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Metakaolin and Fly Ash-based Matrices for Geopolymer Materials: Setting Kinetics and Compressive Strength

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Abstract

This work aims to study the effects of the curing temperature (40 to 80° C) and the composition of the activating solution (SiO2/Na2O molar ratio of 1 to 1.7) on the process of geopolymerization of fly ash and metakaolin-based matrices. A unique combination of three experimental techniques was used for this purpose: rheology, electrical conductivity, and calorimetry. Correlation among the results indicates that increasing the curing temperature of metakaolin-based mixtures promotes the dissolution of the amorphous phases and therefore favors the formation of the geopolymer phase. However, too rapid dissolution leads to early gelation, which slows down further dissolution and prevents the formation of the geopolymer phase. This explains the existence of a peak compressive strength of about 55 MPa at 60 °C. Mixtures based on fly ash behave differently: increasing the temperature up to 80 °C impacts favorably the dissolution of the vitreous phase and the formation of the geopolymer phase, which results in a continuous increase in the compressive strength up to 57 MPa. Moreover, for both sources of aluminosilicate, it is found that SiO2/Na2O molar ratio of 1.2 provides the suitable alkalinity and the right content of soluble silicate necessary for a good geopolymerization rate.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the support through the R&D Initiative – Appel à projets autour des phosphates APPHOS – sponsored by OCP, OCP Foundation, R&D OCP, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, National Center of Scientific and technical Research CNRST, Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Professional Training of Morocco.

Funding

This research is funded by the R&D Initiative—Appel à projets autour des phosphates APPHOS—sponsored by OCP, OCP Foundation, R&D OCP, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, National Center of Scientific and Technical Research CNRST, Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Professional Training of Morocco MESRSFC under the project ID * MAT-MOS-01/2017 *.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Physics and Chemistry of Inorganic Materials, Faculty of Sciences Aïn Chock, University Hassan II Casablanca, Casablanca, 53306, Morocco

    Rabii Hattaf, Abdelilah Aboulayt, Azzedine Samdi & Redouane Moussa

  2. National School of Architecture of Tetouan, Avenue Baghdad, Touabel soufla, 4403, Tetouan, Morocco

    Abdelilah Aboulayt

  3. Laboratory of Mechanics, Faculty of Sciences Aïn Chock, University Hassan II Casablanca, Casablanca, 53306, Morocco

    Nouha Lahlou & Mohamed Ouazzani Touhami

  4. CRISMAT UMR6508 CNRS, ENSICAEN, 6 boulevard Maréchal Juin, CEDEX 4, 14050, Caen, France

    Moussa Gomina

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  1. Rabii Hattaf
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Contributions

Conceptualization: Rabii Hattaf., and Azzedine Samdi.

Methodology: Redouane Moussa. and Azzedine Samdi.

Validation: Nouha Lahlou., Aboulayt Abdelilah and Redouane Moussa.

Formal analysis: Nouha Lahlou.

Investigation: Rabii Hattaf.

Resources: Mohammed Oouazzani Touhami.

Data curation: Rabii Hattaf.

Writingoriginal draft preparation: Rabii Hattaf., Redouane Moussa.

Visualization: Rabii Hattaf.

Supervision: Aboulayt Aboulayt.

Funding acquisition: Redouane Moussa. and Moussa Gomina.

All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Abdelilah Aboulayt.

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Hattaf, R., Aboulayt, A., Samdi, A. et al. Metakaolin and Fly Ash-based Matrices for Geopolymer Materials: Setting Kinetics and Compressive Strength. Silicon 14, 6993–7004 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12633-021-01447-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12633-021-01447-z

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