Improved Acid Rain Resistance of High Calcium Fly Ash-sodium Hydroxide Geopolymer Mortar Cured at Ambient Temperature by Incorporating Rice Husk Ash

Abstract

Geopolymer is an aluminosilicate material, synthesized from source materials rich in silica and alumina and alkali solution. This product provides similar strength to Portland cement concrete. Geopolymer exhibits a wide variety of properties and characteristics, including high compressive strength, low shrinkage, acid resistance, fire resistance and low thermal conductivity. In term of acid resistance, acid rain is an important consideration due to global warming. Structures deteriorate as a result of persistence contact with acid rain with of pH less than 5. Thus, this research aims to improve acid resistance of fly ash-NaOH geopolymer mortars by incorporating rice husk ash (RHA). Artificial acid rain solution was prepared by mixing nitric acid and sulfuric acid at the ratio of 70:30 v/v. The geopolymer mortars were immersed in 5% nitric acid, 5% sulfuric acid, and 5% synthetic acid rain solutions for 36 weeks. The evaluations of its resistance to acid solution was investigated with surface corrosion, compressive strength, and microstructure. The results showed that the incorporation of RHA improved the acid rain resistance of geopolymer mortar through pore refinement and increase in strength. The mortar with fly ash to RHA ratio of 90:10 provided the highest compressive strength and good resistance to acid rain.