A review on hardened properties, durability and microstructure of slag geopolymer composite

• Main Authors: Taher, Muntadher J., Al Saffar, Doha M., Motloq, Rafid F., Khalil, Wasan I., Abed, E. H.
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aluminates; Blast furnace slags; Cement; Compressive strength; Durability; Geopolymers; Microstructure; Portland cements; Slag; Solid wastes
• ISSN: 0094-243X; 1551-7616
• DOI: 10.1063/5.0211048

Cement, the second-most-used commodity after water, emits 8% of world CO2. Hence, sustainable concrete manufacture is being studied using alternate binders. One option is an inorganic geopolymer. Silica and alumina-rich wastes are ideal geopolymer precursors. Therefore, this essay provides a succinct summary of recent research on the effect of slag as an additive on the characteristics of geopolymer concrete (GPC) and mortar. The effects of several types of slag were researched, including chemical oxides, mechanical strength, microstructures and durability qualities on the concrete made from geopolymers, are comprehensively explored. It was concluded that the mechanical compressive strength of concrete and/or polymer paste is improved using solid waste, and once it reaches the amount of Portland cement concrete. When certain types of waste are used, the rate of compressive strength increase is greatly slowed down, which is most noticeable at younger ages compared to 28 days and more, as well as GPC’s elasticity modulus is lower than that of regular concrete. Moreover, other investigations conducted that the SEM and XRD analyses reveal that the amorphous phases primarily consist of calcium and silicon aluminates. Using a rating system and a gradation of Ground-granular blast furnace slag (GGBFS) ensures that the polymerization reaction is faster, which means the finer and more granular it is.