This study determines the effect of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) and metakaolin (MK) on the microstructural properties of the tungsten mining waste-based alkali-activated binder (TMWM). During this investigation, TMWM was partially replaced with 10 wt.% GGBFS and 10 wt.% MK to improve the microstructure of the binder. In order to understand the effect of the substitutions on the microstructure, two pastes were produced to make a comparative study between the sample contain 100% TMWM and the ternary precursors. Both precursors were activated using a combination of alkaline activator solutions (sodium silicate and sodium hydroxide) with the ratio of 1:3 (66.6 wt.% sodium silicate combined with 33.33 wt.% of NaOH 8M). The alkali-activated mixes were cured in oven at temperature of 60 °C in the first day and at room temperature for the next 27 days. The reaction products N-A-S-H gel and (N,M)-A-S-H gel resulted from the alkaline activation reaction process. In addition, a formation of natrite (Na2CO3) with needles shape occurred as a reaction product of the fluorescence phenomena. However, a dense matrix resulted from the alkline activation of the ternary precursors containg different gels such as N-A-S-H, C-A-S-H and (N,M)-C-A-S-H gel, these results were obtained through SEM-EDS analyses, as well FTIR tests.
Keywords: Mining Waste, Alkali-activated, Microstructure, Slag, Metakaolin
New use of sugar cane straw ash in alkali-activated materials: A silica source for the preparation of the alkaline activator
