The effects of replacement fly ash with diatomite in geopolymer mortar

Abstract

This article presents the effect of replacement fly ash (FA) with diatomite (DE) on the properties of geopolymer mortars. DE was used to partially replace FA at the levels of 0, 60, 80 and 100% by weight of binder. Sodium silicate (<TEX>$Na_2SiO_3$</TEX>) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solutions were used as the liquid portion in the mixture in order to activate the geopolymerization. The NaOH concentrations of 15M, <TEX>$Na_2SiO_3$</TEX>/NaOH ratios of 1.5 by weight, and the alkaline liquid/binder (LB) ratios by weight of 0.40, 0.50, 0.60 and 0.70 were used. The curing at temperature of <TEX>$75^{\circ}C$</TEX> for 24 h was used to accelerate the geopolymerization. The flows of all fresh geopolymer mortars were tested. The compressive strengths and the stress-strain characteristics of the mortar at the age of 7 days, and the unit weights were also tested. The results revealed that the use of DE to replace part of FA as source material in making geopolymer mortars resulted in the increased in the workability, and strain capacity of mortar specimens and in the reductions in the unit weights and compressive strengths. The strain capacity of the mortar increased from 0.0028 to 0.0150 with the increase in the DE replacement levels from 0 to 100%. The mixes with 15M NaOH, <TEX>$Na_2SiO_3$</TEX>/NaOH of 1.5, LB ratio of 0.50, and using <TEX>$75^{\circ}C$</TEX> curing temperature showed 7 days compressive strengths 22.0-81.0 MPa which are in the range of normal to high strength mortars.