Alkali activated ceramic waste with or without two different calcium sources

Abstract

The aim of this investigation is to prepare geopolymer resin by alkali activation of ceramic waste (AACW) with different sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and liquid sodium silicate (LSS) concentrations. In order to prepare geopolymer cement, AACW was replaced by 10 and 30 % by weight (wt.,) of concrete waste (CoW) as well as 10 and 30 wt., % ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBFS). The results showed that, the compressive strength of AACW increases with the increase of activator content up to 15:15 wt., % NaOH: LSS. All AACW hardened specimens activated by 3:3 (MC6), 6:6 (MC12), 12:12 (MC24) and 15:15 wt., % (MC30) NaOH: LSS destroyed when cured in water for 24h. The MC18 mix showed higher resistivity to water curing. The results also showed that, the replacement of AACW containing 9:9 wt., % NaOH: LSS (MC18) by 10 (MCCo10) and 30 (MCCo30) wt., % CoWdecreased the compressive strength at all ages of curing. In contrast, the MCCo10 mix showed the lower chemically combined water content compared to MC18 mix. The MCCo30 mix showed the higher chemically combined water content compared to MC18 and MCCo10 mixes. The compressive strength and chemically combined water of all AACWmixes containing GGBFS (MCS10 and MCS30) were higher than those of AACWwith no GGBFS (MC18). As the amount of GGBFS content increases the chemically combined water increases. The x-ray diffraction (XRD) proved that as the amount of CoWcontent increases, the degree of crystallinity increases. Conversely, the replacement of AACW by GGBFS leads to increase the amorphiticity character. The infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirms the higher reactivity of GGBFS compared to CoW as a result of successive hydration products formation, enhancing the compaction of microstructure as observed in scanning electron microscopy (SEM).