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This paper discussed the effect of the addition of silica fume (2 wt.% and 4 wt.%) and alumina (2 wt.% and 4 wt.%) on the properties of fly ash geopolymer concrete. The fly ash geopolymer concrete achieved the highest 28-day compressive strength with 2 wt.% of silica fume (39 MPa) and 4 wt.% of alumina (41 MPa). The addition of 2 wt.% of silica fume increased the compressive strength by 105% with respect to the reference geopolymer (without additive). On the other hand, the compressive strength surged by 115% with 4 wt.% of alumina compared to the reference geopolymer. The addition of additives improved the compactness of the geopolymer matrix according to the morphology analysis.

The formulation and flexural properties of thin fly ash geopolymers with thickness of merely 10 mm and replacement of ladle furnace slag to fly ash in thin geopolymer were presented. The formulation was discussed in terms of NaOH molarity, solid aluminosilicates-to-liquid alkali activator (S/L) mass ratio, and alkali activator (Na2SiO3/NaOH) mass ratio. Thin fly ash geopolymers with flexural strength and Young's modulus of 6.2 MPa and 0.14 GPa, respectively, were obtained by using 12 M NaOH, S/L ratio of 2.5 and Na2SiO3/NaOH ratio of 4.0. A high Na2SiO3/NaOH ratio was implemented for thin geopolymer synthesis to produce a more viscous slurry which helped to retain the shape of a thin geopolymer. The incorporation of ladle furnace slag up to 40 wt.% reported an increment of 26% in flexural strength up to 7.8 MPa as compared to pure fly ash geopolymers and the stiffness was increased to 0.19 GPa. Denser microstructure with improved compactness was observed as the ladle furnace slag acted as the filler. New crystalline phases of calcium silicate hydrate (C–S–H) were formed and coexisted with the geopolymer matrix, which consequently enhanced the flexural strength of thin fly ash geopolymer. This proved that the ladle furnace slag has the potential to be utilised in geopolymer synthesis and will enhance the flexural properties of thin geopolymers. The flexural performance of thin geopolymers in this study was considerably good as the thin geopolymers exhibited comparatively similar flexural strengths, but a higher strength/thickness ratio as compared to geopolymers with thickness greater than 40 mm.

This paper investigates the effect of varying solid alkali activators on the fresh and hardened properties and microstructural changes of one-part geopolymers (OPGs). Single and binary solid alkali activators were used to activate high calcium fly ash. The alkali activators were either solely sodium metasilicate (Na2SiO3) or a combination of sodium aluminate (NaAlO2) and sodium metasilicate (Na2SiO3). The OPG activated with anhydrous Na2SiO3 achieved an excellent 28-day compressive strength of 83.6 MPa while OPG activated with NaAlO2 and Na2SiO3 attained a compressive strength of 45.1 MPa. The Na2SiO3-activated OPG demonstrated better fluidity than the OPG activated with NaAlO2 and Na2SiO3 due to the thixotropic behaviour caused by the NaAlO2. The Na2SiO3-activated OPG consisted of sodium-calcium aluminium silicate hydrate ((N,C)-A-S-H) gel phase, while the OPG activated with NaAlO2 and Na2SiO3 comprised of the coexistence of sodium aluminium silicate hydrate (N-A-S-H) and calcium aluminium silicate hydrate (C-A-S-H) gel phases. Regardless of the distinctive properties, the OPGs are adequate for building materials applications.

This paper presents the formulation of fly ash (FA) geopolymer and the incorporation of ladle furnace slag (LFS) as a replacement to FA in geopolymer formation. The formulation of the LFS replacement was set at 10–40 wt.%. The geopolymer was formed by mixing FA and LFS with a sodium-based alkali activator. The FA geopolymer had a compressive strength of 38.9 MPa with the optimum formulation of 8 M NaOH concentration, AS/AA ratio of 3, and AA ratio of 1.5. The compressive strength was affected more significantly by the amorphous content. The most influential factors affecting the properties of FA geopolymer were: AS/AA ratio > AA ratio > NaOH concentration. Replacing LFS led to very little (4.1%) increment in the compressive strength. The LFS had little contribution in supplying Si, Al and Ca for the formation of the N-A-S-H and C-A-S-H network. But LFS acted as a filler and improved the compactness of the FA geopolymer. The mechanical performance of FA/LFS geopolymer was not governed by the amorphous content like the FA geopolymer, as LFS addition contributed to increasing crystalline content. New crystalline phases of calcite and CSH due to the addition of LFS helped to retain the compressive strength of FA geopolymer. Nevertheless, the outcome of the study proved that LFS can be blended with FA to produce geopolymers without severe deterioration in mechanical strength. LFS can be potentially added in geopolymers as filler to produce geopolymer mortar.

This article presents the mixing parameters of fly ash geopolymer based on NaOH concentration (6M - 14M), S/L ratio (1.0 - 3.5), Na2SiO3/NaOH ratio (1.0 - 3.0) and ladle furnace slag replacement (10% -40%). Additionally, a comparative study between fly ash geopolymer and fly ash/slag geopolymer with respect to the bulk density, water absorption, apparent porosity and compressive strength were investigated. The general bulk densities of fly ash/slag geopolymer were higher than fly ash geopolymer. The apparent porosity and water absorption of fly ash/slag geopolymers were comparatively lower than fly ash geopolymers. High compressive strength achieved by fly ash/slag geopolymer was contributed by high bulk density and low apparent porosity and water absorption. In other words, fly ash geopolymer obtained lower strength was due to lower bulk density and higher apparent porosity and water absorption.

This article reports the investigation on the effect of ladle furnace slag replacement on the flexural strength of thin fly ash-based geopolymer. The thin fly ash/slag geopolymers were prepared with the replacement of various percentages of ladle furnace slag (0%, 10%, 20%, 30% and 40%) into fly ash geopolymers with dimension of 160 mm × 40 mm × 10 mm. The thin geopolymerwas synthesised using 12M sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution with solid-to-liquid (S/L) ratio of 2.5 and Na2SiO3 /NaOH ratio of 4.0. The curing temperature and time of samples were 60°C and 6 hours respectively. The mechanical properties of thin geopolymers was revealed using flexural test after 28 days. Several characterisation tools have been used including Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) to correlate the flexural properties with the microstructure and phases of fly ash/slag geopolymers. Results obtained reported that a positive effect on flexural strength was observed with the increasing amount of slag. The thin fly ash geopolymers replaced with 40% of ladle furnace slag showed the highest flexural strength of 7.8 MPa. The rich CaO content in ladle furnace slag boosted the C-S-H gels formation which increased the flexural strength of thin geopolymers.

Geopolymers are alternatives to ordinary Portland cement as construction materials. The increasing demand for sustainable construction materials has driven the utilization of industrial by-products and agricultural waste. The disposal of oil palm frond (OPF) biomass as waste in landfills poses significant environmental challenges, necessitating effective recycling strategies. This study examines the incorporation and feasibility of OPF as a reinforcing fiber in fly ash geopolymer composites, examining its impact on physical and mechanical properties. Various parameters were tested, including fiber content (10-20 wt.%), shapes (shredded and tubular), and lengths (1-3 cm). The geopolymer composites with 10 wt.% shredded oil palm frond and 1-cm tubular oil palm frond fibers enhance the compressive strength by 17% compared to the control sample without oil palm frond. The shredded oil palm frond was particularly effective, enhancing strength performance and achieving better dispersion within the geopolymer matrix. Conversely, increasing the fiber content and length generally resulted in diminished composite strength, attributed to the creation of a more porous structure and weaker fiber-matrix interactions. However, lower fiber additions were shown to decrease porosity and water absorption, highlighting the potential of optimized oil palm frond fiber content and form in improving the environmental and mechanical performance of geopolymer composites. These results support the viability of oil palm frond as a sustainable additive in geopolymers, contributing to waste reduction and material innovation in construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the flexural properties of thin fly ash geopolymers exposed to elevated temperature. The thin fly ash geopolymers (dimension = 160 mm × 40 mm × 10 mm) were synthesised using12M NaOH solution mixed with designed solidsto-liquids ratio of 1:2.5 and Na2SiO3/NaOH ratio of 1:4 and underwent heat treatment at different elevated temperature (300°C, 600°C, 900°C and 1150°C) after 28 days of curing. Flexural strength test was accessed to compare the flexural properties while X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis was performed to determine the phase transformation of thin geopolymers at elevated temperature. Results showed that application of heat treatment boosted the flexural properties of thin fly ash geopolymers as the flexural strength increased from 6.5 MPa (room temperature) to 16.2 MPa (1150°C). XRD results showed that the presence of crystalline phases of albite and nepheline contributed to the increment in flexural strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The properties of amorphous geopolymer with silica fume addition after heat treatment was rarely reported in the geopolymer field. Geopolymer was prepared by mixing fly ash and alkali activator. The silica fume was added in 2% and 4% by weight. The geopolymer samples were cured at room temperature for 28 days before exposed to an elevated temperature up to 1000 °C. The incorporation of 2% silica fume did not cause significant improvement in the compressive strength of unexposed geopolymer. Higher silica fume content of 4% reduced the compressive strength of the unexposed geopolymer. When subjected to elevated temperature, geopolymer with 2% silica fume retained higher compressive strength at 1000 °C. The addition of silica fume in fly ash geopolymer caused a lower degree of shrinkage and expansion, as compared to geopolymer without the addition of silica fume. Crystalline phases of albite and magnetite were formed in the geopolymer at 1000 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]