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Thermal, mechanical, and microstructural properties of inorganic polymer composites from quarry wastes (feldspathic minerals)

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Abstract

In the recent century, geopolymer materials have grown significantly due to their unique properties applicable in many different fields. In the present work, the heat evolution, thermal and mechanical behavior of inorganic geopolymer composites (IPCs), based on solid solution of feldspathic minerals (pegmatite and granite) or sand quartz that were altered by a low fraction (15–20 mass%) of calcined clay (metakaolin or calcined halloysite). The isothermal calorimeter tests revealed that the heat flow evolution (dQ/dt) of mix design of different compositions was low compared to standard geopolymer materials due to low reactivity in alkaline medium of solid solution used. It was also found that the integrated heat flow during the geopolymerization decreases with the crystallinity of solid solution. The thermogravimetric analysis of all the samples revealed two main changes, before 120 °C and between 700 and 890 °C. The changes are attributed to the loss of water molecules and crystallization of albite and nepheline, respectively with an overall loss of mass which varies from 14.0 to 21.6%. The heating microscope up to 1200 °C shows a shrinkage of 50% for D3C4 and R2C1 samples. The study of mechanical and physical behaviors of geopolymer composites with different compositions showed that samples based on pegmatite and MK developed higher strengths (42.11 MPa and 106.75 MPa for flexural and compression) associated with lower water absorption (7.01%). The high strengths obtained were due to the combination of denser and homogeneous microstructure of IPCs. These materials are potential candidates for eco-friendly construction materials.

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Acknowledgements

This project received the contribution of the Royal Society and the African Academy of Science through the funding FLAIR to Dr. Elie Kamseu. Grant; FLR\R1\201402. The contribution of the European Union through financial contribution No. PRICNAC-EEPER: MD2022 and for 2021 TWAS-UNESCO-CSIR Postdoctoral Fellowship FR number 22/FF/CSIR-TWAS/2022. The authors are grateful to Dr. Mirko Braga from Ingessil S.r.l., Verona, Italy, for providing sodium silicate used for these investigations.

Funding

The characterization of samples was supported by Dr. Elie Kamseu, under the FLAIR fellowship of African Academic of Science and the Royal Society N° FLR/R1/201402. Also, the contribution of the European Union through financial contribution No. PRICNAC-EEPER: MD2022 and for 2021 TWAS-UNESCO-CSIR Postdoctoral Fellowship (2021, FR number: 3240321623).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Unit of Noxious Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon

    Achile Nana, Claudelle Sybilline Djadock Anensong, Serges Bruno Lemoupi Ngomade & Jean Ngouné

  2. Laboratory of Materials, Local Materials Promotion Authority, MINRESI/MIPROMALO, P.O. Box 2396, Yaoundé, Cameroon

    Achile Nana & Elie Kamseu

  3. CSIR-National Metallurgical Laboratory, Jamshedpur, 831007, India

    Achile Nana, Adeolu Adesoji Adediran &  Sanjay Kumar

  4. Centro Ceramico, Via Martelli 26, Bologna, Italy

    Giovanni Ridolfi & Maria Chiara Bignozzi

  5. Electro-Inorganic Chemicals Division, CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute, Karaikudi, 630003, India

    Claudelle Sybilline Djadock Anensong

  6. Biofuel Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun, India

    Serges Bruno Lemoupi Ngomade

  7. Mechanical Engineering Department, Landmark University, Kwara State, Omu-Aran, Nigeria

    Adeolu Adesoji Adediran

  8. Department of Engineering “Enzo Ferrari”, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Vivarelli, 10, 41125, Modena, Italy

    Elie Kamseu & Cristina Leonelli

  9. Department of Civil, Chemistry, Environment and Materials Engineering, University of Bologna, Via Terracini 28, 40131, Bologna, Italy

    Maria Chiara Bignozzi

  10. Mechanical Engineering Science, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Adeolu Adesoji Adediran

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  1. Achile Nana
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Contributions

Achile Nana contributed to conceptualization, methodology, investigation, writing—original draft, funding acquisition. Giovanni Ridolfi contributed to writing—review & editing investigation, writing—original draft. Sybilline C. D. Anensong contributed to writing—review & editing. Serges B. L. Ngomade contributed to writing—review & editing. Adeolu Adesoji Adediran contributed to writing—review & editing. Jean Ngouné contributed to writing—review & editing. Elie Kamseu contributed to conceptualization, methodology, writing—review & editing investigation, funding acquisition. Sanjay Kumar contributed to writing—review & editing. Maria Chiara Bignozzi contributed to writing—review & editing. Cristina Leonelli contributed to writing—review & editing, resources.

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Correspondence to Achile Nana or Elie Kamseu.

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Nana, A., Ridolfi, G., Anensong, C.S.D. et al. Thermal, mechanical, and microstructural properties of inorganic polymer composites from quarry wastes (feldspathic minerals). J Therm Anal Calorim 148, 10021–10035 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-023-12382-z

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