Influence of solid activators on the properties and microstructures of alkali activated composite mineral binders
Marek Petri, Marcin Siekierski, Agnieszka Różycka
Quarterly No. 2, 2009 pages 197-202
DOI:
keywords: composite, mixture tungsten-epoxy, thermal phenomena, pressing, density, compressive strength
abstract Alkaline activation is a chemical process in which silica-aluminous materials, when mixed with alkaline solutions, set and harden to yield a product with good mechanical properties. One of the most important features of this technology is that in-dustrial waste (for example fly ash., granulated blast-furnace slag) can be used as source materials. In present study the properties of the alkali activated composite mineral binders produced through alkaline activation of fly ash - slag - cement pastes were examined. Paste specimens were composed of: 1) 70% fly ash and 30% cement, 2) 15% cement, 15% granulated blast-furnace slag and 70% fly ash. Mixtures of vitreous sodium silicate with sodium carbonate were the solid alkaline activator for all the pastes, which were cured at 20°C and a relative humidity of > 95%. In the case of all pastes constant water/cement ratio = 0.4 were used. Obtained materials were characterized for mineralogy and microstructure with XRD, SEM/EDS and mercury intrusion porosimetry. Initial and final setting time were examined. Compressive and bending strength after 2, 28, 90 days of hydration process were also determined (on 10x10x100 mm specimens). The results showed that in all cases the main reaction products were mixed CSH and NASH gels. There are no crystalline reaction products for example portlandite. Hardened pastes have compact microstructure without visible microcraks. The best 90 days compressive and bending strength performance were found for binders containing 30% of cement, with values of 20 MPa and over 7 MPa, respectively. The results in the current work indicate that properties of investigated composites depend on the compositions of starting materials and kind of activator also.