. Results show that the addition of MWCNTs increases the elastic modulus and compressive strength of fly ash geopolymer. However, basic fracture parameters (fracture toughness, fracture energy) firstly decreased with very small addition of MWCNTs and were regained or slightly exceeded the reference values with higher amount of MWCNTs

Electrical and Self-Sensing Properties of Alkali-Activated Slag Composite with Graphite Filler

The electrical properties of concrete are gaining their importance for the application in building construction. In this study, graphite powder was added to alkali-activated slag mortar as an electrically conductive filler in order to enhance the mortar’s conductive properties. The amount of graphite ranged from 1% to 30% of the slag mass. The effect of the graphite powder on the resistivity, capacitance, mechanical properties, and microstructure of the composite was investigated. Selected mixtures were then used for the testing of self-sensing properties under compressive loading. The results show that the addition of an amount of graphite equal to up to 10% of the slag mass improved the electrical properties of the alkali-activated slag. Higher amounts of filler did not provide any further improvement in electrical properties at lower AC frequencies but caused a strong deterioration in mechanical properties. The best self-sensing properties were achieved for the mixture with 10wt% of graphite, but only at low compressive stresses of up to 6 MPa

The influence of rice husk ash addition on the properties of metakaolin-based geopolymers

This paper investigates the replacement of metakaolin (MK) with rice husk ash (RHA) in the production of alkali-activated binders or geopolymers. The influence of the RHA addition on compressive and flexural strength, as well as water absorption and apparent porosity were determined, in terms of the percentage of RHA in the mixture and molar ratios of the mixes. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and Energy Dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) were carried out to assess the changes in the microstructure of the geopolymer matrices with the RHA addition. Results have shown that RHA may be a supplementary precursor for geopolymers. The composition of the geopolymer matrices containing 0-40% RHA is very similar, which indicates that the additional Si provided by RHA is not incorporated to the geopolymer matrix. In addition, geopolymers with RHA content higher than 40% present a plastic behavior, characterized by extremely low strength and high deformation, which can be attributed to the formation of silica gel in formulations containing variable Si/Al ratio