Development of Eco-Efficient Fly Ash–Based Alkali-Activated and Geopolymer Composites with Reduced Alkaline Activator Dosage
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 32, Issue 2
Abstract
The eco-efficiency and economy of geopolymer composites largely depend on their alkaline activator dosage. In this study, the effect of applying a pre-setting pressure and variation of the aggregate-to-fly ash ratio on the alkaline solution dosage and mechanical strength of fly ash–based geopolymer composites was explored. It is shown that through control of the aggregate-to-ash ratio and application of pre-setting pressure, compressive strength could be increased by 102% and 86% for Class F fly ash–based geopolymer and alkali-activated Class C fly ash–based mixture, respectively. The total alkaline solution consumption could be reduced from 718 to and from 769 to for Class F fly ash–based geopolymer and alkali-activated Class C fly ash–based mixture, respectively. The proposed method reduced the alkaline solution consumption per compressive strength () by up to 85% compared to that of the reference manually consolidated control geopolymer. The findings demonstrate that fly ash–based geopolymers could be made more sustainable and eco-efficient through tailored production techniques.
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©2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Feb 22, 2019
Accepted: Jul 10, 2019
Published online: Dec 7, 2019
Published in print: Feb 1, 2020
Discussion open until: May 7, 2020
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