Effect of Alkali Activators on Loess Geopolymer: Potential Waterproof Repair Material
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 33, Issue 9
Abstract
The possible utilities of geopolymers likely are due to their potentially high mechanical, physical, and durability properties that make geopolymers similar to ceramic materials. The similarity largely is because of a mineralogical and chemical composition silimar to that of ceramic materials. However, to produce effective similar properties, a measured dissolution of source materials in an adequate alkaline solution is required for geopolymerization. This paper examines the effects of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium silicate () solutions on the properties of loess geopolymer and its effective use in ceramic tiles repairing. The experiments involved 8M concentration of sodium hydroxide and a combination of NaOH and sodium silicate with the same molarity at a ratio of . Compressive and split tensile strengths of the loess geopolymer mortars (GPMs) were assessed at 7 and 28 days. X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), scanning electron micrographs (SEM), and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) analysis were carried out to determine the GPM behavior under alkali solutions as well as the correlation between its strength and structure. The resulting geopolymer loess was used to fill ceramic tile gaps. The experiment showed that the reaction and strength performance of loess geopolymer depended on the precursors and alkali liquids used. It was also established that the mixture of NaOH and not only reduced the pores in the loess based–geopolymer matrix but also had adequate mechanical behavior, effective adhesion, and durability for filling ceramic tile gaps.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the published article.
Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of National Nature Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51978414 and 51708363).
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Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 33 • Issue 9 • September 2021
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© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 26, 2019
Accepted: Dec 1, 2020
Published online: Jul 14, 2021
Published in print: Sep 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Dec 14, 2021
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