Macroporous geopolymers designed for facile polymers post-infusion

Abstract

Highly porous geopolymers suffers from poor mechanical properties; typically intrinsic brittleness, low compression strength and very weak toughness. Geopolymers were designed so that they can be reinforced by incorporating a low viscosity polymeric resin through a facile post-infusion process. Porosity in the range of 100–4700 μm was generated by decomposition of hydrogen peroxide and large expanses of open porosity was obtained by the addition of small amounts of saponified canola oil as a surfactant. Geopolymers with high open porosity (~60 vol%) and low compression strength (<1.5 MPa) were infilled with an unsaturated polyester resin. High amounts of resin (>75 vol% with respect to the open porosity) were incorporated and polymerized within the porous geopolymer framework. As a result, compressive strength of geopolymers composites can be increased as much as 40 times despite poor interfacial adhesion prevailing between inorganic and organic phases.