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The effect of an activation solution with siliceous species on the chemical reactivity and mechanical properties of geopolymers

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Abstract

Precursors are critical parameters in geopolymerization mechanisms because they govern the reaction kinetics as well as the working properties of the final materials. This study focuses on the effect of alkaline solutions on geopolymer formation. Toward this end, several geopolymer samples were synthesized from the same metakaolin and various alkaline solutions. First, the solutions were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis as well as DTA–TGA, infrared spectroscopy, and MAS-NMR spectrometry. The structural evolution of the formed geopolymers was investigated using infrared spectroscopy. The measurement of mechanical strength was tested by compression. The results provide evidence of relationships between the chemical composition, the extent of depolymerization of the alkaline solutions, the kinetics of Si–O–Si bond substitution by Si–O–Al and the compressive strength. For a given aluminosilicate source, the nature and the quantity of siliceous species in the activation solution appear to lead to variation in the reactivity and, consequently, to the formation of various networks that control the kinetics of formation of geopolymers and their mechanical properties.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sciences des Procédés Céramiques et Traitements de Surface (SPCTS), Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Céramique Industrielle, 12 rue Atlantis, 87068, Limoges Cedex, France

    A. Gharzouni & S. Rossignol

  2. Laboratoire de Chimie Industrielle, Ecole Nationale d’Ingénieurs de Sfax, 3038, Sfax, Tunisie

    A. Gharzouni, B. Samet & S. Baklouti

  3. Université de Limoges, GRESE EA 4330, 123 Avenue Albert Thomas, 87060, Limoges, France

    E. Joussein

  4. IC2MP, 40 Avenue du recteur Pineau, 86022, Poitiers, France

    S. Pronier

  5. Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), C/Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, 3, 28049, Madrid, Spain

    I. Sobrados & J. Sanz

Authors
  1. A. Gharzouni
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  2. E. Joussein
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  3. B. Samet
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  4. S. Baklouti
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  5. S. Pronier
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  6. I. Sobrados
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  7. J. Sanz
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  8. S. Rossignol
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Correspondence to S. Rossignol.

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Gharzouni, A., Joussein, E., Samet, B. et al. The effect of an activation solution with siliceous species on the chemical reactivity and mechanical properties of geopolymers. J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 73, 250–259 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-014-3524-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-014-3524-0

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