1. INTRODUCTION
⌅The
use of industrial aluminosilicate wastes or mineral admixtures, such as
fly ash, silica fume, blast furnace slag, rice ask ash, metakaolin,
glass powder, and marble powder, as cement replacement materials is
favorable for reducing carbon dioxide emissions (
1
1.
Demie, S.; Nuruddin, M.F.; Shafiq, N. (2013) Effects of micro-structure
characteristics of interfacial transition zone on the compressive
strength of self-compacting geopolymer concrete. Constr. Build. Mater. 41, 91-98.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2012.11.067
.
,
2
2.
Lee, W.K.W; Van Deventer, J.S.J. (2002) The effect of ionic
contaminants on the early-age properties of alkali-activated fly
ash-based cements. Cem. Concr. Res. 32 [4], 577-584.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0008-8846(01)00724-4
.
).
Thus, geopolymers, as an alternative to conventional concrete, produced
by combining high quantities of silica and alumina are defined by a
three-dimensional Si-O-Al chain structure (
3
3.
McDonald, M.; Thompson, J. (2005) Sodium silicate: A binder for the
21st century, The PQ Corporation. Industrial Chemicals Division.
).
At the production stage, after the dissolution of aluminosilicate types
within the alkaline medium, geopolymerization of the disintegrated ions
into the temporary structural gel begins. Then, the ultimate hardening
of the matrix is reached by the precipitation of the formed hydration
products at the end of water vaporization and the development of
crystalline structures. For example, the aluminum and silicon oxides in
fly ash can react with alkaline liquids, such as sodium silicate (Na2SiO3), sodium hydroxide (NaOH), potassium hydroxide (KOH), sodium aluminate (NaAlO2), potassium silicate, etc. Thus, a geopolymer that binds different size aggregates and other materials can be synthesized.
Type
and activator concentration significantly affect fly ash dissolution
due to the typical content of the activator improving the geopolymer’s
characteristics. Hardjito and Rangan (
4
4.
Hardjito, D.; Rangan, B.V. (2005) Development and properties of
low-calcium fly ash based geopolymer concrete. Research Report GC 1.
1-94.
) suggested that the geopolymer produced from a
14 M solution of NaOH resulted in a higher compressive strength than
that of an 8 M solution of NaOH. The study by Abdullah et al. (
5
5.
Abdullah, M.M.A.B.; Kamarudin, H.; Khairul Nizar, I.; Bnhussain, M.;
Zarina, Y.; Rafiza, A.R. (2012) Correlation between Na2SiO3/NaOH ratio
and fly ash/alkaline activator ratio to the strength of geopolymer. Adv. Mat. Res. 341-342, 189-193
https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.341-342.189
.
) found the maximum compressive strength of 7 days as 73.86 MPa when the ratio of Na2SiO3/NaOH was 2.5 at 70 °C for 24 hours. Moreover, Sanni and Khadiranaikar (
6
6. Sanni, S.H.; Khadiranaikar, R.B. (2013) Performance of alkaline solutions on grades of geopolymer concrete. IJRET. 366-371.
http://doi.org/10.15623/ijret.2013.0213069
.
) reported that the workability of geopolymers increased with the increment in Na2SiO3/NaOH
ratios used as 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, and 3.5. Due to a considerably slow
geopolymeric reaction at ambient temperature, the heat curing process is
another sensitive parameter affecting geopolymerization. Kürklü and
Gorhan (
7
7.
Kurklu, G.; Gorhan, G. (2019) Investigation of usability of quarry dust
waste in fly ash-based geopolymer adhesive mortar production. Constr. Build. Mater. 217, 498-506.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.05.104
.
)
studied the relationship between alkali solution concentration, curing
time, and curing temperature on a fly ash-based geopolymer. They
reported that 22 MPa was the highest compressive strength value of the
geopolymer when 6M NaOH concentration was used at a curing temperature
of 85 oC for 24 h at 28 days. However, Joseph and Mathew (
8
8. Joseph, B.; Mathew, G. (2012) Influence of aggregate content on the behaviour of fly ash based geopolymer concrete. Scientia Iranıca. 19 [5], 1188-1194.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scient.2012.07.006
.
) found the maximum compressive strength of the geopolymer as 58 MPa at a curing temperature of 100 oC
for 24 h at 28 days. Thus, a higher curing temperature can be
attributed to the improvement of kinetic energy and the reaction degree
that produces the geopolymer mortar with a stronger Al-Si-O network (
9
9.
Petermann, J.C.; Saeed, A.; Hammons, M.I. (2010) Alkali-activated
geopolymers: a literature review. Air force research laboratory
materials and manufacturing directorate, 88ABW-2012-2030. Retrieved
from:
https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA559113.pdf
.
). Many researchers have performed studies on how to improve the strength characteristics of geopolymers.
One
method is defined as adding fibers such as natural wollastonite (NW)
and/or synthetic wollastonite microfiber (SWM), reducing the propagation
of microcracks in the material (
10
10.
Silva, F.J.; Mathias, A.F.; Thaumaturgo, C. (1999) Evaluation of the
fracture toughness in poly (sialate-siloxo) composite matrix.
Proceedings of the Geopolymer International Conference (Geopolymer ‘99).
97-106.
). Large reserves of NW are found in China,
India, Finland, Mexico, Spain, the United States, Australia, and South
Africa, accounting for most of the global SWM production. Turkey,
Canada, Chile, Kenya, Namibia, Sudan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan are
countries with significant NW resources (
11
11. Virta, R.L. (2011) Wollastonite, In Minerals yearbook, U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved from:
http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/wollastonite/myb1-2010-wolla.pdf
.
).
Synthetic wollastonite microfibers (SWMs), which have been previously
produced in Turkey, have not been produced in our country for a long
time. The annual average production amount of wollastonite in the world
varies in the range of 500,000-600,000 tons. Due to its numerous unique
properties, the use of NW and/or SWM has become more common in many
application areas such as the plastic industry (37%), ceramic industry
(28%), metallurgical industry (10%), paint industry (10%), friction
products (9%), and other industries (9%) (
12
12.
Kogel, J.E.; Trivedi, N.C.; Barker, J.M.; Krukowski, S.T. (2006)
Industrial minerals & rocks, 7th ed. Society for Mining, Metallurgy
and Exploration.
,
13
13. Virta, R.L. (1999) Wollastonite. US Geological Survey Mineral Yearbook.
).
SWM is an inert material that can be produced synthetically due to natural resources. Materials such as calcite (CaCO3) and quartz sand (SiO2),
which are necessary to produce this mineral, are widely available in
Turkey and other countries. However, although the extracted calcite is
used in many sectors mentioned above, it is not used in the construction
sector. In other words, using calcite as a mineral additive in
structural applications adversely affects the strength characteristics
of concrete (
14
14.
Akkaya, Y.; Kesler, Y.E. (2012) Mikro kalsit katkısının betonun
işlenebilirliğine, mekanik özelliklerine ve dayanıklılığına etkisi. IMO Teknik Dergi. 384, 6051-6061.
).
Moreover, calcite of color other than white is kept as a waste material
in warehouses. Therefore, the production of SWM can contribute to the
sustainable development of construction materials by enhancing the
recycling of waste materials and reducing the use of cement (
15
15.
Oz, H.O.; Güneş, M. (2021) The effects of synthetic wollastonite
developed with calcite and quartz on high performance mortars. Struct. Concr. 22 [S1], E257-E272.
https://doi.org/10.1002/suco.201900520
.
). Öz and Güneş and Yücel and Özcan (
15
15.
Oz, H.O.; Güneş, M. (2021) The effects of synthetic wollastonite
developed with calcite and quartz on high performance mortars. Struct. Concr. 22 [S1], E257-E272.
https://doi.org/10.1002/suco.201900520
.
,
16
16.
Yücel, H.E.; Özcan, S.; (2019) Strength characteristics and
microstructural properties of cement mortars incorporating synthetic
wollastonite produced with a new technique. Constr. Build. Mater. 223, 165-176.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.06.195
.
) reported that the increased amount of SW did not increase or decrease Ca(OH)2 since it did not show a chemical reaction. This may be attributed to
physical properties, such as the acicular particle structure and fine
particle size distribution of SWM. Therefore, researchers have indicated
that SW mineral have microfibers with the ability to bridge
micro-cracks by achieving a higher load-carrying capability.
Additionally, strength improvement can be explained by the formation of a
function of the microfiber/matrix bond strength in the interfacial of
SWM microfibers (
15
15.
Oz, H.O.; Güneş, M. (2021) The effects of synthetic wollastonite
developed with calcite and quartz on high performance mortars. Struct. Concr. 22 [S1], E257-E272.
https://doi.org/10.1002/suco.201900520
.
,
16
16.
Yücel, H.E.; Özcan, S.; (2019) Strength characteristics and
microstructural properties of cement mortars incorporating synthetic
wollastonite produced with a new technique. Constr. Build. Mater. 223, 165-176.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.06.195
.
).
Likewise, some studies in the literature (
17
17.
Oz, H.O.; Gunes, M. (2018) Vollastonit katkılı yüksek performanslı
harçların mekanik ve durabilite özellikleri. Graduate Theses and
Dissertations.
) have explained the potential of
natural (NW) or SWM for use as a reinforcing material over bridging
microcracks and lagging formation of cracking. For example, Kalla et al.
(
18
18. Kalla, P.; Rana, A.; Chad, Y.B.; Misra, A.; Csetenyi, L. (2015) Durability studies on concrete containing wollastonite. J. Clean. Pro. 87, 726-734.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.10.038
.
)
reported that the compressive strength and flexural strength of
concrete incorporating 15% of NW increased to 12% at 90 days because of
the acicular morphology (fibrous nature) of wollastonite. Bong et al. (
19
19.
Bong, S.H.; Nematollahi, B.; Xia, M.; Nazari, A.; Sanjayan, J. (2020)
Properties of one-part geopolymer incorporating wollastonite as partial
replacement of geopolymer precursor or sand. Mater. Letters. 263, 127263.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matlet.2019.127236
.
)
stated that using NW as a sand replacer in mixtures significantly
improved flexural strength performance while compressive strength
increased or remained unchanged. Moreover, the development of the
microstructure of the geopolymer matrix associated with additional
wollastonite resulted in the increment of compressive strength (47.1
MPa). However, the wollastonite percentage increasing from 10% to 20% by
mass led to a lower compressive strength (41.5 MPa) due to the weaker
matrix resulting from the dysfunctional wollastonite particles based
within the geopolymer matrix. In addition to the above-mentioned
studies, literature studies showed that the flexural capacity of
geopolymer matrix-reinforced samples increased due to NW partly melting
in the alkaline medium and finally bound to the geopolymeric gel (
20
20.
Ling, Y. (2018) Proportion and performance evaluation of fly ash based
geopolymer and its application in engineered composites. Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://doi.org/10.31274/etd-180810-6028
.
,
21
21.
Nurjaya, D.M.; Astutiningsih, S.; Zulfia, A. (2015) Thermal effect on
flexural strength of geopolymer matrix composite with alumina and
wollastonite as fillers. Int. J. Technol. 6, 462-470.
https://doi.org/10.14716/ijtech.v6i3.1441
.
).
Thus, using wollastonite microfibers in structural design could result
in an improvement of flexural strength due to its acicular morphology
and filler effect. Moreover, Ransinchung and Kumar (
22
22.
Ransinchung, G.D.; Kumar, B. (2010) Investigations on pastes and
mortars of ordinary portland cement admixed with wollastonite and
microsilica, J. Mater. in Civil Eng. 22 [4].
https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0000019
.
)
found that the presence of NW mineral with a needle-shaped structure in
the cement matrix reduced workability. Likewise, Bong et al. (
19
19.
Bong, S.H.; Nematollahi, B.; Xia, M.; Nazari, A.; Sanjayan, J. (2020)
Properties of one-part geopolymer incorporating wollastonite as partial
replacement of geopolymer precursor or sand. Mater. Letters. 263, 127263.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matlet.2019.127236
.
)
indicated that workability decreased with the increasing wollastonite
content in geopolymer mixtures with 0% (124 mm), 10% (107 mm), and 20%
(100 mm) fiber percentages. Therefore, different solutions should be
found to improve the workability of cementitious composites with
wollastonite.
The self-compacting geopolymer/concrete design can
decrease the workability-reducing effect of wollastonite.
Self-compacting geopolymers (SCGs) are defined as a new type of
geopolymers produced with various alkali activators, chemical additives,
or the appropriate amount of water, not requiring any skills to succeed
in the whole compaction process due to their high flowing consistency (
23
23.
Nuruddin, M.F.; Samuel, D.; Nasir, S. (2011) Effect of mix composition
on workability and compressive strength of self-compacting geopolymer
concrete. Can. J. Civil Eng. NRC Res. Press. 38 [11], 1196-203.
https://doi.org/10.1139/l11-077
.
). Memon et al. (
24
24.
Memon, F.A.; Nuriddin, M.F.; Demie, S.; Shafiq, N. (2011) Effect of
curing conditions on strength of fly-ashed based self-compacting
geopolymer concrete. IJCEE 5 [8], 342-345.
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1070949
.
)
found the maximum compressive strength performance of a fly ash-based
self-compacting geopolymer as 53.80 MPa using a 7% superplasticizer
dosage at 28 days. Moreover, considering the influence of NW on the
properties of SCGs, it was reported that the mechanical interlocking of
unreacted NW molecules and binding to geopolymeric gel improved the
microstructure of the geopolymer matrix (
25
25. Yip, C.K.; Lukey, G.C.; Provis, J.L.; Van Deventer, J.S. (2008) Effect of calcium silicate sources on geopolymerisation. Cem. Concr. Res. 38 [4], 554-564.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2007.11.001
.
). Likewise, Lee and Van Deventer (
2
2.
Lee, W.K.W; Van Deventer, J.S.J. (2002) The effect of ionic
contaminants on the early-age properties of alkali-activated fly
ash-based cements. Cem. Concr. Res. 32 [4], 577-584.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0008-8846(01)00724-4
.
)
showed that soluble calcium released from NW could react quickly with
Al and Si elements to develop the geopolymeric gel. When studies in the
literature are reviewed without NW, there are three methods, the wet
method, the liquid-phase reaction method, and the solid-state reaction
method, to produce SWM (
17
17.
Oz, H.O.; Gunes, M. (2018) Vollastonit katkılı yüksek performanslı
harçların mekanik ve durabilite özellikleri. Graduate Theses and
Dissertations.
). Considering the disadvantages of
these production methods, SWM could be fabricated using a special
production method developed by the researchers as a result of the
sintering process. Thus, SWM can be replaced with NW used in the
industrial field over time. According to the authors’ knowledge, there
are numerous studies on the effects of NW on geopolymer/concrete, while
there is no literature on the impacts of SWM on SCGs. Therefore, partial
replacement of the produced SWM with fly ash can be considered a
friendly, sustainable solution for reducing the harmful effects of the
cement production industry on the environment. Moreover, using SWM
instead of the main binder significantly improves the performance of
cementitious composites due to its inert nature (
16
16.
Yücel, H.E.; Özcan, S.; (2019) Strength characteristics and
microstructural properties of cement mortars incorporating synthetic
wollastonite produced with a new technique. Constr. Build. Mater. 223, 165-176.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.06.195
.
).
Hence, using SWM instead of UK, the main binder of UK-based geopolymer,
is a matter of interest. In fact, it will be an important scientific
finding that SWM can provide a similar positive effect in geopolymers as
cement-based composites.
This study aimed to determine the characteristic properties of self-compacting geopolymer mortars (SCGs) incorporating SWM. First, SWM with a high aspect/ratio (30:1) was designed under laboratory conditions using a special method. In the design of SCGs, alkali ratios (Na2SiO3/NaOH) were chosen as 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5, while SWM percentages were utilized as 0%, 4%, 8%, and 12% by the weight of fly ash. The workability of SCGs was measured by the slump flow test. Then, SCGs were cured at 80 oC and 100 oC for 24 hours, respectively. Tests of compressive strength, flexural strength, ultrasonic pulse velocity, water sorptivity coefficient, and physical properties of SCGs were conducted at the end of the 28th day for the hardened state. This study reported on the development of novel SCGs incorporating SWM by using alkali activators under different curing conditions as a new construction material.
2. EXPERIMENTAL STUDY
⌅2.1. Materials
⌅SCGs were designed using Class F fly ash (FA) and alkaline activator solutions as binder materials in addition to SWM. Wollastonite, manufactured synthetically using lime (CaO) and silica (SiO2) raw materials, was used as a substitute for FA at certain ratios in the production of SCGs. The production methods of SWM consist of mechanochemical treatment, hydrothermal treatment, and a sintering process. First, CaO and SiO2 materials were mixed in a 1:1 mole ratio. The amount of pure water was calculated to be equal to the mixture’s weight. The materials in the container were placed in the mill in such a way to prevent them from reacting. The mill was stirred at 250 rpm for 30 minutes to ensure mechanochemical interaction. After the mixture was added to Teflon, it was placed in an autoclave. The material was kept in the oven at 200 °C for 72 hours. The autoclave was removed from the oven after 72 hours and left to cool. After the hardened tobermorite (calcium silicate hydrate mineral) exploded in the microwave oven, it was removed from the Teflon by breaking with the help of a hammer. To vaporize the moisture from the material, it was kept in the oven at 100 oC for 20 hours. Then, the first grinding process of tobermorite was applied. After this process, the material was placed in porcelain containers, and sintering (the solid state reaction of the production) was carried out at 1000 oC for 1 hour. As a result of the final grinding process, SWM with different aspect ratios was obtained. The aspect ratio can be defined as an image projection describing the proportional relationship between the width of an image and its height. At the end of the trial error methods, SWM with a high aspect ratio (the ratio of length to diameter) of 30:1 was fabricated for the design of SCGs under laboratory conditions using a special method. After scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis, the acicular particle structure of SWM is presented in Figure 1 . Chemical compositions of FA and SWM were examined in Table 1 . The geopolymer binder was chemically activated by the alkaline solutions of NaOH and Na2SiO3. The ratio of Na2SiO3 solution to NaOH solution was 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 by weight of the binder. The composition of Na2SiO3 solution comprised 25.4% SiO2, 14.7% Na2O, and 59.9% water by mass. Additionally, 13 M and 97% pure NaOH solution was utilized in the design. The alkali activators used are available locally. Alkaline solutions and water were the liquid components in all mixtures. Quartz aggregates with a 2.65 specific gravity (0-0.4 mm) were used as fine aggregates in the production of SCGs.
Parameters (%) | CaO | SiO2 | Al2O3 | Fe2O3 | MgO | SO3 | K2O | Na2O | TiO2 | LOI | Specific Gravity |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fly Ash | 1.47 | 61.25 | 22.19 | 7.02 | 1.7 | 0.06 | 2.34 | 0.27 | 0.9 | 2.60 | 2.31 |
Synthetic Wollastonite Microfiber | 45.689 | 52.613 | 0.429 | 0.18 | 0.266 | - | 0.093 | 0.142 | - | - | 2.82 |
2.2. Mix proportions and casting
⌅This study aimed to produce SCGs incorporating SWM by considering the alkali activator ratio and curing temperature. To this end, a total of 24 SCG mixtures were designed with different alkali ratios such as Na2SiO3/NaOH = 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 and SWM replacement percentages specified as 0%, 4%, 8%, and 12% by weight of FA. Furthermore, the designed samples were cured at 80 oC and 100 oC, respectively. As seen in Table 2 , the ratio of the alkaline solutions (Na2SiO3+NaOH) to the binder was designated as 0.5, as well as the binder content (1000 kg/m3) found by the sum of FA and alkaline solution. The sand/binder ratio was defined as 1.60. SWM with the aspect ratio of 30:1 obtained at the first stage of the study was utilized at the percentages of 0%, 4%, 8%, and 12% by weight of FA. Additionally, quartz aggregates (0-0.4 mm) were used in designing SCGs. The workability of fresh SCGs basically depends on the fundamental engineering properties of fresh SCGs with high performance characteristics. Therefore, the desired workability is a very important parameter for the design of SCGs. Thus, the slump flow test was performed according to EFNARC guidelines (26), and the slump flow diameter of all SCGs was kept within the range of 250 ± 10 mm. Hence, while producing the samples (considering the workability-reducing effect of SWM), the targeted slump flow diameter of SCGs was reached using different amounts of water without adding a high-range water-reducing admixture. First, a control mixture (SCG0) containing FA and quartz aggregates was produced without SWM. Then, SWM was used at the percentages of 4%, 8%, and 12% instead of FA and the different alkali activator ratios of Na2SiO3/NaOH determined as 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 by weight, respectively. SCGs were named according to the percentage of SWM and alkali contents. For example, SCGs containing 4% SWM and 1.5 Na2SiO3/NaOH alkali ratio were called SCG1.5-4. In this way, SCG1.5-0, SCG1.5-4, SCG1.5-8, SCG1.5-12, SCG2-0, SCG2-4, SCG2-8, SCG2-12, SCG2.5-0, SCG2.5-4, SCG2.5-8, and SCG2.5-12 mixtures were obtained at different curing temperatures.
Code | Groups | Alkali ratios | Synthetic Wollastonite (%) | Fly Ash | Synthetic Wollastonite Microfiber | Aggregate | Na2SiO3 | NaOH | Water |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SCG1.5-0 | I | 1.5 | 0 | 666.6 | 0 | 1062.0 | 200.0 | 133.3 | 83.8 |
SCG1.5-4 | 4 | 640 | 26.6 | 1067.9 | 200.0 | 133.3 | 107.9 | ||
SCG1.5-8 | 8 | 613.3 | 53.3 | 1073.7 | 200.0 | 133.3 | 107.9 | ||
SCG1.5-12 | 12 | 586.6 | 80 | 1080 | 200.0 | 133.3 | 128.8 | ||
SCG2-0 | II | 2 | 0 | 666.6 | 0 | 1059.2 | 222.2 | 111.1 | 89 |
SCG2-4 | 4 | 640 | 26.67 | 1065.3 | 222.22 | 111.11 | 90.5 | ||
SCG2-8 | 8 | 613.34 | 53.33 | 1071 | 222.22 | 111.11 | 90.5 | ||
SCG2-12 | 12 | 586.67 | 80 | 1076.8 | 222.22 | 111.11 | 93.3 | ||
SCG2.5-0 | III | 2.5 | 0 | 666.67 | 0 | 1057.22 | 238.1 | 95.24 | 87 |
SCG2.5-4 | 4 | 640 | 26.67 | 1063 | 238.1 | 95.24 | 92.5 | ||
SCG2.5-8 | 8 | 613.34 | 53.33 | 1068.9 | 238.1 | 95.24 | 92.5 | ||
SCG2.5-12 | 12 | 586.67 | 80 | 1074.6 | 238.1 | 95.24 | 92.5 |
Various
ingredients and production processes can be used to produce
geopolymers. Various synthesis routes are mixed and reacted with an
aluminosilicate precursor to commence the polymerization process.
Therefore, there are no standard procedures for geopolymer production (
27
27. Matsimbe, J.; Dinka, M.; Olukanni, D.; Musonda, I. (2022) Geopolymer: a systematic review of methodologies. Materials. 15, 6852.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15196852
.
).
The geopolymer mixing procedure consisted of dry and wet mixing. The
solid components of SCGs (FA, quartz aggregates, and SWM) were in the
mixer for about 30 sec as a dry condition. The liquid ingredients of the
mixture, i.e., the sodium silicate solution, the sodium hydroxide
solution, and water, had been previously mixed with each other in a
container before adding to the dry mix. Then the dry mixing and the wet
mixing continued for another 4 min.
Slump flow diameters were measured on fresh SCGs. According to the specifications of EFNARC (
26
26.
EFNARC F. (2002) Specification and guidelines for self-compacting
concrete, European federation of specialist construction chemicals and
concrete system.
), the slump flow diameter for SCGs
should change between 24-26 cm. Therefore, many trial mixtures were
produced until the target slump flow diameter was reached without using a
high-range water-reducing admixture. Then, SCGs were cured in the oven
at 80 oC and 100 oC for 24 h. After the curing process, the samples were demolded and kept at room temperature (23±2 oC)
to be tested until the 28th day. Compressive strength, flexural
strength, UPV, water sorptivity coefficient, and various physical
properties were measured for SCGs incorporating SWM at the end of the
28th day.
2.3. Test procedures
⌅2.3.1. Slump flow diameters
⌅The slump flow diameter for SCGs should be kept within the range of 24-26 cm according to EFNARC guidelines (
26
26.
EFNARC F. (2002) Specification and guidelines for self-compacting
concrete, European federation of specialist construction chemicals and
concrete system.
). The slump flow diameter values of
fresh SCGs were calculated by a mini settling funnel with a truncated
cone shape. The slump flow diameter was measured by reading more than
two vertical direction diameters and taking their average.
2.3.2. Physical properties
⌅The physical properties of the mortars were determined according to ASTM C642-13 standard (
28
28. ASTM C642-13 (2013) Standard test method for density, absorption, and voids in hardened concrete, West Conshohocken PA.
)
using 40x40x160 mm prismatic specimens on the 28th day. The test steps
were as follows: weighing air dry weights (W3), keeping the samples in
the water tank for 24 h, measuring their weight after drying their
surfaces with a napkin (W4), weighing the samples for the Archimedes
scale experiment in water (W2), and measuring the samples’ weight by
keeping them in an oven at 100 oC for 24 h (W1). The hardened
bulk density, dry specific gravity, apparent specific gravity,
saturated dry surface specific gravity, water absorption, and apparent
porosity values of SCGs were determined on the 28th day. The test
measurements were performed by taking the average values of 3 samples.
2.3.3. Compressive strength, flexural strength, UPV, and dynamic modulus of elasticity
⌅According to ASTM C348-14 standard (
29
29. ASTM C348-14 (2017) Standard test method for flexural strength of hydraulic-cement mortars, Annual Book of ASTM Standards.
),
the flexural strengths of 3 prismatic samples with the dimensions
40x40x160 mm were measured using a device with a loading speed of 0.05
kN/s on the 28th day. In line with ASTM C349-14 standard (
30
30.
ASTM C349-14 (2017) Standard test method for compressive strength of
hydraulic-cement mortars (using portions of prisms broken in flexure),
Annual Book of ASTM Standards.
), six broken cubic
samples with dimensions 40 mm obtained from the flexural strength test
were used to calculate compressive strength values. The loading speed
for compressive strength was 2.4 kN/s.
The ultrasonic pulse
velocity (UPV) test, a non-destructive testing method, is a very common
technique in civil engineering. This test can assess the relative
quality of composites and their defects (voids, cracks, the
effectiveness of their repair, etc.). In this test, the transit time of
ultrasonic pulses was measured with 50-58 kHz created by an
electroacoustical transducer, passing from one side of the specimen to
the opposite. The ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) test was conducted in
line with ASTM C597-16 standard (
31
31. ASTM C597-16 (2016) Standard Test Method for Pulse Velocity Through Concrete, Annual Book of ASTM Standards.
) using a 160 mm length of the samples on the 28th day.
Meanwhile, the dynamic modulus of elasticity was calculated based on the equation indicated by the researchers below (
32
32.
Haseli, M.; Layeghi, M.; Hosseinabadi, H.Z. (2020) Evaluation of
modulus of elasticity of date palm sandwich panels using ultrasonic wave
velocity and experimental models, Measurement. 149, 107016.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.measurement.2019.107016
.
):
Where DME is the dynamic modulus of elasticity (MPa), ρ is the concrete density (kg/m3), and v is the ultrasonic pulse velocity (m/s).
The mechanical characteristics of geopolymer mortars were obtained by calculating the average of three samples used in each test. The average values of the three samples were calculated when determining all mechanical values.
2.3.4. Water sorptivity coefficient
⌅The 70x70x70 mm-sized samples prepared for the water sorptivity test were kept in the oven at 80 oC and 100 oC
for 24 hours on the 28th day to remove the water inside them before the
test. Then paraffin was applied to the junction of the four corners of a
surface so that only one surface could contact water. The water
sorptivity coefficient values of the samples were measured in a ball
pool containing 5 mm deep water in accordance with ASTM C1585-20
standard (
33
33.
ASTM C1585-20 (2020) Standard Test Method for Measurement of Rate of
Absorption of Water by Hydraulic-Cement Concretes. West Conshohocken,
PA: ASTM International.
). After measuring their first
weight, the samples were placed in water. Then, the samples were removed
from the water to measure their weights at the first, fourth, ninth,
sixteenth, twenty-fifth, thirty-sixth, forty-ninth, and sixty-fourth
minutes. According to the test procedure, results were calculated with
the determined average of the 3 samples’ values using the equation
below:
, 33 33. ASTM C1585-20 (2020) Standard Test Method for Measurement of Rate of Absorption of Water by Hydraulic-Cement Concretes. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM International.
) [8]
Where SI: sorptivity (mm/min1/2), I: cumulative infiltration (mm), and t: time (min).
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
⌅3.1. Slump flow diameters
⌅As observed from
Figure 2
,
SCGs were produced with a slump flow diameter determined as 25.0±1.0
cm. All SCGs designed in this study were manufactured without any
segregation, as shown in
Figure 3
.
The slump flow diameters of SCGs were very close to each other. The
desired workability was obtained by adding water determined as 83.8,
107.9, 107.9, and 128.8 kg/m3 for SCG1.5-0, SCG1.5-4, SCG1.5-8, and SCG1.5-12, respectively. Therefore, as seen in
Figure 2
and
Table 2
,
the slump flow diameter for the desired workability was increased by
increasing the amount of SWM due to the excessive amount of water. The
slump flow diameters of SCGs decreased with the increasing amount of
SWM. For example, it was evident from
Figure 2
that although the same amount of water was used in the mixtures such as
SCG-2.5-4 and SCG-2.5-12, the slump flow diameter decreased from 25.6
to 24.8 cm due to the needle-like particle structure of SWM. The
decreased workability of geopolymer mortars with the addition of SWM can
be explained by the increased bonding of SWM microfibers. Therefore, as
the usage percentage of SWM was increased, the required amount of water
for the aimed slump flow diameter of SCGs also increased. Similarly, to
these results, Tatnall (
34
34. Tatnall, P.C. (2006) Fiber-reinforced concrete. E-Publishing Inc. 578-590.
)
indicated that the increased interlocking effect due to the needle-like
structure of SWM reduced the workability of the mixture and thus,
additional water and/or plasticizers should be used. Moreover, the
amount of water needed for the same workability decreased due to the
increment of water in SCGs with the increasing Na2SiO3/NaOH ratio. For example, as seen in
Table 2
, the amount of water was changed to 128.85, 93.3, and 92.5 kg/m3 for SCG1.5-12, SCG2.0-12, and SCG2.5-12 mixtures, respectively. The
reason for this is thought to be the amount of water for a 2.5 alkali
ratio in SCGs higher than a 1.5 alkali ratio due to the 59.9% H2O contained in Na2SiO3 (
6
6. Sanni, S.H.; Khadiranaikar, R.B. (2013) Performance of alkaline solutions on grades of geopolymer concrete. IJRET. 366-371.
http://doi.org/10.15623/ijret.2013.0213069
.
).
3.2. Physical properties
⌅SWM,
the alkali activator ratio, and the curing temperature of geopolymer
mortars substantially affected the physical properties of SCGs. As shown
in
Tables 3
and
4
, the highest hardened bulk density value cured at 80 oC (1905 kg/m3) and the lowest hardened bulk density value (1637 kg/m3) cured at 100 oC
were obtained from SCG-2-0 and SCG-2.5-12, respectively. When certain
percentages of SWM were used instead of FA with high-dimensional
particles serving as a filler, the void ratio increased due to the water
leaving the sample, and the hardened bulk density values of the groups
generally decreased. This was also supported by Patankar et al. (
35
35.
Patankar, S.V.; Jamkar, S.S.; Ghugal, Y.M. (2012) Effect of sodium
hydroxide on flow and strength of fly ash based geopolymer mortar. J. Struct. Eng. 39 [1], 7-12.
).
Upon comparing the curing temperatures, it was revealed that the
hardened bulk density values of the samples cured at higher curing
temperatures were relatively lower, which was explained by the fact that
more water left the sample at higher temperatures. Additionally, it was
observed that when the amount of SWM was increased for SCG 1.5 (Group
I) mortars cured at 100 oC, the hardened bulk density values
of SCGs increased on the 28th day, and this improvement proceeded to 8%
of SWM (including 8%). This may be attributed to the optimum amount of
FA, alkali ratio, binder, and water for a better design. Thus,
substituting SWM with FA resulted in the intensified matrix structure of
SCGs. However, using SWM at a 12% level reduced the physical
performance of SCGs, which was clarified by the weakened bond in the
matrix (
15
15.
Oz, H.O.; Güneş, M. (2021) The effects of synthetic wollastonite
developed with calcite and quartz on high performance mortars. Struct. Concr. 22 [S1], E257-E272.
https://doi.org/10.1002/suco.201900520
.
).
Considering hardened bulk density values, the SCGs produced in this
study can be classified as a structural lightweight material.
Code | Hardened Bulk Density | Dry Specific Gravity | Apparent Specific Gravity | Saturated Dry Surface Specific Gravity |
---|---|---|---|---|
SCG1.5-0 | 1.85 | 1.84 | 2.50 | 2.08 |
SCG1.5-4 | 1.81 | 1.83 | 2.49 | 2.07 |
SCG1.5-8 | 1.79 | 1.82 | 2.46 | 2.06 |
SCG1.5-12 | 1.75 | 1.81 | 2.43 | 2.04 |
SCG2-0 | 1.90 | 1.89 | 2.51 | 2.11 |
SCG2-4 | 1.89 | 1.84 | 2.47 | 2.07 |
SCG2-8 | 1.84 | 1.81 | 2.47 | 2.06 |
SCG2-12 | 1.73 | 1.79 | 2.46 | 2.06 |
SCG2.5-0 | 1.90 | 1.89 | 2.49 | 2.11 |
SCG2.5-4 | 1.84 | 1.79 | 2.44 | 2.03 |
SCG2.5-8 | 1.81 | 1.78 | 2.42 | 2.01 |
SCG2.5-12 | 1.78 | 1.76 | 2.40 | 2.00 |
Code | Hardened Bulk Density | Dry Specific Gravity | Apparent Specific Gravity | Saturated Dry Surface Specific Gravity |
---|---|---|---|---|
SCG1.5-0 | 1.76 | 1.75 | 2.40 | 2.06 |
SCG1.5-4 | 1.78 | 1.76 | 2.40 | 2.02 |
SCG1.5-8 | 1.80 | 1.81 | 2.41 | 2.01 |
SCG1.5-12 | 1.75 | 1.75 | 2.33 | 1.99 |
SCG2-0 | 1.82 | 1.85 | 2.48 | 2.09 |
SCG2-4 | 1.79 | 1.83 | 2.43 | 2.05 |
SCG2-8 | 1.70 | 1.80 | 2.42 | 2.05 |
SCG2-12 | 1.69 | 1.72 | 2.33 | 1.98 |
SCG2.5-0 | 1.84 | 1.83 | 2.46 | 2.07 |
SCG2.5-4 | 1.80 | 1.78 | 2.41 | 2.05 |
SCG2.5-8 | 1.80 | 1.76 | 2.38 | 2.04 |
SCG2.5-12 | 1.63 | 1.72 | 2.36 | 2.03 |
The
dry specific gravity, apparent specific gravity, and saturated dry
surface specific gravity values of SCG mortars obtained from the
experiments performed on the 28th day under different curing conditions
are also presented in
Tables 3
and
4
,
respectively. According to the test results, the dry specific gravity
values of SCGs were in the range of 1.73-1.89, apparent specific gravity
values changed between 2.33-2.51, and saturated dry surface specific
gravity values varied between 2.00-2.12. Additionally, a decrease was
observed in apparent specific gravity and saturated dry surface specific
gravity values with the decrease in the amount of NaOH in the mortar in
the comparison of Groups I and II (
36
36.
Atabey, I.I. (2017) F sınıfı uçucu küllü geopolimer harcının durabilite
özelliklerinin araştırılması. Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
).
This may be attributed to the lower quality geopolymer of the matrix
controlled by the lowest alkaline ratio, responsible for the
insufficient dissolution of solid fly ash particles. It can be noted
that using an excessive amount of alkaline activator solution for Group
III resulted in a little expansion of geopolymer mortars during the
reaction (
37
37.
Öz, H.Ö.; Doğan-Sağlamtimur, N.; Bilgil, A.; Tamer, A.; Günaydin, K.
(2021) Process development of fly ash-based geopolymer mortars in view
of the mechanical characteristics. Materials. 29, 14 [11], 1-22.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14112935
.
). Moreover, the lower initial water content would result in a denser microstructure (
38
38. Renumathi, M.; Mukesh, P.; Balamurugan, P. (2020) A state of art on geopolymer concrete. Adalya J. 9 [1], 372-378.
).
Figure 4
and
Figure 5
indicate the measurement of water absorption and apparent porosity
values for geopolymer mortars with different design parameters on the
28th day. According to the test results, the water absorption values of
geopolymer mortars were in the range of 8.10-13.82%, and apparent
porosity values changed between 5.90-24.00%. The highest water
absorption and apparent porosity values were obtained from SCG-1.5-12
cured at 80 oC, whereas the lowest values were measured from SCG-1.5-8 cured at 100 oC.
Furthermore, an increase in the porosity and water absorption rate was
observed for all groups at both curing temperatures, except for SCG-1.5
cured at 100 oC. The increment of the liquid to solid
percentage enhanced the dissolution of aluminosilicate resource by
facilitating the ion transference (
39
39. Zuhua, Z.; Xiao, Y.; Huajun, Z.; Yue, C. (2009) Role of water in the synthesis of calcined kaolin based geopolymer. Appl. Clay Sci. 43, 218-223.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2008.09.003
.
),
which led to slower polycondensation reactions, resulting in the
transformation of a few meshes. Additionally, a higher amount of water
remaining in the geopolymer matrix caused a reduction in physical
properties. Moreover, the porosity of SCGs advanced due to the formation
of more than one network and the amount of water trapped in the
geopolymer matrix (
40
40.
Prud’homme, E.; Joussein, E.; Peyratout, C.; Smith, A.; Rossignol, S.
(2010) Consolidated geo-materials from sand or industrial waste. Ceram. Eng. Sci. 30, 314-324.
https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470584262.ch29
.
). However, a decrease in water absorption and apparent porosity was observed in SCG-1.5 cured at 100 oC.
It was thought that curing at high temperatures increased the degree of
geopolymerization and contributed to the formation of a denser
material, which reduced the water absorption and apparent porosity
values of geopolymer mortars (
41
41.
Kovalchuk, G.; Fernandez-Jimenez, A.; Palomo, A. (2017) Alkali
activated fly ash: effect of thermal curing conditions on mechanical and
microstructural development-Part II. Fuel. 86, 315-22.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2006.07.010
.
).
SWM also decreased pores in the geopolymer matrix and water absorption
and apparent porosity due to the filler effect by providing the
condensation of the microstructure, which ensured pore discontinuity in
the geopolymer matrix for Group I at high curing temperatures (
22
22.
Ransinchung, G.D.; Kumar, B. (2010) Investigations on pastes and
mortars of ordinary portland cement admixed with wollastonite and
microsilica, J. Mater. in Civil Eng. 22 [4].
https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0000019
.
,
23
23.
Nuruddin, M.F.; Samuel, D.; Nasir, S. (2011) Effect of mix composition
on workability and compressive strength of self-compacting geopolymer
concrete. Can. J. Civil Eng. NRC Res. Press. 38 [11], 1196-203.
https://doi.org/10.1139/l11-077
.
,
42
42.
Lin, K.; Chang, J.; Chen, G.; Ruan, M.; Ning, C. (2007) A simple method
to synthesize single-crystalline β-wollastonite nanowires. Mater. Sci. 300 [2], 267-271.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2006.11.215
.
).
Therefore, it was stated that SWM, defined as an inert material not
reacting chemically in the pore solution, affected the formation of the
pore network tortuosity of SCGs (
43
43.
Lai, M.; Binhowimal, S.; Hanžič, L.; Wang, Q.; Ho, J. (2020) Dilatancy
mitigation of cement powder paste by pozzolanic and inert fillers. Struct. Concr. 21 [4], 1-17.
https://doi.org/10.1002/suco.201900320
.
).
However, this improvement was not observed in Groups II and III at
lower and higher curing temperatures. The deterioration of water
absorption and apparent porosity may be attributed to the attenuation of
the matrix bond in the interfacial transition zone of SWM due to the
insufficient alkali ratio and curing temperature required for the best
geopolymerization for SCGs (
15
15.
Oz, H.O.; Güneş, M. (2021) The effects of synthetic wollastonite
developed with calcite and quartz on high performance mortars. Struct. Concr. 22 [S1], E257-E272.
https://doi.org/10.1002/suco.201900520
.
).
3.3. Compressive strength, flexural strength, UPV and dynamic modulus of elasticity
⌅The compressive and flexural strength values of SCGs are graphically presented in Figures 6 and 7 , respectively. As seen from Figure 6 , the compressive strength values of geopolymer mortars were in the range of 12.8-28.9 MPa. The highest compressive strength was obtained from SCG-1.5-8 cured at 100 oC, while SCG-1.5-12 cured at 80 oC had the lowest compressive strength.
In
the development of SCGs, curing temperature, alkali activator ratio,
and the replacement percentage of SWM played an important role during
the activation process. As seen from
Figure 6
, the compressive strength values of the samples cured at 100 oC in each of Group I, Group II, and Group III were higher than those of the samples cured at 80 oC. Curing at high temperatures increased the degree of geopolymerization and contributed to the formation of a denser material (
41
41.
Kovalchuk, G.; Fernandez-Jimenez, A.; Palomo, A. (2017) Alkali
activated fly ash: effect of thermal curing conditions on mechanical and
microstructural development-Part II. Fuel. 86, 315-22.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2006.07.010
.
). As indicated in
Figure 6
, when the samples cured at 80 oC
were compared, it was determined that the compressive strength values
of Group I were lower than those of Group II and Group III,
respectively. It is thought that the reason for this was the decreased
amount of Na2SiO3, which contains 59.9% water. On
the other hand, the growth rate of compressive strength at higher curing
temperatures can be explained by the improvement of kinetic energy,
resulting in stronger Al-Si-O networks of SCGs (
37
37.
Öz, H.Ö.; Doğan-Sağlamtimur, N.; Bilgil, A.; Tamer, A.; Günaydin, K.
(2021) Process development of fly ash-based geopolymer mortars in view
of the mechanical characteristics. Materials. 29, 14 [11], 1-22.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14112935
.
).
Moreover, a higher NaOH concentration promoted higher strength at the
early stages of the reaction. However, the strength of the activated
geopolymer at the later stages might have decreased due to the excessive
OH in the solution, causing the inhomogeneous morphology of the final
products (
44
44. Khale, D.; Chaudhary, R. (2007) Mechanism of geopolymerization and factors influencing its development. J. Mater. Sci. 42, 729-746.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-006-0401-4
.
).
SWM deteriorated the compressive strength at the highest alkali
activator ratio in respect of curing temperature, which may be
attributed to a weaker bond with the matrix of SWM as a result of
incomplete geopolymerization controlled by the highest alkali activator
ratio. Thus, SWM with the ability of microfibers to bridge micro-cracks
did not help to achieve a higher load-carrying capability for SCGs.
Moreover, the highest compressive strength for a lower curing
temperature was obtained for SCG-2.5-0. A lower water content in the SCG
series cured at 80 oC led to a higher alkalinity in Group II
and Group III series compared to Group I series. Thus, the dissolution
ratio of amorphous geopolymer would be higher in Group II and Group III
series, which accelerated the geopolymerization reaction (
47
47.
Duxson, P.; Fernández-Jiménez, A.; Provis, J.L.; Lukey, G.C.; Palomo,
A.; Van Deventer, J.S. (2007) Geopolymer technology: the current state
of the art. J. Mater. Sci. 42 [9], 2917-2933.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-006-0637-z
.
).
The replacement percentage of SWM did not have a positive effect on
compressive strength due to a lower curing temperature for SCG-1.5,
SCG-2, and SCG-2.5 samples. Considering the test results, the
compressive strength values of SCG-1.5 cured at 100 oC
increased up to 8% (including 8%) SWM content and decreased at 12%. In
light of such information, it was determined that substituting SWM with
FA in SCG-1.5 cured at 100 oC was critical for an 8%
replacement level on the 28th day. The positive effect of SWM on
compressive strength was explained by the filler effect of SWM in the
matrix, resulting in a higher density in the microstructure considering
the binder content, optimum curing temperature, and alkali activator
ratio of SCGs. Upon comparing Group II, Group III, and Group I mixtures
cured at 100 oC, the reason for the improvement in
compressive strength of Group I mixtures may be supported by the
addition of SWM that improved the microstructure of the geopolymer
matrix owing to the mechanical interlocking of unreacted SWM molecules
and connecting to the geopolymeric gel. However, an increase in the SWM
percentage to 12% by mass in all groups for both curing temperatures
increased the proportion of unreacted SWM molecules in the geopolymer
matrix. Compared to Group I series, this situation could destroy the
geopolymeric gel mash and disrupt the matrix structure by decreasing
compressive strength values. Another reason was that SWM partially
disintegrated in the alkaline medium and the dissolution rate increased
proportionally with alkalinity (
25
25. Yip, C.K.; Lukey, G.C.; Provis, J.L.; Van Deventer, J.S. (2008) Effect of calcium silicate sources on geopolymerisation. Cem. Concr. Res. 38 [4], 554-564.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2007.11.001
.
).
Moreover, a higher compressive strength in SCG series mixtures can be
explained by the fact that dissoluble calcium caused by SWM could react
quickly with Si and Al to form the geopolymeric gel (
2
2.
Lee, W.K.W; Van Deventer, J.S.J. (2002) The effect of ionic
contaminants on the early-age properties of alkali-activated fly
ash-based cements. Cem. Concr. Res. 32 [4], 577-584.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0008-8846(01)00724-4
.
).
Additionally, it was revealed that the strength loss due to the
increased percentage of SWM was related to the increase in the amount of
water needed for the other groups, except for Group I cured at 100 oC.
The high aspect ratio (30:1) and high surface area of SWM caused a loss
of workability, resulting in the need for water to obtain the aimed
slump flow diameter of SCGs. Likewise, Patankar et al. (
35
35.
Patankar, S.V.; Jamkar, S.S.; Ghugal, Y.M. (2012) Effect of sodium
hydroxide on flow and strength of fly ash based geopolymer mortar. J. Struct. Eng. 39 [1], 7-12.
)
found that the excessive amount of water used during the polymerization
of the sample did not make any positive contribution to strength
characteristics. In addition, the presence of dissoluble silica affected
the dissolution of FA, the reaction percentage of crystallization, and
kinetics for different Na2SiO3/NaOH ratios. Silica
causes strong Si gel formation, supporting the precipitation of big
molecular types. Thus, silica is an important compound for the strength
increment of the material with an improved density (
48
48.
Zuda, L.; Pavlik, Z.; Rovnanikova, P.; Bayer, P.; Cerny, R. (2006)
Properties of alkali activated aluminosilicate material after thermal
load. Int. J. Thermophys. 27 [4], 1250-1263.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10765-006-0077-7
.
).
The flexural strength values of geopolymer mortars changed between 3.2-6.5 MPa, as shown in
Figure 7
. The highest flexural strength was obtained from SCG-2-12 cured at 80 oC, while SCG-2.5-12 cured at 100 oC
had the lowest flexural strength. Similar to compressive test results,
the increasing replacement percentages of SWM decreased flexural
strength in Group I cured at 80 oC. This may be attributed to
the lowest alkaline ratio controlling geopolymerization, which is
responsible for the dissolution of solid fly ash particles. Thus, the
degree of polymerization of the dissolved gel was affected by soluble
silicates. Due to the weaker matrix of SCGs, the flexural strength of
SCGs decreased with the increasing percentage ratio of SWM in Group I.
Based on the observation from the test results, the improvement in the
flexural strength of SCGs cured at 80 oC in Groups II and III can be explained by the fact that SWM could bind between microcracks (
45
45. Nikonova, N.S.; Tikhomirova, I.N.; Belyakov, A.V.; Zakharov, A.I. (2003) Wollastonite in silicate matrices. Glass Ceramics. 60, 342-346.
https://doi.org/10.1023/B:GLAC.0000008241.84600.f9
.
,
46
46.
Dey, V.; Kachala, R.; Bonakdar, A.; Mobasher, B. (2015) Mechanical
properties of micro and sub-micron wollastonite fibers in cementitious
composites. Constr. Build. Mater. 82, 351-359.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2015.02.084
.
). Therefore, mechanical properties were improved by increasing the microfiber/matrix bond strength at the interface (
47
47.
Duxson, P.; Fernández-Jiménez, A.; Provis, J.L.; Lukey, G.C.; Palomo,
A.; Van Deventer, J.S. (2007) Geopolymer technology: the current state
of the art. J. Mater. Sci. 42 [9], 2917-2933.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-006-0637-z
.
,
48
48.
Zuda, L.; Pavlik, Z.; Rovnanikova, P.; Bayer, P.; Cerny, R. (2006)
Properties of alkali activated aluminosilicate material after thermal
load. Int. J. Thermophys. 27 [4], 1250-1263.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10765-006-0077-7
.
).
Studies in the literature have shown that the bond between wollastonite
within a geopolymer matrix increases the flexural strength of SCGs with
the increasing replacement percentages of SWM. If the strength of the
geopolymer matrix based on geopolymerization is high, SWM with an
acicular structure can attach to the geopolymer matrix. Thus, large
acicular SWM failed during loading, causing SCGs to be able to maintain
their higher flexural strength (
21
21.
Nurjaya, D.M.; Astutiningsih, S.; Zulfia, A. (2015) Thermal effect on
flexural strength of geopolymer matrix composite with alumina and
wollastonite as fillers. Int. J. Technol. 6, 462-470.
https://doi.org/10.14716/ijtech.v6i3.1441
.
).
On the other hand, SWM partly disintegrated in the alkaline medium and
finally fused to the geopolymeric gel, which strengthened the geopolymer
matrix and improved the flexural properties of SCG-2-12 cured at 80 oC (
21
21.
Nurjaya, D.M.; Astutiningsih, S.; Zulfia, A. (2015) Thermal effect on
flexural strength of geopolymer matrix composite with alumina and
wollastonite as fillers. Int. J. Technol. 6, 462-470.
https://doi.org/10.14716/ijtech.v6i3.1441
.
,
25
25. Yip, C.K.; Lukey, G.C.; Provis, J.L.; Van Deventer, J.S. (2008) Effect of calcium silicate sources on geopolymerisation. Cem. Concr. Res. 38 [4], 554-564.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2007.11.001
.
).
Similar to this study, it was stated that fibers could control the
crack width by increasing the amount of absorbable energy and caused a
greater increase in flexural strength than compressive strength values (
49
49. Hughes, B.P. (1981) Design of prestressed fiber reinforced concrete beams for impact. ACI Materials Journal. 78, 276-281.
). However, as shown in
Figure 7
,
replacing the geopolymer binder with SWM did not increase the flexural
strength of Group II and III series mixtures cured at 100 oC.
During the formation of geopolymers, the water evaporated from the
matrix during the curing or drying periods left discontinuous nanopores
in the matrix. Thus, it can be thought that the breakage of SWM could
cause SCGs to be unable to resist their flexural strength at high curing
temperatures. As a result, the crack-bridging effect was reduced by
adding SWM fibers. On the other hand, SWM particles could be highly
etched in SCG series mixtures due to their more alkaline medium. Thus,
SWM could not fulfill its function as a fiber by reinforcing SCGs
against bending, compared to mixtures cured at lower temperatures. These
results were also supported by Bong and Nematollahi (
19
19.
Bong, S.H.; Nematollahi, B.; Xia, M.; Nazari, A.; Sanjayan, J. (2020)
Properties of one-part geopolymer incorporating wollastonite as partial
replacement of geopolymer precursor or sand. Mater. Letters. 263, 127263.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matlet.2019.127236
.
).
Figure 8
present the ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) variations of SCGs on the
28th day for samples cured at different temperatures. The UPV values of
SCGs changed in parallel with compressive strength. As seen in
Figure 8
, the UPV values of geopolymer mortars changed in the range of 2299-3524 m/s. The highest UPV value cured at 100 oC and the lowest UPV value cured at 80 oC were obtained from SCG-1.5-8 and SCG-1.5-12, respectively. UPV values improved in the mixtures cured at 100 oC
with an alkaline ratio of 1.5. On the other hand, the increasing
replacement percentages of SWM improved UPV values at a ratio of 5% and
6% in SCG-1.5-4 and SCG-1.5-8 compared to SCG-1.5-0 for Group I cured at
100 oC (without SCG-1.5-12). In case of SCG-1.5-12, the
reason for deterioration may be the attenuation of the matrix bond in
the interfacial transition zone of the excessive amount of SWM (
15
15.
Oz, H.O.; Güneş, M. (2021) The effects of synthetic wollastonite
developed with calcite and quartz on high performance mortars. Struct. Concr. 22 [S1], E257-E272.
https://doi.org/10.1002/suco.201900520
.
).
The filler effect of SWM caused an increase in density in the
microstructure for the transitional zone around the synthetic fiber,
which was the reason for the denser matrix bound up to an 8% replacement
percentage of SWM and provided the lack of continuity in pores (
50
50. Mathur, R.; Misra, A.K.; Goel, P. (2007) Influence of wollastonite on mechanical properties of concrete. J. Sci. Ind. Res. 66, 1029-1034.
,
51
51.
Wahab, M.A. Latif, I.A.; Kohail, M.; Almasry, A. (2017) The use of
wollastonite to enhance the mechanical properties of mortar mixes. Constr. Build. Mater. 152, 304-309.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.07.005
.
).
Moreover, this development could have originated from the bond strength
supported by the microfiber/matrix in the interfacial of SWM
microfibers (
52-54
52.
Soliman, A.M.; Nehdi, M.L. (2014) Effects of shrinkage reducing
admixture and wollastonite microfiber on early-age behaviour of
ultrahigh performance concrete. Cem. Concr. Compos. 46, 81-89.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2013.11.008
.
53. Banthia, N.; Sheng, J. (1996) Fracture toughness of micro-fiber reinforced cement composites. Cem. Concr. Compos. 18 [4], 251-269.
https://doi.org/10.1016/0958-9465(95)00030-5
.
54.
Hameed, R.; Turatsinze, A.; Duprat, F.; Sellier, A. (2009) Metallic
fiber reinforced concrete: Effect of fiber aspect ratio on the flexural
properties. ARPN J. Eng. Appl. Sci. 4, 67-72.
). Upon comparing the samples cured at 80 oC,
it was found that the UPV values of Group I were lower than those of
Groups II and III. It was thought that the reason for this was the
weaker geopolymer matrix due to the insufficient amount of Na2SiO3/NaOH.
However, it was determined that the mixtures in Group II had higher UPV
values than those in Group III. The alkali content and water ratio of
Group II were found to be more suitable than those in Group III for
sufficient geopolymer activation. Moreover, according to the
classification of both, all the samples produced in this study can be
considered as “medium” on the 28th day (
55
55. Malhotra, V.M. (1976) Testing hardened concrete: nondestructive methods. ACI Monograph No.9.
).
Additionally, it can be said that the UPV values of SCGs exhibited a
similar trend to the hardened bulk density values rather than their
compressive and flexural strength values. Likewise, Xu et al. (
56
56. Xu, S.; Malik, M.A.; Qi, Z.; Huang, B.; Li, Q.; Sarkar, M. (2018) Influence of the PVA fibers and SiO2 NPs on the structural properties of fly ash based sustainable geopolymer. Constr. Build. Mater. 164, 238-245.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.12.227
.
)
reported that some of the ultrasonic wave energy was lost due to the
porous structure during the test, while the UPV measurement of samples
with low density and high porosity was reduced.
The
dynamic modulus of elasticity is directly based on the time controlled
by the voids in the concrete/geopolymer, which is necessary to move
ultrasonic pulse waves through the sample (
57
57.
Alnahhal, A.M.; Alengaram, U.J.; Yusoff, S.; Singh, R.; Radwan, M.K.H;
Deboucha, W. (2021) Synthesis of sustainable lightweight foamed concrete
using palm oil fuel ash as a cement replacement material. J. Build. Eng. 35, 102047.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2020.102047
.
). Furthermore, the deformation behavior of structural elements can be observed by DME while being subjected to a load (
58
58.
Gupta, T.; Siddique, S.; Sharma, R.K.; Chaudhary, S. (2017) Effect of
elevated temperature and cooling regimes on mechanical and durability
properties of concrete containing waste rubber fiber. Constr. Build. Mater. 137, 35-45.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.01.065
.
). It is reported that the reduction of density results in a lower time, which in turn decreases speed (km/s) (
57
57.
Alnahhal, A.M.; Alengaram, U.J.; Yusoff, S.; Singh, R.; Radwan, M.K.H;
Deboucha, W. (2021) Synthesis of sustainable lightweight foamed concrete
using palm oil fuel ash as a cement replacement material. J. Build. Eng. 35, 102047.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2020.102047
.
).
Figure 9
indicate DME as a function of the hardened bulk density of SCGs and ultrasonic pulse velocity (m/s). As seen in
Figure 9
, the hardened bulk density of SCGs affected DME. Similar to the results of the study by Alnahhal et al. (
57
57.
Alnahhal, A.M.; Alengaram, U.J.; Yusoff, S.; Singh, R.; Radwan, M.K.H;
Deboucha, W. (2021) Synthesis of sustainable lightweight foamed concrete
using palm oil fuel ash as a cement replacement material. J. Build. Eng. 35, 102047.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2020.102047
.
),
the voids of the sample obstructed the movement of ultrasonic pulse
waves, which increased the time required to pass the ultrasonic pulse
wave. The filler effect of SWM, the formation of bond strength supported
by the microfiber/matrix in the interfacial of SWM microfibers, and the
sufficient alkali content and water ratio improved UPV measurements,
which in turn increased DME. The highest DME values were detected in
Groups I and III cured at 100 oC, which were 22.37 GPa and
22.01 GPa, respectively. It can be concluded that the hardened bulk
density, UPV, replacement percentages of SWM, and alkali ratio
determined the range of DME for SCGs.
3.4. Water sorptivity coefficient
⌅Water
sorptivity coefficient values were obtained from the experiments
performed on the 28th day of SCGs produced under different curing
conditions and are presented in
Figure 10
.
According to the test results, the water sorptivity coefficient values
of geopolymer mortars changed in the range of 1.10-2.38 mm/min0.5, respectively. The highest water sorptivity coefficient was obtained from SCG-1.5-12 cured at 80 oC, whereas SCG-1.5-8 cured at 100 oC had the lowest water sorptivity coefficient. As seen from
Figure 10
, the water sorptivity coefficient increased with the increasing percentage of SWM in SGCs cured at 80 oC for all groups and 100 oC, except for Group I, respectively. Considering the test results for Group I mortars cured at 100 oC,
when the amount of SWM increased, the water sorptivity coefficient
values of SCGs decreased on the 28th day, and this development continued
to 8% of SWM (including 8%). Hence, the compactness of the
microstructure with curing the geopolymer at a high temperature can be
attributed to a reduction in pores via the positive filler effect of SWM
(
47
47.
Duxson, P.; Fernández-Jiménez, A.; Provis, J.L.; Lukey, G.C.; Palomo,
A.; Van Deventer, J.S. (2007) Geopolymer technology: the current state
of the art. J. Mater. Sci. 42 [9], 2917-2933.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-006-0637-z
.
).
Thus, a pore discontinuity could be provided with the formation of the
pore structure of SWM in the geopolymer system, which liquids cannot
attain at normal pressures (
50
50. Mathur, R.; Misra, A.K.; Goel, P. (2007) Influence of wollastonite on mechanical properties of concrete. J. Sci. Ind. Res. 66, 1029-1034.
).
However, using SWM at a 12% replacement percentage deteriorated the
mechanical performance of SCGs. The impairment of SCG-1.5-12 cured 100 oC in Group I can be explained by the weakening of the matrix bond in the interfacial transition zone of SWM (
51
51.
Wahab, M.A. Latif, I.A.; Kohail, M.; Almasry, A. (2017) The use of
wollastonite to enhance the mechanical properties of mortar mixes. Constr. Build. Mater. 152, 304-309.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.07.005
.
). Additionally, this value increased in Group I cured at 80 oC
due to the presence of such pores formed as a result of the evaporation
of the free water not included in geopolymerization during the curing
period from the samples. Thus, higher water usage for the aimed slump
flow diameter of SCGs due to the high aspect ratio (30:1) and high
surface area of SWM caused a loss of workability, which adversely
affected mechanical properties. As a result, the gaps created due to
more water leaving the mortar after curing caused an increment in the
water sorptivity coefficient values of SCGs. In addition to these, it is
thought that choosing a high molarity of NaOH causes a decrease in
capillarity. Furthermore, this may be related to the gel’s concentration
since the increasing temperature causes the gel to bind denser.
Moreover, water sorptivity coefficient values are generally related to
the values of apparent porosity. Therefore, water sorptivity
coefficients decreased with the reduction in porosity due to increasing
unit volume weights (
7
7.
Kurklu, G.; Gorhan, G. (2019) Investigation of usability of quarry dust
waste in fly ash-based geopolymer adhesive mortar production. Constr. Build. Mater. 217, 498-506.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.05.104
.
).
4. CONCLUSIONS
⌅In this study, SCGs incorporating SWM were designed as a new construction material using alkali activators under different curing conditions. Thus, the effect of SWM on the fresh and hardened state performance of SCGs was investigated in terms of testing parameters, such as the replacement percentage of SWM with FA, different alkali activator ratios and curing temperatures. The following results can be drawn:
The increased interlocking effect due to the needle-like structure of SWM reduced the workability of the mixture. Hence, more water must be used for the desired workability.
When SWM was used instead of FA as a filler, the reason for the decrease in hardened bulk density was an increased void ratio because of the water leaving the sample during geopolymerization.
It was determined that the dry specific gravity values of SCGs were in the range of 1.73-1.89, apparent specific gravity values changed between 2.33-2.51, and saturated dry surface specific gravity values varied between 2.00-2.12.
To obtain the same workability, an increase in the liquid-to-solid ratio has critical implications since it leads to slower polycondensation reactions. Moreover, the porosity rate of SCGs increased due to the formation of several networks at the highest curing temperature.
The highest compressive strength was obtained as 28.9 MPa from SCG-1.5-8 cured at 100 oC, while SCG-1.5-12 cured at 80 oC had the lowest compressive strength found as 12.8 MPa. Thus, high curing temperatures contributed to forming a denser matrix. Additionally, the increased quantity of unreacted wollastonite particles in the geopolymer matrix due to the increase in the SWM content of 12% by mass caused a lower compressive strength. This situation led to a weaker matrix with a lower compressive strength.
The flexural strength values of geopolymer mortars changed between 3.2-6.5 MPa. The improvement in the flexural strength of Groups II and III cured at 80 oC could be explained by the fact that SWM was partially disintegrated in the alkaline medium and finally bound to the geopolymeric gel, increasing the microfiber/matrix bond strength at the interface. However, SWM did not further increase the flexural strength values of Groups II and III cured at 100 oC. The water evaporation from the matrix during the curing periods left discontinuous nanopores in the matrix, which caused SCGs to be unable to resist their flexural strength.
The UPV values of geopolymer mortars changed in the range of 2299-3524 m/s. The UPV values of SCGs showed a similar trend to the hardened bulk density values rather than their compressive and flexural strength values. The highest dynamic modulus of elasticity values were detected in Groups I and III cured at 100 oC, which were 22.37 GPa and 22.01 GPa, respectively. It can be concluded that the hardened bulk density, UPV, replacement percentages of SWM, and alkali ratio determined the range of dynamic modulus of elasticity for SCGs.
The highest water sorptivity coefficient values of the geopolymer mortars cured at 80 oC were obtained from SCG-1.5-12 (2.38 mm/min0.5), whereas SCG-1.5-8 cured at 100 oC had the lowest water sorptivity coefficient (1.10 mm/min0.5). The water sorptivity coefficient values of SCGs decreased with the increasing SWM percentage since this special filler fiber reduced pores by improving the microstructure of the geopolymer matrix in SCG 1.5 (Group I) cured at 100 oC.
In this study, SWM produced with waste calcite and quartz sand can be used as an inert material instead of a binder. Additionally, the production of fly ash-based SCGs can contribute to the sustainable environment without more energy consumption for structural members. Thus, it can be concluded that this study on fly ash-based SCGs incorporating synthetic wollastonite microfibers designed in accordance with the standards is an important breakthrough in the utilization of waste materials.