Feasibility of incorporating leaf date palm fibers in geopolymer composites made from mining waste

Abstract

This study explores the potential of developing novel high performance geopolymer composite (GPC) materials utilizing mining waste (MW) as an aluminosilicate precursor for the geopolymer matrix and reinforcing it with leaf date palm fibers (LDPFs). Specifically, we examined the effects of incorporating varying amounts of LDPF fibers on the mechanical, physical, and morphological properties of the formulated GPC. The explored range of the incorporated fibers was from 0% to 4% (wt/wt). Mechanical properties were evaluated using modulus of rupture (MOR) and modulus of elasticity (MOE), while physical properties were assessed through water absorption (WA) and thickness swelling (TS). Additionally, X-ray diffraction (XRD), FTIR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) were employed to visualize matrix phases and analyze the composition, elucidate changes in the structure, and examine the interfacial failure morphology, respectively. The results revealed that the MOR and MOE nearly doubled in the formulation reinforced with 2% (wt/wt) LDPF fibers compared to the geopolymer matrix, confirming the efficacy of these fibers as reinforcing element enhancing the strength and stiffness of the geopolymer matrix. The physical properties exhibited an increase with higher fiber loading, though they remained lower compared to those of other composites found in literature, confirming the suitability of LDPF fibers for geopolymer composite formulations. The structural and morphological analyses of the geopolymer composites indicated an acceptable degree of geopolymerisation and the fibers displayed good interfacial bonding with the geopolymer matrix, respectively. The research findings suggest that leaf date palm fibers are well-suited for reinforcing geopolymer matrix derived from mining waste, presenting a cost-effective option for construction materials.