High Dimensional Stability Research Articles

High conductive and dimensional stability proton exchange membranes with an all-carbon main chain and densely sulfonated structure

Sulfonated polyarylene membranes are demonstrated to be efficient as proton exchange membranes (PEMs) for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) in clean energy conversion systems. In this study, we design and synthesize a series of sulfonated polyarylene with all-carbon backbones and densely sulfonated pendant groups, which can be prepared by copolymerization of 1,3-Disulfonic acid benzaldehyde, 1,1,1-trifluoroacetone and biphenyl under superacid-catalyzed conditions. Rigid, hydrophobic backbone and hydrophilic side chains make the membrane form good microphase separation morphology. The PEMs exhibit high proton conductivity (404 mS cm−1) and excellent dimensional stability (swelling ratio lower than 24% and water uptake lower than 40%) at 80 °C. Moreover, the PEMs show good oxidization stability (the retaining weight rate of membrane up to 99.2% for 1 h oxidative treatment), and the oxidization stability and degradation mechanism of Ar3CH in polymer backbone are also studied. The H2/O2 fuel cell assembled with PEMs exhibited a maximum peak power density of 560 mW cm−2. It indicates that all-carbon main chain and densely sulfonated structure show great potential for improving the performance of PEMs.

Towards high conductivity and stability diblock poly(norbornene)s-based anion exchange membranes crosslinked with alkyl quaternary ammonium cationic clusters

Anion exchange membranes (AEMs) with exceptional comprehensive performance, combining high conductivity, alkaline and dimensional stability, have been indispensable for the practical application in fuel cells. Herein, a robust addition poly(norbornene)s-based AEMs with an all-carbon-hydrogen bicyclic skeleton were fabricated by cross-linking of alkyl quaternary ammonium cationic clusters and further quaternization. The partially crosslinked AEMs adopt a synergistic strategy that combines diblock copolymer backbone, cationic cluster crosslinking structure, and long flexible spacer suspended with cationic head groups. Benefiting from these structural design advantages, the prepared AEMs possessed excellent hydroxide conductivity (133.9–146.9 mS cm−1) and low swelling ratio (SR ≦ 20%) at 80 °C. The robust crosslinked AEMs exhibited good mechanical properties and high thermostability, with onset of decomposition temperatures up to 240 °C. Furthermore, after 44 days treatment in 1 M NaOH solution at 80 °C, the hydroxide conductivity of AEMs maintained at 79.4–85.7% of the initial value depending on the crosslinking degree, demonstrating excellent alkaline stability. In addition, the H2/O2 single cell equipped with CL20-aPNB-TAT-QA-1.75 achieved a peak power density of 338.0 mW cm−2 at 80 °C. The study provided a meaningful insight to exploit the practical application of multi-cation clusters crosslinked addition poly(norbornene)s-based AEMs in fuel cells.

Regulating surface energy and establishing covalent bonds to enhance interface interaction between m‐BN and polyphenylene oxide for 5G applications

AbstractIncorporation of boron nitride (BN) into polymers is a promising method to obtain composites with high thermal conductivity, low dielectric constant (Dk), and dielectric loss (Df), while the practical applications are limited by the poor interface between BN and polymer because of surface energy mismatch and absence of covalent bond connection between them. Herein, polydopamine (PDA) with good adhesion is deposited onto the BN. Then, a different amount of silane coupling agent containing vinyl reactive groups is grafted onto PDA‐coated BN. In this way, the surface energy of modified BN (m‐BN) can be adjusted to ensure BN contacts well with polymers. Moreover, reactive groups were introduced on BN for further reaction. Subsequently, covalent bonds between the m‐BN and the polyphenylene oxide (PPO) were established in situ during the curing process. The effects of the m‐BN surface energy on interface quality and thermal conductivity of composites are investigated. The m‐BN/PPO composite achieves a through‐plane thermal conductivity of 5.87 W/m·K and a low Df value of 1.53 × 10−3, as well as a low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) value (7.8 ppm/K) when the m‐BN loading is 32.6 vol%. This research provides a simple and efficient strategy for fabricating high‐performance composites for high‐frequency applications.Highlights Hexagonal boron nitride was modified successfully by combining non‐covalent and covalent modifications. Regulating surface energy and establishing covalent bonds enhances interface interaction between BN and polyphenylene oxide. Modified BN/polyphenylene oxide composites display improvements in thermal conductivity and dimensional stability as well as dielectric loss. Provides a feasible strategy for designing polymer composites with high thermal conductivity, dimensional stability, and low dielectric loss for 5G applications.

Upcycling Polyolefin Blends into High-Performance Materials by Exploiting Azidotriazine Chemistry Using Reactive Extrusion.

The revalorization of incompatible polymer blends is a key obstacle in realizing a circular economy in the plastics industry. Polyolefin waste is particularly challenging because it is difficult to sort into its constituent components. Untreated blends of polyethylene and polypropylene typically exhibit poor mechanical properties that are suitable only for low-value applications. Herein, we disclose a simple azidotriazine-based grafting agent that enables polyolefin blends to be directly upcycled into high-performance materials by using reactive extrusion at industrially relevant processing temperatures. Based on a series of model experiments, the azidotriazine thermally decomposes to form a triplet nitrene species, which subsequently undergoes a complex mixture of grafting, oligomerization, and cross-linking reactions; strikingly, the oligomerization and cross-linking reactions proceed through the formation of nitrogen-nitrogen bonds. When applied to polyolefin blends during reactive extrusion, this combination of reactions leads to the generation of amorphous, phase-separated nanostructures that tend to exist at polymer-polymer interfaces. These nanostructures act as multivalent cross-linkers that reinforce the resulting material, leading to dramatically improved ductility compared with the untreated blends, along with high dimensional stability at high temperatures and excellent mechanical recyclability. We propose that this unique behavior is derived from the thermomechanically activated reversibility of the nitrogen-nitrogen bonds that make up the cross-linking structures. Finally, the scope of this chemistry is demonstrated by applying it to ternary polyolefin blends as well as postconsumer polyolefin feedstocks.

The Influence of the Magnesium-to-Phosphate Molar Ratio on Magnesium Potassium Phosphate Cement Properties Using Either Wollastonite or Volcanic Ash as Fillers

The use of the fillers wollastonite and volcanic ash for the formulation of magnesium phosphate cements prepared at magnesium-to-phosphate molar ratios of 2, 3 and 4 has been investigated, with the objective of evaluating these formulations for the encapsulation of aluminium radioactive waste. The workability, mechanical strength, dimensional stability, pH, chemical composition and mineralogical properties of cement pastes and mortars were examined. All cement pastes presented fast setting, and the workability was only good at 3 and 4 M. The cement mortars presented high compressive strength and dimensional stability. K-struvite was confirmed as the sole reaction product of the reaction for all formulations. The pH of the cement pastes, measured in suspensions, achieved values in the range of 7.8 to 9.5 after the first days of setting, exceeding pH 8.5 for the 2 and 3 M formulations. pH values below 8.5 are theoretically preferred to avoid potential aluminium corrosion. Both fillers presented adequate characteristics (good workability, chemical compatibility) to be used in the formulation of magnesium phosphate cements. The increasing magnesium-to-phosphate molar ratio prevented unwanted efflorescence and increased the mechanical stability of the cement.

Poly(biphenyl piperidine) anion exchange membranes with long hydrophilic side chains for water electrolysis

Anion exchange membranes (AEMs) are key core materials in water electrolysis, requiring both high conductivity and good dimensional stability and chemical durability. In this work, a series of poly(biphenyl piperidinium) AEMs with side octadecyl groups (Q18PBP-x) are prepared through the superacid catalyzed polymerization and grafting reactions. The long hydrophobic alkyl side chains attached onto the ether-free backbone effectively improve the dimensional stability, chemical durability and ionic conductivity of the obtained AEMs at high temperature. At 80 °C, the water absorption and swelling rate of Q18PBP-30 membrane with IEC of 2.28 mmol g−1 are 47.8 and 10.8%, respectively. Its ionic conductivity is 79.4 mS cm−1 and only decrease by 6.9% after 480 h of immersion in 2 M NaOH at 80 °C. The current density of water electrolyzer assembled with representative Q18PBP-30 membrane reaches 0.53 A cm−2 in 2 M KOH at 2.1 V, and its voltage fluctuation of durability testing is only 15.8% after 480 h at the current density of 300 mA cm−2. These results suggest that grafting long hydrophobic alkyl chains on the backbone of AEMs is a promising strategy to enhance their properties for water electrolysis.

Synthesis of colorless transparent poly(amide-imide) with high modulus and low thermal expansion coefficient and its performance study

To meet the needs of high dimensional stability and high transparency of colorless polyimide (CPI) films, a series of poly(amide-imide) (PAI) films were synthesized by copolymerization of 4,4′-(hexafluoroisopropylidene)diphthalic anhydride (6FDA), terephthaloyl chloride (TPC) and 2,2′-bis(trifluoromethyl)benzidine (TFDB). By adjusting the ratio of 6FDA and TPC, the resulting PAI films exhibited high glass transition temperature (Tg) ranging from 347 to 366 °C, low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) values of 4–48 ppm/K, excellent optical performance with transmittances at 400 nm (T400) of 79–83 %, and sufficient mechanical performance. The rigid rod-like amide bonds in the molecular chains increased with the introduction of TPC, which increased the hydrogen bonding between the molecular chains, significantly reduced the CTE and improved the tensile strength and modulus. In particular, PAI-7 exhibited excellent comprehensive performance with a high Tg of 366 °C, a relatively low CTE value of 13 ppm/K, excellent transmittance of 81 % at 400 nm and high tensile modulus of 6.5 GPa, which was expected to be used in the field of flexible displays.

Fabrication of Dual-Functional Bacterial-Cellulose-Based Composite Anion Exchange Membranes with High Dimensional Stability and Ionic Conductivity.

Anion exchange membranes (AEMs) are increasingly becoming a popular research area due to their ability to function with nonprecious metals in electrochemical devices. Nevertheless, there is a challenge to simultaneously optimize the dimensional stability and ionic conductivity of AEMs due to the "trade-off" effect. Herein, we adopted a novel strategy of combining filling and cross-linking using functionalized bacterial cellulose (PBC) as a dual-functional porous support and brominated poly(phenylene oxide) (Br-PPO) as the cross-linking agent and filler. The PBC nanofiber framework together with cross-linking can provide a reliable mechanical support for the subsequent filled polymer, thus improving the mechanical properties and effectively limiting the size change of the final quaternized-PPO (QPPO)-filled PBC composite membrane. The composite membrane showed a very low swelling ratio of only 10.35%, even at a high water uptake (81.83% at 20 °C). Moreover, the existence of multiple -NR3+ groups in the cross-link bonds between BC and Br-PPO can provide extra OH- ion transport sites, contributing to the increase in ionic conductivity. The final membrane demonstrated a hydroxide ion conductivity of 62.58 mS cm-1, which was remarkably higher than that of the pure QPPO membrane by up to 235.93% (80 °C). The successful preparation of the PBC3/QPPO membrane provides an effective avenue to tackle the trade-off effect through a dual-functional strategy.

Confined Nano-Channels Incorporated with Multi-Quaternized Cations for Highly Phosphoric Acid Retention HT-PEMs.

Developing a new strategy to retain phosphoric acid (PA) to improve the performance and durability of high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell (HT-PEMFC) remains a challenge. Here, a strategy for ion-restricted catcher microstructure that incorporates PA-doped multi-quaternized poly(fluorene alkylene-co-biphenyl alkylene) (PFBA) bearing confined nanochannels is reported. Dynamic analysis reveals strong interaction between side chains and PA molecules, confirming that the microstructure can improve PA retention. The PFBA linked with triquaternary ammonium side chain (PFBA-tQA) shows the highest PA retention rate of 95%. Its H2/O2 fuel cell operates within 0.6% voltage decay at 160°C/0% RH, and it also runs over 100h at 100°C/49% RH under external humidification. This combination of high PA retention, and chemical and dimensional stability fills a gap in the HT-PEMFC field, which requires strict moisture control at 90-120°C to prevent acid leaching, simplifying the start-up procedure of HT-PEMFC without preheating.

A 3D printed plant model for accurate and reliable 3D plant phenotyping.

This study addresses the importance of precise referencing in 3-dimensional (3D) plant phenotyping, which is crucial for advancing plant breeding and improving crop production. Traditionally, reference data in plant phenotyping rely on invasive methods. Recent advancements in 3D sensing technologies offer the possibility to collect parameters that cannot be referenced by manual measurements. This work focuses on evaluating a 3D printed sugar beet plant model as a referencing tool. Fused deposition modeling has turned out to be a suitable 3D printing technique for creating reference objects in 3D plant phenotyping. Production deviations of the created reference model were in a low and acceptable range. We were able to achieve deviations ranging from -10 mm to +5 mm. In parallel, we demonstrated a high-dimensional stability of the reference model, reaching only ±4 mm deformation over the course of 1 year. Detailed print files, assembly descriptions, and benchmark parameters are provided, facilitating replication and benefiting the research community. Consumer-grade 3D printing was utilized to create a stable and reproducible 3D reference model of a sugar beet plant, addressing challenges in referencing morphological parameters in 3D plant phenotyping. The reference model is applicable in 3 demonstrated use cases: evaluating and comparing 3D sensor systems, investigating the potential accuracy of parameter extraction algorithms, and continuously monitoring these algorithms in practical experiments in greenhouse and field experiments. Using this approach, it is possible to monitor the extraction of a nonverifiable parameter and create reference data. The process serves as a model for developing reference models for other agricultural crops.

β-Amino amide based covalent adaptable networks with high dimensional stability

Catalyst-free reversible β-amino amides in covalent adaptable networks with reprocessability and high dimensional stability.

A thermo-chemo-mechanical model for material extrusion of frontally polymerizing thermoset polymers

The material extrusion of thermoset polymers that undergo frontal polymerization produces three-dimensional structures with complex freestanding shapes without the use of sacrificial support material. In this technique, a gelled monomeric ink is extruded from a nozzle and undergoes rapid curing by a self-energized reaction front. Between extrusion and complete curing, the material experiences large deformations, viscous dissipation, rapid heating, and solidification. A mathematical model for these processes is developed in the current study to guide the selection of process parameters for achieving defect-free prints and high dimensional stability. A thermo-chemo-mechanical theory is presented to model the extruded viscoelastic filament and its transition to a fully cured thermoset polymer. Additionally, a computational model is developed to simulate the 3D printing of common structures. Numerical examples are included for linear and curvilinear extrusions to illustrate the role of printing parameters like the extrusion, front, and printer head velocities. Comparisons with experiments, including some new experiments, for archetypal geometries demonstrate the utility of the model in the identification of process parameters for defect-free prints.

One step conversion of bio-based magnolol into low k materials at high frequency

A facile conversion of a bio-based magnolol gave a functional monomer that was polymerized to form a resin, displaying high thermostability and good dimensional stability, as well as exhibiting good dielectric properties at a high frequency of 10 GHz.

Comparison on thermally modified beech wood in different mediums: Morphology, chemical change and water-related properties

Thermal modification has been proved to be an effective approach to improve the dimensional stability of wood, while different processes of thermal modification often resulted in various efficacy. In this study, the morphology, chemical structure, crystallinity, pore size distribution, and some water-related properties were investigated in order to explore the effect of different mediums (vacuum, nitrogen, steam and air) on thermally modified wood (TMW). It was found that heating medium plays an important role in thermal modification of wood. At both 180 and 210 ℃, the general severity of thermal modification is in the following order: air > steam > nitrogen > vacuum. Accordingly, the highest dimensional stability appeared in air TMW, and then steam, nitrogen, and vacuum. It seemed that the water-related properties were primarily affected by the extent of decomposition of the amorphous polysaccharides, but showed no direct relationship with the pore structure. Lignin changed greatly for TMW treated in steam at 180 ℃ and all TMW treated at 210 ℃, by showing more uniform distribution in all cell wall layers. It might be resulted from the migration of lignin fragments after depolymerization, the formation of pseudo lignin from holocellulose, and the increased relative lignin content in secondary wall. The changes on pore structure and lignin structure might have significant effect on other wood properties.

Dual-Modified Electrospun Fiber Membrane as Separator with Excellent Safety Performance and High Operating Temperature for Lithium-Ion Batteries.

Polyacrylonitrile/Boric acid/Melamine/the delaminated BN nanosheets electrospun fiber membrane (PB3N1BN) with excellent mechanical property, high thermal stability, superior flame-retardant performance, and good wettability are fabricated by electrospinning PAN/DMF/H3BO3/C3H6N6/ the delaminated BN nanosheets (BNNSs) homogeneous viscous suspension and followed by a heating treatment. BNNSs are obtained by delaminating the bulk h-BN in isopropyl alcohol (IPA) with an assistance of Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Benefiting from the cross-linked pore structure and high-temperature stability of BNNSs, PB3N1BN electrospun fiber membrane delivers high thermal dimensional stability (almost no size contraction at 200°C), excellent mechanical property (19.1MPa), good electrolyte wettability (contact angle about 0°), and excellent flame retardancy (minimum total heat release of 3.2MJm-2). Moreover, the assembled LiFePO4/PB3N1BN/Li asymmetrical battery using LiFePO4 as the cathode and Li as the anode has a high capacity (169mAhg-1 at 0.5C), exceptional rate capability (129mAh g-1 at 5C), the prominent cycling stability without obvious decay after 400 cycles, and a good discharge capacity of 152mAh g-1 at a high temperature of 80°C. This work offers a new structural design strategy toward separators with excellent mechanical performance, good wettability, and high thermal stability for lithium-ion batteries.

Geopolymer composite foams reinforced with refractory filler: The effect of curing regime on microstructure, porosity and thermomechanical properties

Porous geopolymers with sustainable dimensional stability at high temperatures represent a noteworthy challenge for the development of thermomechanical, reliable and multifunctional composites. This study reports on the porosity formation of refractory-reinforced geopolymer paste via hydrogen peroxide decomposition. Reinforcing the slurry with ceramic chamotte and cordierite increases the apparent viscosity more than eight times in the interval to 100 s−1 retaining a pseudoplastic behavior. Cordierite particles increase the plastic viscosity at 6 Pa s and yield stress above 28 Pa. Surprisingly, the particulate ceramic filler acts as a porosity-modifier thereby reducing the mesoporosity region. Microstructural and porosity behavior was studied via digital microscopy, SEM, MIP and micro-CT. The wrinkled morphology of ceramics significantly affects the macroporosity formation in the region of 100 μm reaching a total porosity of ∼60 vol%. The presence of large pores in the macro region and the high distribution of interconnected porosity in ceramics-reinforced composite foams resulted in compressive strengths ranging from 2 to 10 MPa. The effect of curing rate on porosity was most evident in the cordierite reinforcement which led to the occurrence of large interconnected pores. Based on thermomechanical analysis, the ceramic-reinforced foams show high dimensional stability with a reduction in total shrinkage to −0.71 % at 850 °C. These results may foster further developments of innovative routes for the synthesis of geopolymer composite foams for widespread technological applications.

Environmental impact assessment of melamine coated medium density fiberboard (MDF-LAM) production and cumulative energy demand: A case study in Türkiye

Melamine-coated medium density fibreboard (MDF-LAM) is widely used in the construction industry, furniture industry and other structural applications due to its easy processing, low cost, high strength and high dimensional stability. In this study, the effects of MDF on the environment throughout its life cycle were determined by the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method. For this purpose, it presents the results of a research conducted to evaluate the environmental impacts and identify hot spots of MDF-LAM production in Türkiye using the LCA method, considering a cradle-to-gate system. The MDF-LAM production process is studied in four subsystems: fibre preparation, board forming, finishing and lamination (LAM). In the analysis of the environmental effects of MDF-LAM, detailed data were obtained from a company producing in Türkiye. In this study, the functional unit is “1 m3 MDF-LAM production in Türkiye”. The environmental impacts of MDF-LAM were estimated in SimaPro 9.1 software using the Ecoinvent database v3.5 with CML-IA impact assessment and Cumulative Energy Demand (CED) methods. Various impact categories were considered in the analysis, such as global warming, acidification, eutrophication, water use, fossil fuels, human toxicity and cumulative energy demand. The analysis results show that the fiber preparation stage is the main hotspot in terms of environmental impacts and emissions. And shows that this is followed by the lamination step. It has been determined that urea formaldehyde (UF) resin, which is used as a synthetic adhesive, has the largest share in the environmental effects of MDF-LAM production. In this study, CED was evaluated as another impact category. This evaluation result showed that the fiber preparation subsystem had a higher CED than the other stages. In addition, it was determined that renewable biomass and non-renewable fossil were the most affected categories, while UF resin use and electricity consumption were the most important hot spots in terms of non-renewable and renewable resources.

Preparation of fluorinated poly(aryl ether) with high dimensional stability and high temperature resistance by photo‐thermal dual crosslinking reaction

AbstractImproving the dimensional stability is significant for fluorinated poly(aryl ether) (FPAE). In this work, zirconium tungstate (ZrW2O8) with negative thermal expansion (NTE) modified by thiol groups is successfully obtained by surface modification with 3‐(trimethoxysilyl)‐1‐propanethiol. Then, the dispersion of ZrW2O8 is improved and a certain crosslinked structure is formed by click reaction between thiols on the surface of ZrW2O8 and allyl groups on the backbone of FPAE. On this basis, the residual allyl groups on the FPAE can undergo addition reaction under heating conditions to further form crosslinked structure. Due to the introduction of photo‐thermal dual crosslinked structure, the dimensional stability of FPAE is significantly improved, and the coefficient of thermal expansion decreased by 64.3% compared to the unoptimized samples. Meanwhile, the dielectric properties are characterized with dielectric constant and dissipation factor of 3.70 and 0.008 at 1 kHz. Finally, the prepared film is used to assemble triboelectric nanogenerators, where the short‐circuit current, open‐circuit voltage and transferred charge is 3 μA, 30 V, and 10 nC, respectively. Crosslinked FPAE with high dimensional stability and high temperature resistance are successfully gained by avoiding the complexity of monomer synthesis and realizing higher performance with the same inorganic filler loading.Highlights Dual crosslinked structure is built by photo‐thermal dual crosslinking reaction. ZrW2O8 gains homogeneous dispersion in polymer matrix by photo‐crosslinking reaction. Introducing ZrW2O8 and dual crosslinked structure raises dimensional stability of film.

Synthesis and characterization of functionally graded SiC-mullite thermal material

SiC-mullite is considered for high temperature applications due to its high mechanical strength and thermal shock-resistance. However, maintaining these properties is challenged by the high processing temperature requirement for the formation and densification of the mullite phase which leads to abundant surface oxidation of SiC into cristobalite. Cristobalite has relatively poor mechanical strength and thermal properties compared to SiC. Herein, we report on using coal fly ash as a source of alumina (Al2O3) that reacts in situ with the silica (SiO2), oxidation product of SiC. The instantaneous mullite formation on the surface of SiC facilitated due to the presence of minor concentrations of metal oxides in coal fly ash, resulted in a strong bonding zone between the two phases at relatively low temperature. In this work, SiC was mixed with coal fly ash at weight ratios of 90SiC/10ash, 85SiC/15ash, 80SiC/20ash, and 75SiC/25ash and sintered at 1400 °C. Measurements of mechanical properties showed that the 85SiC/15ash composition had the highest mechanical strength among samples. XRD analysis showed the phase composition of thermally treated 85SiC/15ash to be 81.8 wt% SiC, 11.4 wt% mullite, and 6.8 wt% cristobalite. SEM-EDX revealed a concentration gradient of Al in the cristobalite which enhanced formation of functionally graded bonding zones between phases and resulted in SiC-mullite composite with high thermomechanical properties. The compressive strength, nanoindentation elastic modulus, and Vickers hardness were 434 ± 20 MPa, 370.9 ± 22.6 GPa, and 11.5 ± 1.2 GPa respectively. The thermal shock resistance test showed high dimensional and mechanical stabilities after quenching in liquid nitrogen (−196 °C) from 1400 °C. The SiC-mullite composite showed low thermal expansion co-efficient from 3.17 × 10−7/K to 5.615 × 10−6/K when the sample was heated from 182 K to 354 K. The specific heat capacity, thermal diffusivity, and thermal conductivity were 7.83 ± 0.0014 J/g.K, 1.04 ± 0.013 mm2/s, and 17 W/m.K at 100 °C, respectively. The SiC-mullite composite exhibited moderate electrical conductivity of 3.48 × 10−2 S/m at 1000 °C.

Valorization of lead-zinc mine tailing waste through geopolymerization: Synthesis, mechanical, and microstructural properties

Lead-zinc mine tailing waste can have significant environmental impacts due to its potential for releasing toxic elements into the surroundings and contaminating local soil and water. This paper focuses on the valorization of lead-zinc mine tailing waste through geopolymerization, a sustainable process that can transform waste into useful building materials. Geopolymer matrixes with various mixtures of mine tailing (0−100 wt%), fly ash (0−100 wt%), and flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum (0, 5, and 10 wt%) were synthesized using different activators such as sodium hydroxide (NaOH, 5, 10 M) and sodium silicate (waterglass, 0, 12.5 wt%). Visual inspection, unconfined compressive strength (UCS) testing, and microstructural analysis (e.g., X-ray diffractions, Fourier transforms infrared, and scanning electron microscopy) were employed for the physicochemical characterization of these geopolymers. The highest UCS value of 24.1 MPa was observed in a geopolymer specimen with 100 wt% fly ash and activated by 10 M NaOH and cured for 28 days. The blending of mine tailings would result in strength recession, e.g., the integrating of 25 wt% tailings showed a UCS of 12.3 MPa. The addition of 5 wt% gypsums can improve early strength development, particularly for matrixes with 50–75 wt% fly ash. But adding 10 wt% gypsums would lead to strength retrogression of the resulting geopolymers. The introduction of waterglass can also facilitate geopolymerization and improve strength development. However, the cointegrating of gypsum and waterglass can induce an antagonistic effect and lead to the collapse of the geopolymer specimens. The findings revealed that the strength and microstructural properties of geopolymer are determined by the matrix compositions, alkaline activators, etc. Effective regulation of these factors can produce geopolymer matrixes with high dimensional stability and UCS that well meet construction material standards. Overall, the study indicates that geopolymerization represents a viable and eco-friendly solution for valorizing lead-zinc mine tailing waste and gaining alternative building materials.