Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
  • Publication
    Towards greener one-part geopolymers through solid sodium activators modification
    ( 2022-12-10)
    Ooi Wan En
    ;
    ; ; ; ;
    Bin Khalid M.S.
    ;
    ;
    Ong Shee Ween
    ;
    Pei Seng T.
    ;
    Hang Yong Jie
    ;
    Khairunnisa Zulkifly
    This paper investigates the influence of various solid activators and their mixing parameters on the physical, mechanical and microstructural characteristics of greener one-part geopolymers (OPG) based on high calcium fly ash. The high calcium fly ash that has rarely been explored was utilised to develop OPG in this study. The anhydrous sodium metasilicate (Na2SiO3) with negative environmental impact propelled the partial replacement of Na2SiO3 with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium carbonate (Na2CO3). Two sets of high calcium fly ash OPGs were developed: (1) the MH-OPG comprised Na2SiO3 and NaOH; (2) the MC-OPG comprised Na2SiO3 and Na2CO3. The optimal MH-OPG (73 MPa) and MC-OPG (75 MPa) exhibited superior compressive strength, higher than the minimal requirement (>28 MPa) of ASTM C150/C150M-18 for construction binder material. Various solid alkali activators triggered different reaction mechanisms, yielding distinctive reaction products that contributed to strength growth. The sodium calcium aluminosilicate hydrate ((N,C)-A-S-H) gel was developed in MH-OPG, whereas the sodium carbonate hydrate, sodium aluminosilicate hydrate (N-A-S-H) and calcium aluminosilicate hydrate (C-A-S-H) binding phases were developed in the MC-OPG. Although Na2CO3 reduced the water demand, improved the fluidity and setting time, the MC-OPG was more sensitive to the alteration of mixing compositions, suggesting a tougher performance control during field application than the MH-OPG. The total embodied carbon (EC) of MC-OPG was lowered by 15.4% compared to that of MH-OPG. The embodied carbon index (ECI) of MH-OPG and MC-OPG were 81.3% and 84.7% less than that of OPC products. This work suggests that substituting Na2SiO3 with NaOH or Na2CO3 effectively produced a greener construction material without compromising mechanical strength.
      1
  • Publication
    Towards greener one-part geopolymers through solid sodium activators modification
    ( 2022-12-10)
    Ooi Wan-En
    ;
    ; ; ; ;
    Bin Khalid M.S.
    ;
    ;
    Ong Shee-Ween
    ;
    Pei Seng T.
    ;
    Hang Yong Jie
    ;
    Khairunnisa Zulkifly
    This paper investigates the influence of various solid activators and their mixing parameters on the physical, mechanical and microstructural characteristics of greener one-part geopolymers (OPG) based on high calcium fly ash. The high calcium fly ash that has rarely been explored was utilised to develop OPG in this study. The anhydrous sodium metasilicate (Na2SiO3) with negative environmental impact propelled the partial replacement of Na2SiO3 with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium carbonate (Na2CO3). Two sets of high calcium fly ash OPGs were developed: (1) the MH-OPG comprised Na2SiO3 and NaOH; (2) the MC-OPG comprised Na2SiO3 and Na2CO3. The optimal MH-OPG (73 MPa) and MC-OPG (75 MPa) exhibited superior compressive strength, higher than the minimal requirement (>28 MPa) of ASTM C150/C150M-18 for construction binder material. Various solid alkali activators triggered different reaction mechanisms, yielding distinctive reaction products that contributed to strength growth. The sodium calcium aluminosilicate hydrate ((N,C)-A-S-H) gel was developed in MH-OPG, whereas the sodium carbonate hydrate, sodium aluminosilicate hydrate (N-A-S-H) and calcium aluminosilicate hydrate (C-A-S-H) binding phases were developed in the MC-OPG. Although Na2CO3 reduced the water demand, improved the fluidity and setting time, the MC-OPG was more sensitive to the alteration of mixing compositions, suggesting a tougher performance control during field application than the MH-OPG. The total embodied carbon (EC) of MC-OPG was lowered by 15.4% compared to that of MH-OPG. The embodied carbon index (ECI) of MH-OPG and MC-OPG were 81.3% and 84.7% less than that of OPC products. This work suggests that substituting Na2SiO3 with NaOH or Na2CO3 effectively produced a greener construction material without compromising mechanical strength.
      1
  • Publication
    Interaction of silica fume on flexural properties of 10 mm-thickness geopolymers based on fly ash and ladle furnace slag under the thermal conditions
    ( 2023)
    Ng Yong-Sing
    ;
    ;
    Catleya Rojviriya
    ;
    ; ;
    Mohd Suhaimi Khalid
    ;
    Ong Shee-Ween
    ;
    Ooi Wan En
    ;
    Hang Yong Jie
    Studies regarding the properties of geopolymers with silica fume addition at elevated temperature exposure were rarely reported. This paper evaluates the effect of silica fume inclusion on the flexural and thermal performance of geopolymers based on fly ash (FA) and ladle furnace slag (LFS) with thickness of merely 10 mm. Fly ash/slag (FS) geopolymer was prepared by mixing FA and LFS using a weight ratio of 60:40 with an alkali activator (sodium silicate and sodium hydroxide). Silica fume (1, 2, 3, and 4 wt%) was added to prepare FSF geopolymers. The geopolymers were then subjected to the elevated temperature up to 1100 °C after 28-days of curing. Higher flexural strength of 9.1 MPa was achieved in unexposed FSF geopolymers with 3 wt% silica fume addition as compared to unexposed FS geopolymers (7.8 MPa). Flexural strength degraded with higher silica fume content of 4 wt%. Heat treatment significantly improved the flexural strength of geopolymers. Both FS and FSF3 geopolymers had increased strength of 208.9% to 24.1 MPa at 1100 °C and 192.3% to 26.6 MPa at 1000 °C, respectively as compared to the unexposed specimen. The inclusion of silica fume with extreme fineness improved the interconnectivity of the geopolymer matrix, densifying the geopolymer structure and thus enhancing the thermal resistance of geopolymers. However, the dense matrix with low flowability of FSF3 geopolymers could not sustain the high thermal stress and caused strength degradation and crack formation at a high temperature of 1100 °C. Even so, the flexural strength of 1100 °C heat-treated FSF3 geopolymer was 13.2% higher than the unexposed specimen. This demonstrated that silica fume could be incorporated in enhancing the thermal resistance and high strength achievement in geopolymers.
      2
  • Publication
    Strength optimization and key factors correlation of one-part fly ash/ladle furnace slag (FA/LFS) geopolymer using statistical approach
    ( 2023)
    Hang Yong Jie
    ;
    ; ; ;
    Lee Yeng Seng
    ;
    Kong Ern-Hun
    ;
    Ong Shee Ween
    ;
    Ooi Wan En
    ;
    Ng Hui Teng
    ;
    Ng Yong Sing
    The utilization of ladle furnace slag (LFS) in one-part geopolymer technology has not been reported. The study of the cause-and-effect relationship between the mixing ratio is therefore important. The present work optimized one-part fly ash (FA)/LFS geopolymer with 33 full factorial design using variance analysis (ANOVA) to predict the key engineering properties of the one-part geopolymer with satisfactory precision. Three factors, which are alkali activator to aluminosilicate sources (AA/AS), sodium metasilicate to sodium hydroxide, Na2SiO3 to NaOH (SM/SH) and water to binder (W/B) ratios, were considered. The AA/AS, W/B and interrelationship between AA/AS and W/B ratios were the most significant factors influencing the key engineering properties. The one-part geopolymer with AA/AS, SM/SH and W/B ratios of 0.20, 5.0 and 0.25 were concluded as an optimal response to achieve a good compressive strength of 38.8 MPa after 28 days. The microstructural and phase analysis indicated that the LFS participated moderately in geopolymerization reaction with the formation of calcium silicate hydrate (C–S–H) and sodium aluminate silicate hydrate (N-A-S-H). The optimized one-part FA/LFS geopolymer met the minimum requirement of ASTM C1157 (>28.0 MPa) for a functional construction binder. The outcome of the paper offers a guideline to the construction industry to maximize the use of LFS to prepare green construction binder.
      1