Alkali-Activated Fly Ash Foams – Synthesis, Chemo-Physical Properties and Microstructure Modeling

2014 ◽  
Vol 92 ◽  
pp. 14-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petr Hlaváček ◽  
Vit Šmilauer ◽  
František Škvára

Inorganic foams offer several unique properties such as low thermal conductivity, fire resistance, or UV stability. Inorganic foam specimens were synthesized from fly ash and aluminium powder through an alkali-activation process. Depending on mix proportions, bulk densities ranged between 400 and 800 kg/m3. Thermal treatment at 80°C for 12 hours accelerated curing process. Compressive strength was found in the range 4.5-9.0 MPa, flexural strength 0.6-1.7 MPa, Young's modulus 0.6-1.1 GPa, thermal conductivity 0.14-0.16 W/m/K and thermal capacity around 1100 J/kg/K. Exposing the foams to temperature 800°C led to a small decrease of compressive strength while exposure to 1100°C sintered the foam to higher strength of 13 MPa. Volumetric shrinkage 20% occurred at 1100°C without further disintegration. Residual compressive strength was determined after exposure to NaCl, HCl, Na2SO4, MgSO4, H2SO4. The highest reduction to 20% occured in both acids with pH=2 after one year of exposition. Digitized microstructures entered finite element analysis to validate a stress-strain diagram.

2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (11) ◽  
pp. 4021-4028 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liew Yun Ming ◽  
Andrei Victor Sandu ◽  
Heah Cheng Yong ◽  
Yuyun Tajunnisa ◽  
Siti Fatimah Azzahran ◽  
...  

This paper investigates the effect of incorporation of lightweight aggregate and foam in the preparation of lightweight aggregate geopolymer concrete (LWAGC) and lightweight aggregate foamed geopolymer concrete (LWAFGC). The geopolymer paste was formed by alkali activation of Class F fly ash in mixture of sodium silicate and sodium hydroxide solution. LWAGC was incorporated with expanded clay lightweight aggregate and river sand while hydrogen peroxide was added as foaming agent for LWAFGC. Results showed that LWAGC and LWAFGC achieved an excellent 28-day compressive strength of 60 MPa and 20 MPa, respectively. The bulk densities were 1815 kg/m3 for LWAGC and 1593 kg/m3 for LWAFGC. Even so, low thermal conductivity of 0.12 W/mK and 0.09 W/mK were reported. It was concluded that the joint effect of lightweight aggregate and foam produced geopolymer concrete with good mechanical strength while having excellent thermal insulating properties. The geopolymer concretes possessed high strength-to-density ratio to be regarded as lightweight high-performance structures.


Minerals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 197
Author(s):  
Jozef Vlček ◽  
Michaela Topinková ◽  
Miroslava Klárová ◽  
Petra Maierová ◽  
Hana Ovčačíková ◽  
...  

Metakaolin (MK) prepared by the calcination of kaolin at 550 °C and fly ash (FA) from the combustion of black coal in a granulating boiler were used to prepare unfired ceramic bonding systems via the alkali activation process. A long-term stability of the mechanical properties of the prepared samples similar to the unfired ceramic systems was observed. The optimal metakaolin and fly ash ratio, the type of the activator (NaOH or water glass) and its concentration were evaluated after the hydration in: a) laboratory conditions; b) hydration box; and c) under the hydrothermal activation. Raw materials and the samples prepared by alkali activation process were characterized by XRD, XRF, TG/DTA, and FTIR methods. The mechanical properties of the prepared samples were tested using a compressive strength test after 2, 28 and 56 days of hydration. The compressive strengths of 16 and 24 MPa after 28 days of hydration were reached for FA samples activated with water glass. The alkali activation of MK was successful in the NaOH solution of the molar concentration above 5 M. The compressive strength values of metakaolin, activated hydrothermally and hydrated at laboratory conditions, reached 11.2 and 5.5 MPa, respectively, for 5 M activator of NaOH.


Materials ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 644
Author(s):  
Maria Harja ◽  
Carmen Teodosiu ◽  
Dorina Nicolina Isopescu ◽  
Osman Gencel ◽  
Doina Lutic ◽  
...  

Fly ash wastes (silica, aluminum and iron-rich materials) could be smartly valorized by their incorporation in concrete formulation, partly replacing the cement. The necessary binding properties can be accomplished by a simple procedure: an alkali activation process, involving partial hydrolysis, followed by gel formation and polycondensation. The correlations between the experimental fly ash processing conditions, particle characteristics (size and morphology) and the compressive strength values of the concrete prepared using this material were investigated by performing a parametric optimization study to deduce the optimal processing set of conditions. The alkali activation procedure included the variation of the NaOH solutions concentration (8–12 M), temperature values (25–65 °C) and the liquid/solid ratio (1–3). The activation led to important modifications of the crystallography of the samples (shown by powder XRD analysis), their morphologies (seen by SEM), particle size distribution and Blaine surface values. The values of the compressive strength of concrete prepared using fly ash derivatives were between 16.8–22.6 MPa. Thus, the processed fly ash qualifies as a proper potential building material, solving disposal-associated problems, as well as saving significant amounts of cement consumed in concrete formulation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (11) ◽  
pp. 4021-4028

This paper investigates the effect of incorporation of lightweight aggregate and foam in the preparation of lightweight aggregate geopolymer concrete (LWAGC) and lightweight aggregate foamed geopolymer concrete (LWAFGC). The geopolymer paste was formed by alkali activation of Class F fly ash in mixture of sodium silicate and sodium hydroxide solution. LWAGC was incorporated with expanded clay lightweight aggregate and river sand while hydrogen peroxide was added as foaming agent for LWAFGC. Results showed that LWAGC and LWAFGC achieved an excellent 28-day compressive strength of 60 MPa and 20 MPa, respectively. The bulk densities were 1815 kg/m3 for LWAGC and 1593 kg/m3 for LWAFGC. Even so, low thermal conductivity of 0.12 W/mK and 0.09 W/mK were reported. It was concluded that the joint effect of lightweight aggregate and foam produced geopolymer concrete with good mechanical strength while having excellent thermal insulating properties. The geopolymer concretes possessed high strength-to-density ratio to be regarded as lightweight high-performance structures. Keywords: Lightweight Concrete; Geopolymer; Expanded Clay Aggregate; Foam


2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (9) ◽  
pp. 2023-2030
Author(s):  
Arnon Chaipanich ◽  
Chalermphan Narattha ◽  
Watcharapong Wongkeo ◽  
Pailyn Thongsanitgarn

Materials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (23) ◽  
pp. 5458
Author(s):  
Petra Mácová ◽  
Konstantinos Sotiriadis ◽  
Zuzana Slížková ◽  
Petr Šašek ◽  
Michal Řehoř ◽  
...  

Foam glass production process redounds to large quantities of waste that, if not recycled, are stockpiled in the environment. In this work, increasing amounts of waste foam glass were used to produce metakaolin-based alkali-activated composites. Phase composition and morphology were investigated by means of X-ray powder diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Subsequently, the physical properties of the materials (density, porosity, thermal conductivity and mechanical strength) were determined. The analysis showed that waste foam glass functioned as an aggregate, introducing irregular voids in the matrix. The obtained composites were largely porous (>45%), with a thermal conductivity coefficient similar to that of timber (<0.2 W/m∙K). Optimum compressive strength was achieved for 10% incorporation of the waste by weight in the binder. The resulting mechanical properties suggest the suitability of the produced materials for use in thermal insulating applications where high load-bearing capacities are not required. Mechanical or chemical treatment of the waste is recommended for further exploitation of its potential in participating in the alkali activation process.


2020 ◽  
Vol 1009 ◽  
pp. 31-36
Author(s):  
Kanokwan Kanyalert ◽  
Prinya Chindaprasirt ◽  
Duangkanok Tanangteerapong

This work aims to reveal the effects of zeolite on properties of fly ash based geopolymer under high temperature at 300 °C, 600 °C and 900 °C. The specimens were prepared by alkali activation of fly ash, which was partially replaced by two different types of zeolite at 10%, 20% and 30% by weight. The specimens were analyzed for the maximum compressive strength, weight loss percentage, XRD and SEM. The results highlighted that the percentage of weight loss increased with the ratio of zeolite replacement. The compressive strength of geopolymer with synthetic zeolite and natural zeolite at 7, 28, 60 days were similar. The high-temperature exposure resulted in the reduction in compressive strength in all proportions. At the same temperature, compressive strength of all specimens were not significantly different.


2016 ◽  
Vol 690 ◽  
pp. 109-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sutthima Sriprasertsuk ◽  
Phatthiya Suwannason ◽  
Wanna T. Saengchantara

This work investigated the recycling of fly ash waste and cullet as the raw materials for lightweight bodies produced by heat treatment and using sodium silicate as the binder. Borax was mixed with fly ash and cullet, and put into the block in dimension 10x10x2 cm3. The lightweight materials thus produced were then sintered at temperature of 800 °C. Density, compressive strength and thermal conductivity were determined. Borax showed a positive sintering effect on the porosity of lightweight material during the heat process. The compressive strength of lightweight material diminished with the reduction of density and thermal conductivity. Lightweight material manufactured with borax showed the lower density and thermal conductivity accompanied by the higher compressive strength. The test results indicated that using fly ash and cullet as the raw material with borax could obtain the lightweight material, thus enhancing the possibility of its reuse in a sustainable way.


2017 ◽  
Vol 751 ◽  
pp. 538-543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pongsak Jittabut

This research was aimed to a present the physical and thermal properties of geopolymer pastes made of fly ash (FA) and bagasse ash (BA) with rice husk ash (RHA) containing at the doses of 0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10% by weight. The sodium hydroxide concentration of 15 molars, sodium silicate per sodium hydroxide by weight ratio of 2.0, the alkaline liquid per binder at the ratio of 0.60 and curing at ambient temperature were used at the to mix all mixtures to gether for 7 and 28 days. The properties analysis of the geopolymer pastes such as compressive strength, bulk density, water absorption, thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity and thermal capacity were tested. The results were indicated that geopolymer pastes that containing rice husk ash 2% by weight for 28 days of curing gave the maximum compressive strength of 84.42 kg/cm2, low water absorption of 1.16 %, low bulk density of 2,065.71 kg/cm3, lower thermal conductivity of 1.1173 W/m.K, lower thermal diffusion of 6.643 µm2/s and lower thermal capacity of 1.6819 MJ/m3K, respectively. The utilization of waste from agriculture industry via geopolymer pastes for green building materials can be achieved. For this research, physical properties and thermal insulation of geopolymer pastes were siqnificantly improved.


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