Now showing 1 - 10 of 17
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Microstructure and porosity evolution of alkali activated slag at various heating temperatures

2020 , Ikmal Hakem Aziz , Mohd. Mustafa Al Bakri Abdullah , M.A.A. Mohd Salleh , Sorachon Yoriya , Jitrin Chaiprapa , Catleya Rojviriya , Long Yuan Li

This paper elucidated the microstructural and porosity evolution of alkali activated slag at 800 °C up to 1200 °C. The microstructural analysis obtained shows the changes in surface densification of glassy phase and nucleation of dynamical grains within the alkali activated slag when in contact with high heating temperature. Using synchrotron radiation X-ray tomographic microscopy, the number of pores in alkali activated slag decreased with increasing heating temperature. The 3D pores distribution also demonstrated significant increase in the range size of ~20 μm with the appearance of isolated and intergranular pores at 1200 °C. These changes also led to the anorthite crystallisation indicated by high angle grain boundaries and preferred crystal orientation. The evolution of porosity and crystalline phase is contributed to the development of internal strain after heating at high temperature environment.

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Properties of a new insulation material glass bubble in geopolymer concrete

2021 , Noor Fifinatasha Shahedan , Mohd. Mustafa Al Bakri Abdullah , Norsuria Mahmed , Andri Kusbiantoro , Sam Tammas-Williams , Petrică Vizureanu , Jerzy J. Wysłocki , Ikmal Hakem Aziz , Katarzyna Błoch , Marcin Nabiałek

This paper details analytical research results into a novel geopolymer concrete embedded with glass bubble as its thermal insulating material, fly ash as its precursor material, and a combination of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium silicate (Na2SiO3) as its alkaline activator to form a geopolymer system. The workability, density, compressive strength (per curing days), and water absorption of the sample loaded at 10% glass bubble (loading level determined to satisfy the minimum strength requirement of a load-bearing structure) were 70 mm, 2165 kg/m3, 52.58 MPa (28 days), 54.92 MPa (60 days), and 65.25 MPa (90 days), and 3.73 %, respectively. The thermal conductivity for geopolymer concrete decreased from 1.47 to 1.19 W/mK, while the thermal diffusivity decreased from 1.88 to 1.02 mm2/s due to increased specific heat from 0.96 to 1.73 MJ/m3K. The improved physicomechanical and thermal (insulating) properties resulting from embedding a glass bubble as an insulating material into geopolymer concrete resulted in a viable composite for use in the construction industry.

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Recent Developments in Steelmaking Industry and Potential Alkali Activated Based Steel Waste: A Comprehensive Review

2022-03-01 , Ikmal Hakem Aziz , Mohd. Mustafa Al Bakri Abdullah , Mohd Arif Anuar Mohd Salleh , Liew Yun Ming , Li L.Y. , Sandu A.V. , Vizureanu P. , Nemes O. , Mahdi S.N.

The steel industry is responsible for one-third of all global industrial CO2 emissions, putting pressure on the industry to shift forward towards more environmentally friendly production methods. The metallurgical industry is under enormous pressure to reduce CO2 emissions as a result of growing environmental concerns about global warming. The reduction in CO2 emissions is normally fulfilled by recycling steel waste into alkali-activated cement. Numerous types of steel waste have been produced via three main production routes, including blast furnace, electric arc furnace, and basic oxygen furnace. To date, all of the steel waste has been incorporated into alkali activation system to enhance the properties. This review focuses on the current developments over the last ten years in the steelmaking industry. This work also summarizes the utilization of steel waste for improving cement properties through an alkali activation system. Finally, this work presents some future research opportunities with regard to the potential of steel waste to be utilized as an alkali-activated material.

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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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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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Waste material via geopolymerization for heavy-duty application: a review

2022 , Marwan Kheimi , Ikmal Hakem Aziz , Mohd. Mustafa Al Bakri Abdullah , Mohammad Almadani , Rafiza Abd Razak

Due to the extraordinary properties for heavy-duty applications, there has been a great deal of interest in the utilization of waste material via geopolymerization technology. There are various advantages offered by this geopolymer-based material, such as excellent stability, exceptional impermeability, self-refluxing ability, resistant thermal energy from explosive detonation, and excellent mechanical performance. An overview of the work with the details of key factors affecting the heavy-duty performance of geopolymer-based material such as type of binder, alkali agent dosage, mixing design, and curing condition are reviewed in this paper. Interestingly, the review exhibited that different types of waste material containing a large number of chemical elements had an impact on mechanical performance in military, civil engineering, and road application. Finally, this work suggests some future research directions for the the remarkable of waste material through geopolymerization to be employed in heavy-duty application.

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Geopolymer ceramic application: a review on mix design, properties and reinforcement enhancement

2022 , Nurul Aida Mohd Mortar , Mohd. Mustafa Al Bakri Abdullah , Rafiza Abdul Razak , Shayfull Zamree Abd. Rahim , Ikmal Hakem Aziz , Marcin Nabiałek , Ramadhansyah Putra Jaya , Augustin Semenescu , Rosnita Mohamed , Mohd Fathullah Ghazli@Ghazali

Geopolymers have been intensively explored over the past several decades and considered as green materials and may be synthesised from natural sources and wastes. Global attention has been generated by the use of kaolin and calcined kaolin in the production of ceramics, green cement, and concrete for the construction industry and composite materials. The previous findings on ceramic geopolymer mix design and factors affecting their suitability as green ceramics are reviewed. It has been found that kaolin offers significant benefit for ceramic geopolymer applications, including excellent chemical resistance, good mechanical properties, and good thermal properties that allow it to sinter at a low temperature, 200 °C. The review showed that ceramic geopolymers can be made from kaolin with a low calcination temperature that have similar properties to those made from high calcined temperature. However, the choice of alkali activator and chemical composition should be carefully investigated, especially under normal curing conditions, 27 °C. A comprehensive review of the properties of kaolin ceramic geopolymers is also presented, including compressive strength, chemical composition, morphological, and phase analysis. This review also highlights recent findings on the range of sintering temperature in the ceramic geopolymer field which should be performed between 600 °C and 1200 °C. A brief understanding of kaolin geopolymers with a few types of reinforcement towards property enhancement were covered. To improve toughness, the role of zirconia was highlighted. The addition of zirconia between 10% and 40% in geopolymer materials promises better properties and the mechanism reaction is presented. Findings from the review should be used to identify potential strategies that could develop the performance of the kaolin ceramic geopolymers industry in the electronics industry, cement, and biomedical materials.

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Assessment of geopolymer concrete for underwater concreting properties

2021 , Fakhryna Hannanee Ahmad Zaidi , Romisuhani Ahmad , Mohd. Mustafa Al Bakri Abdullah , Wan Mastura Wan Ibrahim , Ikmal Hakem Aziz , Subaer Junaidi , Salmabanu Luhar

For ages, concrete has been used to construct underwater structures. Concrete laying underwater is a very complex procedure important to the success or failure of underwater projects. This paper elucidates the influence of alkali activator ratios on geopolymers for underwater concreting; focusing on the geopolymer concrete synthesized from fly ash and kaolin activated using sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate solutions. The geopolymer mixtures were designed to incorporate multiple alkali activator ratios to evaluate their effects on the resulting geopolymers’ properties. The fresh concrete was molded into 50 mm cubes in seawater using the tremie method and tested for its engineering properties at 7 and 28 days (curing). The control geopolymer and underwater geopolymers’ mechanical properties, such as compressive strength, water absorption density, and setting time were also determined. The differences between the control geopolymer and underwater geopolymer were determined using phase analysis and functional group analysis. The results show that the geopolymer samples were optimally strengthened at a 2.5 alkali activator ratio, and the mechanical properties of the control geopolymer exceeded that of the underwater geopolymer. However, the underwater geopolymer was determined to be suitable for use as underwater concreting material as it retains 70% strength of the control geopolymer.

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The investigation of ground granulated blast furnace slag geopolymer at high temperature by using electron backscatter diffraction analysis

2021 , Ikmal Hakem Aziz , Mohd. Mustafa Al Bakri Abdullah , Mohd Arif Anuar Mohd Salleh , Sorachon Yoriya , Rafiza Abd Razak , Rosnita Mohamed , Madalina Simona Baltatu

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Heat evolution of class C fly ash geopolymers with different molarity of Sodium Hydroxide: nucleation growth and morphology properties towards early strength evaluation

2020 , Rosnita Mohamed , Rafiza Abd Razak , Mohd. Mustafa Al Bakri Abdullah , Raa Khimi Shuib , Subaer , Ikmal Hakem Aziz , Liyana Ahmad Sofri , Romisuhani Ahmad

The heat evolved during setting of class C fly ash geopolymers with different molarity of sodium hydroxide are discussed. The reaction kinetics and microstructure properties of geopolymers are studied towards the early strength development. Differential Scanning Calorimeter was applied to determine the heat evolved and Johnson-Mehl-Avrami-Kolmogrov Model was used to analyse the reaction kinetics during setting of the geopolymers. Morphology and strength development were monitored. The results revealed that the heat evolved increased proportionally with increasing molarity of sodium hydroxide. This indicated rapid reaction of geopolymerization due to the increasing of hydroxide ion content thus mainly affect dissolution process. It was also found that the geopolymerization during setting was governed by one-dimensional growth with instantaneous heterogeneous nucleation and this was supported by the morphology of the geopolymers observed. Among the activator molarities, the molarity of 12 (12M) was observed to be most influential based on its highest compressive strength (up to 46MPa at 7-days) and supported by the morphology properties results.