Improvements of flexural properties and thermal performance in thin geopolymer based on fly ash and ladle furnace slag using borax decahydrates

This paper elucidates the influence of borax decahydrate addition on the flexural and thermal properties of 10 mm thin fly ash/ladle furnace slag (FAS) geopolymers. The borax decahydrate (2, 4, 6, and 8 wt.%) was incorporated to produce FAB geopolymers. Heat treatment was applied with temperature ranges of 300 °C, 600 °C, 900 °C, 1000 °C and 1100 °C. Unexposed FAB geopolymers experienced a drop in strength due to a looser matrix with higher porosity. However, borax decahydrate inclusion significantly enhanced the flexural performance of thin geopolymers after heating. FAB2 and FAB8 geopolymers reported higher flexural strength of 26.5 MPa and 47.8 MPa, respectively, at 1000 °C as compared to FAS geopolymers (24.1 MPa at 1100 °C). The molten B2O3 provided an adhesive medium to assemble the aluminosilicates, improving the interparticle connectivity which led to a drastic strength increment. Moreover, the borax addition reduced the glass transition temperature, forming more refractory crystalline phases at lower temperatures. This induced a significant strength increment in FAB geopolymers with a factor of 3.6 for FAB8 at 900 °C, and 4.0 factor for FAB2 at 1000 °C, respectively. Comparatively, FAS geopolymers only achieved 3.1 factor in strength increment at 1100 °C. This proved that borax decahydrate could be utilized in the high strength development of thin geopolymers.