USAGE OF RED MUD IN GEOPOLYMER MORTAR MIXTURES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35120/kij5403541bKeywords:
geopolymers, red mud, fly ash, strength, frost and thaw resistanceAbstract
Popular techniques of waste treatment are often very expensive and often difficult to access.
Nowadays, billions of tons of valuable waste material are deposited in landfills without using potential. The fact
that five to ten percent of the total carbon dioxide emissions coming from civil engineering, actually from the
production of cement, means that it is necessary to find some alternative materials. Alkali-activated materials -
geopolymers are created in order to prevent carbon dioxide emission and to use waste materials. Geopolymers
are the result of a chemical process called geopolymerization. They were developed in order to promote fire
protection, but their numerous benefits were observed during the laboratory tests. Materials such as industrial
by-products might be used as a binder material because their chemical structure is rich in aluminosilicate
compounds. As in well-known building materials, as it is here, the application of different binder materials
makes a difference in the material structure. During the process of geopolymer mixtures production, binders and
alkali activators required more steps than traditional building materials: like blending the binder materials,
dissolving the liquid phase, etc., but in the end, the carbon emission is a few times lower when compared to
others mixtures. It is clear that the greatest benefit of geopolymer is their ecological aspects.
The paper presents the results of testing the physical, mechanical, and durability characteristics of geopolymer
mixtures. Fly ash was used as the primary material, while its partial replacement was made with the addition of
red mud. All geopolymer mortar mixes meet the basic requirements in terms of compressive and flexural
strengths.
The testing was continued on frost and thaw up to twenty-five cycles. It can be concluded that the coefficient of
resistance, in terms of flexural strength is greater than seventy-five percent only in the mixtures made with
fifteen percent red mud and on the etalon sample. By calculating the compressive strength resistance parameter,
it was concluded that all samples of geopolymer mortar that are made of fly ash and with the addition of red
mud are freezing and thawing resistant up to twenty-five cycles.
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