Physicochemical and Mechanical Behavior of the One-Part Geopolymer Paste Exposed to Hydrochloric and Sulfuric Acids
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 35, Issue 3
Abstract
This paper aims to assess the durability of one-part geopolymer (OPG) pastes exposed to acidic environments. Two different acids (HCl and ) with different pH values (pH of 2, 4, and 6) were used to simulate the acidic environment in the current study. Acid resistance of the OPG paste activated by sodium hydroxide [NaOH (NH)] and sodium metasilicate [ (NS)], respectively, was assessed in terms of pH variation, mass change, visual appearance, deterioration depth, and compressive strength loss for varied immersion periods (). The scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDS) and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) tests were employed to investigate the evolution of porosity, morphological change, and hydrate composition for the varied immersion times. The experimental results revealed that due to the formation of a dense structure, the NS-activated OPG paste had better resistance to the acid attack compared with the NH-activated paste. It was also found that the gypsum crystals formed in the sample immersed in solution could fill the open pores and adhere to the surface of the sample, which reduced the further acid attack to some extent. However, the expansion properties of gypsums would lead to a loss of mechanical performance at the later immersion period. Furthermore, higher porosity of the OPG paste developed as the pH value of the acid solution decreased, thereby inducing the loss of mass and compressive strength and the increase of deterioration depth. Finally, as the immersion age and acid concentration increased, decalcification in the sample tended to occur, which caused a greater loss of compressive strength and a higher porosity. The outcome of this study could provide guidance for the application of the novel material in acid soil layer improvements or acid-resistant geotechnical structures.
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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
Grateful acknowledgment is made to the Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51978531 and 52078288) for their support of this research.
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Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 35 • Issue 3 • March 2023
Copyright
© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Nov 12, 2021
Accepted: Jun 7, 2022
Published online: Dec 22, 2022
Published in print: Mar 1, 2023
Discussion open until: May 22, 2023
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