Multiscale Characterization of Fly Ash–Based Geopolymer and Type V Portland Cement Exposed to
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 34, Issue 6
Abstract
Fly ash–based geopolymer is an attractive supplemental cementitious material that has been receiving great attention from the community; however, its durability characteristics such as resistance to sulfate-related damage have not yet been fully examined. This study investigates the properties of fly ash–based geopolymer and its counterpart, Type V portland cement paste/mortar, when they are exposed to solution. Toward that end, a multiscale characterization was conducted. Changes in nanomechanical properties due to exposure were tracked and quantified by nanoindentation. Scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were coupled to characterize microstructural and chemical changes at different exposure levels. Moreover, the effect of solution on macroscale properties, including changes in mass and compressive strength, were examined. Results indicated that exposure to solution affected the two cementitious materials very differently. No significant sign of deterioration was observed in fly ash–based geopolymer, although changed the chemical compositions by increasing Mg content and decreasing Na in the original N-A-S-H gel. On the contrary, Type V portland cement presented the degradation of the main hydration product due to the decalcification process with increasing exposure. This resulted in a significant drop of Ca/Si ratio and compressive strength after 6 months of immersion. Test-analysis results in different length scales in this study imply that fly ash–based geopolymer can be a durable material under environments.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful for funding provided by the Land and Housing Institute (LHI) in the Republic of Korea. The first author (Hani Alanazi) would also like to thank the Deanship of Scientific Research at Majmaah University for supporting this work under project number No. R-2021-247.
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Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 34 • Issue 6 • June 2022
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© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Apr 8, 2021
Accepted: Oct 15, 2021
Published online: Mar 21, 2022
Published in print: Jun 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Aug 21, 2022
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