Development of Efflorescence Control Methods of Fly Ash Based Foam Geopolymers

Abstract

Since the environmental impacts of carbon emissions due to the cement production have started to be discussed, an alternative material has been sought. Geopolymers are new generation materials which are good candidates to be used instead of cement in the building. Within the scope of geopolymer technology, the reuse of waste materials such as fly ash and blast furnace slag enable reuse of both the reduction of waste stock and the production of new generation material which excites the scientific world. However, various problems that has been focused on prevent the advancement of this technology. Efflorescence is an important problem in the development of geopolymer technology. White residues formed on the surfaces of the materials produced from geopolymer wetting are referred to as efflorescence. Although it may seem like a visual problem in the initial stage, it may cause structural problems in later stages. Therefore, it is an issue that needs to be addressed. In this study, studies were made to prevent or minimize this problem.