• Journal of the Korean Recycled Construction Resources Institute
• /
• v.4 no.4
• /
• pp.363-370
• /
• 2016

Lightweight geopolymers are more readily produced and give higher fire resistant performance than foam cement concrete. Lowering the density of solid geopolymers can be achieved by inducing chemical reactions that entrain gases to foam the geopolymer structure. This paper reports on the effects of adding different concentrations of aluminum powder on the properties of cellular structured geopolymers. The apparent density of lightweight geopolymers has a range from 0.7 to $1.2g/m^3$ with 0.025, 0.05 and 0.10 wt% of a foaming agent concentration, which corresponds to about 37~60 % of the apparent density, $1.96g/cm^3$, of solid geopolymers. The compressive strength of cellular structured geopolymers decreased to 6~18 % of the compressive strength, 45 MPa of solid geopolymers. The microstructure of geopolymers gel was equivalent for both solid and cellular structured geopolymers. The workability of geopolymers with polyprophylene fibers needs to be improved as in fiber-reinforced cement concrete. The lightweight geopolymers could be used as indoor wall tile or board due to fire resistance and incombustibility of geopolymers.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.33-39
• /
• 2020

Lightweight geopolymers were fabricated by using fused slag from integrated gasification combined cycle as a law material and Si sludge from silicon wafer process as a bloating material for the purpose of replacing autoclaved lightweight concrete (ALC). Density and compressive strength of geopolymers were measured and compared with the properties of ALC according to the variation of mol concentration of alkaline activator, W/S ratio, addition of fibers, and addition of polystyrene and the possibility of replacing ALC panel was estimated through the comparisons. Although the geopolymer satisfying the standard of ALC panel was not made by controlling mol concentration and W/S ratio, addition of inserts such as fibers and polystyrene insert was tried to overcome the obstacle of enhancing properties. Geopolymers cannot satisfying the standard of ALC panel by adding carbon or glass fibers; however, adding fibers can be suggested as one of the methods enhancing compressive strength because the compressive strength of the specimen containing 0.3 wt.% glass fibers was increased by 3 times. The maximum addition of polystyrene insert was turned out to be 50 vol.% and the properties of geopolymers varied by the method of insertion. When using single polystyrene insert, compressive strength was 17.8 MPa and density was 0.996 g/㎤ which were similar values to the standard of ALC panel. If the difficulties of reproductivity of production and insertion method of inserts were overcome through the future research, the geopolymers containing polystyrene inserts could possibly replace ALC panel.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
• /
• v.29 no.6
• /
• pp.257-263
• /
• 2019

Lightweight geopolymers were fabricated with non-milled IGCC slag and Si sludge as a bloating material. The relationship between addition amount of Si sludge and physical/chemical properties of lightweight geopolymers was investigated. When the geopolymers were made by mixing IGCC slag, alkali activator, and more than 10 wt.% Si sludge, the temperature of the geopolymer pastes reached higher than 130℃ in a few minutes. This exothermic reaction accelerated the geopolymer reaction; however, it was difficult to make geopolymer specimens because of a rapid bloating reaction. Both compressive strength and density of the specimens tend to decrease with an addition of Si sludge; however, there was little difference in both compressive strength and density with addition of Si sludge more than 10 wt.%. Because there was a limit to get low density geopolymers by simply increasing the addition of Si sludge, the control of pore size and distribution of geopolymer is more important by controlling flow rate of the paste through the control of W/S ratio. Therefore, it is important to control process conditions, appropriate W/S ratio for the bloating than the control of Si sludge. The optimum W/S ratio was 0.20 for the addition of Si sludge less than 30 wt.% and W/S ratio should be more than 0.28 for the addition of Si sludge more than 30 wt.%, although there was no practical application in fact.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
• /
• v.27 no.6
• /
• pp.319-326
• /
• 2017

In this study, a lightweight geopolymer was prepared using by slag discharged from IGCC (Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle) power plant and its physical properties, the density and compressive strength, were analyzed as a function of the concentration of alkali activators, W/S ratio and aging times. Also the possibility of applying it to lightweight materials by adding Si sludge as a foaming agent to the geopolymerg was investigated. In particular, a complex composition of alkali activator and a pre-curing process were applied to improve the strength properties of lightweight geopolymers. While the compressive strength of the lightweight geopolymer using a single activator was 9.5 MPa, the specimen made with a complex composition of alkali activator had compressive strength of 2~5 times higher. In addition, the lightweight geopolymer with pre-curing process showed a compressive strength value of 18~48 % higher than that of specimen made with no precuring process. In this study, by using a complex activator and a pre-curing process. the maximum compressive strength of lightweight geopolymer was obtained as 40 MPa (The specimen was aged for 3 days and had density of $1.83g/cm^3$), which is comparable to cement concrete. By analyzing the crystal phase and microstructure of geopolymers obtained in this study using by XRD and SEM, respectively, it was confirmed that the flower-bud-like zeolite crystal was homogeneously distributed on the surface of the C-S-H gel (sodium silicate hydrate gel) in the geopolymer.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.174-181
• /
• 2021

Lightweight geopolymers were fabricated by using IGCC (integrated gasification combined cycle) slag and Si sludge which are classified as general wastes (recyclable resources). Three curing methods were tried to investigate the changes in compressive strength and density according to the curing method and immersion time. Immersion period was tried up to 21 days to observe long-term performance in water. Compressive strength of the specimens cured in oven decreased abruptly with an increase in immersion time. Compressive strength of the specimen cured in autoclave was low after 3 and 7 day immersion; however, increased rapidly after 21 day immersion. On the contrary, compressive strength of the specimen cured in autoclave and oven was high but substantially decreased after 21 day immersion. Conclusively, it was speculated that oven curing is effective for the compressive strength development at early age; however, autoclave curing is more desirable for the long-term performance in water.