Abstract
abstract: The Alkali-Activated Materials (AAM) are defined as materials obtained through the reaction between precursors and activators, and are separated into two classes depending on the products formed in the reaction, those rich in calcium, as the blast furnace slag, whose Ca/(Si+Al) ratio is higher than 1; and poor in calcium, which is the geopolymers subclass. In this review article, some bibliographical aspects were discussed regarding the discovery of these materials, through research conducted by Victor Glukhovsky and through the characterization of historical monuments by Davidovits, which began in the 50s and 60s and persist to the present day. The main products obtained in the alkaline activation reaction were also addressed, using the definition of polysialates and zeolites, in the case of geopolymers, and the tobermorite structure, in the case of materials rich in calcium. The main steps of the alkali-activated reaction, such as dissolution, condensation, polycondensation, crystallization, and hardening, were discussed. Some techniques for characterizing the AA reaction products were also examined, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry (NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Finally, the main factors that interfere in the kinetics of AA reactions were explored, in which the type of cure and the activating solution used in the alkali-activated materials production stands out.
Highlights
1.1 Alkali -activated materials definitionAlkali-activated materials (AAM) are obtained from two basic components, the activator, and the precursor
The researcher developed systems activated in an alkaline manner by mixing materials from volcanic processes with activating solutions based on sodium hydroxide
The main precursors used in alkaline activation for the geopolymers production, that is, the low-calcium precursors content are metakaolin and fly ash
Summary
Alkali-activated materials (AAM) are obtained from two basic components, the activator, and the precursor. The material used as a precursor is usually in powdered and mineralogically amorphous form. It can be composed of aluminum silicates, and they are named geopolymers, or present in its composition a predominance of calcium oxide [1], as occurs with blast furnace slag (BFS). The activating materials, in turn, are composed of alkali metals, in the form of hydroxide or silicates, dissolved in an aqueous solution. They are responsible for causing the hardening reactions due to high alkalinity, manifested by the high pH, above 14 [2]
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