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Strength development and elemental distribution of Dolomite/Fly Ash geopolymer composite under elevated temperature

2020 , Emy Aizat Azimi , Mohd. Mustafa Al Bakri Abdullah , Petrica Vizureanu , Mohd Arif Anuar Mohd Salleh , Jitrin Chaiprapa , Sorachon Yoriya , Andrei Victor Sandu , Kamarudin Hussin , Ikmal Hakem Aziz

A geopolymer has been reckoned as a rising technology with huge potential for application across the globe. Dolomite refers to a material that can be used raw in producing geopolymers. Nevertheless, dolomite has slow strength development due to its low reactivity as a geopolymer. In this study, dolomite/fly ash (DFA) geopolymer composites were produced with dolomite, fly ash, sodium hydroxide, and liquid sodium silicate. A compression test was carried out on DFA geopolymers to determine the strength of the composite, while a synchrotron Micro-Xray Fluorescence (Micro-XRF) test was performed to assess the elemental distribution in the geopolymer composite. The temperature applied in this study generated promising properties of DFA geopolymers, especially in strength, which displayed increments up to 74.48 MPa as the optimum value. Heat seemed to enhance the strength development of DFA geopolymer composites. The elemental distribution analysis revealed exceptional outcomes for the composites, particularly exposure up to 400 °C, which signified the homogeneity of the DFA composites. Temperatures exceeding 400 °C accelerated the strength development, thus increasing the strength of the DFA composites. This appears to be unique because the strength of ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) and other geopolymers composed of other raw materials is typically either maintained or decreases due to increased heat.

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Influence of sintering temperature on the pore structure of an alkali-activated Kaolin based Geopolymer

2023 , Mohd Izrul Izwan Ramli , Mohd Arif Anuar Mohd Salleh , Ikmal Hakem A Aziz , Nur Syahirah Mohamad Zaimi , Siti Farahnabilah Muhd Amli , Mohd. Mustafa Al Bakri Abdullah

Kaolin-based geopolymers are alternatives for producing high-strength ceramics for construction materials. Creating high- performing kaolin ceramics utilizing the regular technique requires a high handling temperature (higher than 1200°C). Thus, the structure and properties such as pore size and distribution are affected at higher sintering temperatures. along these lines, infor- mation with respect to the sintering system and related pore structure is essential for advancing the properties of the previously mentioned materials. This study investigated the microstructure and the density of a kaolin-based geopolymer at various sintering temperatures. The unsintered sample has the highest density of 1610 kg/cm 3, while the samples sintered at 1100°C haves the lowest density of 1203 kg/cm3. The result also shows that increasing the sintering temperature to 1100°C resulted in increasing the water absorption of the kaolin-based geopolymer ceramic.

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Strength development and elemental distribution of Dolomite/Fly ash geopolymer composite under elevated temperature

2020 , Emy Aizat Azimi , Mohd. Mustafa Al Bakri Abdullah , Petrica Vizureanu , Mohd Arif Anuar Mohd Salleh , Andrei Victor Sandu , Jitrin Chaiprapa , Sorachon Yoriya , Kamarudin Hussin , Ikmal Hakem Aziz

A geopolymer has been reckoned as a rising technology with huge potential for application across the globe. Dolomite refers to a material that can be used raw in producing geopolymers. Nevertheless, dolomite has slow strength development due to its low reactivity as a geopolymer. In this study, dolomite/fly ash (DFA) geopolymer composites were produced with dolomite, fly ash, sodium hydroxide, and liquid sodium silicate. A compression test was carried out on DFA geopolymers to determine the strength of the composite, while a synchrotron Micro-Xray Fluorescence (Micro-XRF) test was performed to assess the elemental distribution in the geopolymer composite. The temperature applied in this study generated promising properties of DFA geopolymers, especially in strength, which displayed increments up to 74.48 MPa as the optimum value. Heat seemed to enhance the strength development of DFA geopolymer composites. The elemental distribution analysis revealed exceptional outcomes for the composites, particularly exposure up to 400 °C, which signified the homogeneity of the DFA composites. Temperatures exceeding 400 °C accelerated the strength development, thus increasing the strength of the DFA composites. This appears to be unique because the strength of ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) and other geopolymers composed of other raw materials is typically either maintained or decreases due to increased heat.

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Metakaolin/sludge based geopolymer adsorbent on high removal efficiency of Cu2+

2022 , Pilomeena Arokiasamy , Mohd. Mustafa Al Bakri Abdullah , Shayfull Zamree Abd. Rahim , Mohd Remy Rozainy Mohd Arif Zainol , Mohd Arif Anuar Mohd Salleh , Marwan Kheimi , Jitrin Chaiprapa , Andrei Victor Sandu , Petrica Vizureanu , Rafiza Abd Razak , Noorina Hidayu Jamil

Activated carbon (AC) has received a lot of interest from researchers for the removal of heavy metals from wastewater due to its abundant porous structure. However, it was found unable to meet the required adsorption capacity due to its amorphous structure which restricts the fundamental studies and structural optimization for improved removal performance. In addition, AC is not applicable in large scale wastewater treatment due its expensive synthesis and difficulty in regeneration. Thus, the researchers are paying more attention in synthesis of low cost geopolymer based adsorbent for heavy metal removal due its excellent immobilization effect. However, limited studies have focused on the synthesis of geopolymer based adsorbent for heavy metal adsorption by utilizing industrial sludge. Thus, the aim of this research was to develop metakaolin (MK) based geopolymer adsorbent with incorporation of two types of industrial sludge (S1 and S3) that could be employed as an adsorbent for removing copper (Cu2+) from aqueous solution through the adsorption process. The effects of varied solid to liquid ratio (S/L) on the synthesis of metakaolin/sludge based geopolymer adsorbent and the removal efficiency of Cu2+ by the synthesis adsorbent were studied. The raw materials and synthesized geopolymer were characterized by using x-ray fluorescence (XRF), x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and micro XRF. The concentration of Cu2+ before and after adsorption was determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and the removal efficiency was calculated. The experimental data indicated that the synthesized geopolymer at low S/L ratio has achieved the highest removal efficiency of Cu2+ about 99.62 % and 99.37 % at 25 %:75 % of MK/S1 and 25 %:75 % of MK/S3 respectively compared to pure MK based geopolymer with 98.56 %. The best S/

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Metakaolin/sludge based geopolymer adsorbent on high removal efficiency of Cu2+

2022 , Pilomeena Arokiasamy , Mohd. Mustafa Al Bakri Abdullah , Shayfull Zamree Abd. Rahim , Mohd Remy Rozainy Mohd Arif Zainol , Mohd Arif Anuar Mohd Salleh , Marwan Kheimi , Andrei Victor Sandu , Petrica Vizureanu , Rafiza Abdul Razak , Noorina Hidayu Jamil

Activated carbon (AC) has received a lot of interest from researchers for the removal of heavy metals from wastewater due to its abundant porous structure. However, it was found unable to meet the required adsorption capacity due to its amorphous structure which restricts the fundamental studies and structural optimization for improved removal performance. In addition, AC is not applicable in large scale wastewater treatment due its expensive synthesis and difficulty in regeneration. Thus, the researchers are paying more attention in synthesis of low cost geopolymer based adsorbent for heavy metal removal due its excellent immobilization effect. However, limited studies have focused on the synthesis of geopolymer based adsorbent for heavy metal adsorption by utilizing industrial sludge. Thus, the aim of this research was to develop metakaolin (MK) based geopolymer adsorbent with incorporation of two types of industrial sludge (S1 and S3) that could be employed as an adsorbent for removing copper (Cu²⁺) from aqueous solution through the adsorption process. The effects of varied solid to liquid ratio (S/L) on the synthesis of metakaolin/sludge based geopolymer adsorbent and the removal efficiency of Cu²⁺ by the synthesis adsorbent were studied. The raw materials and synthesized geopolymer were characterized by using x-ray fluorescence (XRF), x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and micro XRF. The concentration of Cu²⁺ before and after adsorption was determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and the removal efficiency was calculated. The experimental data indicated that the synthesized geopolymer at low S/L ratio has achieved the highest removal efficiency of Cu²⁺ about 99.62% and 99.37% at 25%:75% of MK/S1 and 25%:75% of MK/S3 respectively compared to pure MK based geopolymer with 98.56%. The best S/L ratio for MK/S1 and MK/S3 is 0.6 at which the reaction between the alkaline activator and the aluminosilicate materials has improved and enhanced the geopolymerization process. Finally, this work clearly indicated that industrial sludge can be utilized in developing low-cost adsorbent with high removal efficiency

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Influence of sintering temperature of kaolin, slag, and fly ash geopolymers on the microstructure, phase analysis, and electrical conductivity

2021 , Nur Nadiah Izzati Zulkifli , Mohd. Mustafa Al Bakri Abdullah , Anna Przybył , Paweł Pietrusiewicz , Mohd Arif Anuar Mohd Salleh , Ikmal Hakem Aziz , Dariusz Kwiatkowski , Marcin Gacek , Marek Gucwa , Jitrin Chaiprapa

This paper clarified the microstructural element distribution and electrical conductivity changes of kaolin, fly ash, and slag geopolymer at 900 °C. The surface microstructure analysis showed the development in surface densification within the geopolymer when in contact with sintering temperature. It was found that the electrical conductivity was majorly influenced by the existence of the crystalline phase within the geopolymer sample. The highest electrical conductivity (8.3 × 10−4 Ωm−1) was delivered by slag geopolymer due to the crystalline mineral of gehlenite (3Ca2Al2SiO7). Using synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence, the high concentration Ca boundaries revealed the appearance of gehlenite crystallisation, which was believed to contribute to development of denser microstructure and electrical conductivity.

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Effect of Naoh molar concentration on microstructure and compressive strength of dolomite/fly ash-based geopolymers

2023 , Emy Aizat Azimi , Mohd Arif Anuar Mohd Salleh , Mohd. Mustafa Al Bakri Abdullah , Ikmal Hakem A. Aziz , Jitrin Chaiprapa , Kamarudin Hussin , Petrica Vizureanu , Sorachon Yoriya , Marcin Nabialek , Jerzy J. Wyslocki

Dolomite can be used as a source of aluminosilicate to produce geopolymers; however, this approach is limited by its low reactivity. This study analyzes the viability of producing geopolymers using dolomite/fly-ash with sodium silicate and NaOH solutions (at multiple concentrations) by determining the resultant geopolymers’ compressive strengths. The dolomite/fly-ash-based geopolymers at a NaOH concentration of ~22 M resulted in an optimum compressive strength of 46.38 MPa after being cured for 28 days, and the SEM and FTIR analyses confirmed the denser surface of the geopolymer matrix. The synchrotron micro-XRF analyses confirmed that the Ca concentration exceeded that of Si and Mg, leading to the formation of calcium silicate hydrate, which strengthens the resulting geopolymers.

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Diverse material based geopolymer towards heavy metals removal : a review

2023 , Pilomeena Arokiasamy , Mohd. Mustafa Al Bakri Abdullah , Shayfull Zamree Abd. Rahim , Monower Sadique , Liew Yun Ming , Mohd Arif Anuar Mohd Salleh , Mohd Remy Rozainy Mohd Arif Zainol , Che Mohd Ruzaidi Ghazali

Metakaolin is a commonly used aluminosilicate material for the synthesis of geopolymer based adsorbent. However, it presents characteristics that restrict its uses such as weak rheological properties brought on by the plate-like structure, processing challenges, high water demand and quick hydration reaction. Industrial waste, on the other hand, contains a variety of components and is a potential source of aluminosilicate material. Geopolymer adsorbent synthesized by utilizing industrial waste contains a wide range of elements that offer better ion-exchangeability and increase active sites on the surface of geopolymer. However, limited studies focused on the synthesized of geopolymer based adsorbent by utilizing industrial waste for heavy metal adsorption in wastewater treatment. Therefore, this paper reviews on the raw materials used in the synthesis of geopolymer for wastewater treatment. This would help in the development of low cost geopolymer based adsorbent that has a great potential for heavy metal adsorption, which could deliver double benefit in both waste management and wastewater treatment.

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The influence of sintering temperature on the pore structure of an Alkali-Activated Kaolin-Based Geopolymer Ceramic

2022 , Mohd Izrul Izwan Ramli , Mohd Arif Anuar Mohd Salleh , Mohd. Mustafa Al Bakri Abdullah , Ikmal Hakem Aziz , Tan Chi Ying , Noor Fifinatasha Shahedan , Winfried Kockelmann , Anna Fedrigo , Andrei Victor Sandu , Petrica Vizureanu , Jitrin Chaiprapa , Dumitru Doru Burduhos Nergis

Geopolymer materials are used as construction materials due to their lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions compared with conventional cementitious materials. An example of a geopolymer material is alkali-activated kaolin, which is a viable alternative for producing high-strength ceramics. Producing high-performing kaolin ceramics using the conventional method requires a high processing temperature (over 1200 °C). However, properties such as pore size and distribution are affected at high sintering temperatures. Therefore, knowledge regarding the sintering process and related pore structures on alkali-activated kaolin geopolymer ceramic is crucial for optimizing the properties of the aforementioned materials. Pore size was analyzed using neutron tomography, while pore distribution was observed using synchrotron micro-XRF. This study elucidated the pore structure of alkali-activated kaolin at various sintering temperatures. The experiments showed the presence of open pores and closed pores in alkali-activated kaolin geopolymer ceramic samples. The distributions of the main elements within the geopolymer ceramic edifice were found with Si and Al maps, allowing for the identification of the kaolin geopolymer. The results also confirmed that increasing the sintering temperature to 1100 °C resulted in the alkali-activated kaolin geopolymer ceramic samples having large pores, with an average size of ~80 µm3 and a layered porosity distribution.

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Diverse material based geopolymer towards heavy metals removal: a review

2023 , Pilomeena Arokiasamy , Mohd. Mustafa Al Bakri Abdullah , Shayfull Zamree Abd. Rahim , Monower Sadique , Liew Yun Ming , Mohd Arif Anuar Mohd Salleh , Mohd Remy Rozainy Mohd Arif Zainol , Che Mohd Ruzaidi Ghazali

Metakaolin is a commonly used aluminosilicate material for the synthesis of geopolymer based adsorbent. However, it presents characteristics that restrict its uses such as weak rheological properties brought on by the plate-like structure, processing challenges, high water demand and quick hydration reaction. Industrial waste, on the other hand, contains a variety of components and is a potential source of aluminosilicate material. Geopolymer adsorbent synthesized by utilizing industrial waste contains a wide range of elements that offer better ion-exchangeability and increase active sites on the surface of geopolymer. However, limited studies focused on the synthesized of geopolymer based adsorbent by utilizing industrial waste for heavy metal adsorption in wastewater treatment. Therefore, this paper reviews on the raw materials used in the synthesis of geopolymer for wastewater treatment. This would help in the development of low cost geopolymer based adsorbent that has a great potential for heavy metal adsorption, which could deliver double benefit in both waste management and wastewater treatment.