Rheology, Setting Time, and Compressive Strength of Class F Fly Ash–Based Geopolymer Binder Containing Ordinary Portland Cement
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 34, Issue 1
Abstract
This paper investigates the incorporation of ordinary portland cement (OPC) to adjust/improve the workability, setting time, and compressive strength of Class F fly ash (FA)–based geopolymer binder. The geopolymer binder specimens were produced by mixing OPC with FA at a dosage of 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% by weight of FA, respectively, and then mixing the mixture with a blended sodium silicate (SS) and sodium hydroxide (SH) solution at a SH concentration of 5 M and a SS/SH ratio of 1. A water-to-solid () ratio of 0.35, 0.40, 0.45, and 0.50, respectively, was used in preparing the specimens. The viscosity and setting time of the fresh geopolymer binder were measured by using a coaxial cylinder viscometer and a Vicat apparatus, respectively. The specimens were cured at 35°C in an oven for 7 days before tested to measure the unconfined compressive strength (UCS). The results show that the viscosity of the geopolymer binder increases with higher OPC content and lower ratio. The addition of OPC reduces the setting time. The shortest initial and final setting times of 16 and 46 min, respectively, were obtained at and 20% by weight OPC. The incorporation of OPC increases the UCS of the geopolymer binder. The highest UCS of 42.4 MPa was obtained at and 20% by weight OPC. Microstructural and chemical analyses including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were also carried out and the results indicate that the addition of OPC produces a denser microstructure by the formation of calcium silicate hydrate (CSH) gel along with geopolymer gel.
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Data Availability Statement
All data and models generated or used during the study appear in the published article.
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Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 34 • Issue 1 • January 2022
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© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Jun 15, 2020
Accepted: May 5, 2021
Published online: Oct 18, 2021
Published in print: Jan 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Mar 18, 2022
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