Pre-curing Temperature Research Articles

Research on mechanical properties and microscopic mechanism of multi-based geopolymer concrete under combined action of pre-curing and nano-silica

In order to study the combined action of curing conditions and nano-silica (NS) on geopolymer concrete (GPC), the multi-based geopolymer concrete (FSSGC) was prepared with fly ash (FA), slag (SG) and steel fiber (SF), the experiments were carried out in three stages. Firstly, the mechanical properties of FSSGC was tested by monofactor analysis, with pre-curing temperature (20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 °C) and pre-curing time (6, 12, 18, 24, 30, and 36 h) as parameters. The compressive strength and splitting tensile strength initially increased and then decreased with the increase of parameters, and there was an optimal value for subsequent experimental research (80 °C and 18 h). Secondly, the effects of NS content (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 wt%) on the mechanical properties of FSSGC under different curing conditions were analyzed. The results indicated that the mechanical properties of the FSSGC exhibited a trend of initially increasing and then decreasing with the increase of NS content, with the optimal mechanical performance observed under the combined action of high-temperature pre-curing conditions and the incorporation of NS (1.0 wt%). Thirdly, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, image analysis, and microhardness tests had been conducted, and the results were consistent with the mechanical properties. The pre-curing temperature affected the rate of geopolymerization, while the pre-curing time influenced the degree of geopolymerization by maintaining this rate. The small particle size and high Young's modulus of the NS effectively filled pores and inhibited the propagation of microcracks. High-temperature pre-curing enhanced the nucleation effect and pozzolanic effect of NS, resulting in a combined action that formed a denser microstructure in the matrix and interfacial transition zone (ITZ).

High-temperature resistance quartz-fabric/phthalonitrile composite with excellent waving-transmitting performance

This study reports the fabrication of quartz fabric reinforced phthalonitrile composite possessing good thermal and wave-transmitting properties. Phthalonitrile-terminated oligomer PN-SF curing behavior was investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic rheological analysis (DRA), revealing a good processability pre-curing temperature of only 175°C. The thermoset exhibited the 5% loss temperature about 462°C, and after the temperature rising to 400°C and 400°C/2 h aging, the weight loss was only 10%, indicating that the resulting thermoset possessed outstanding thermal property. Moreover, the resulting thermosets possessed extremely high glass transition temperature (Tg) about 420°C. Besides, the quartz fabric/phthalonitrile composite possessed extremely excellent mechaical properties. Importantly, the transmission efficiencies can reach 87% at a certain frequency at the incident angle of 0°∼35°, indicating its well waving-transmitting performance. Meanwhile, the composite exhibited stable and relatively low dielectric constant and dielectric loss at the range of 12∼18 GHz. This study can serve as a basis for rapid evaluation of the high heat resistance and waving-transmitting phthalonitrile resin-based composite in various application environments.

Interpretable machine learning-based analysis of hydration and carbonation of carbonated reactive magnesia cement mixes

This study explored the influence of different input variables on the hydration and carbonation degree of carbonated reactive magnesia cement (RMC) system by employing six machine learning algorithms. These included support vector machine (SVM), particle swarm optimization-based SVM (PSO-SVM), extreme learning machine (ELM), grey wolf optimizer-based SVM (GWO-SVM), kernel extreme learning machine (KELM), and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost). The followed approach enabled the deep learning of the relevant database to achieve parameter prediction. Two feature analysis methodologies, i.e. partial dependence plot (PDP) and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP), were applied to uncover the operating laws underpinning the black box operation characteristics of machine learning models. Results revealed that GWO-SVM and XGBoost outperformed all other models in predicting the hydration and carbonation degree of the complete database set (R2 of the total database set was 0.9470/0.9775 and 0.9663/0.9727 for hydration and carbonation degree, respectively). Factors such as carbonation duration, CO2 concentration, pre-curing temperature, and w/b directly influenced the degree of hydration and carbonation. Among them, carbonation duration and CO2 concentration were two of the most influential factors, resulting in the promotion of brucite consumption and accelerating the formation of carbonation products.

Shrinkage, compressive and bond strengths of alkali activated/cement powder for alternative coating applications

This paper reports the properties of a novel coating material produced from alkali-activated/cement powder (AACP), including setting time, strength development, drying and autogenous shrinkages, and bond strength of one-part AACP paste-coated reinforcing steel bars in concrete. The AACP paste was prepared by activating a mixture of dry geopolymer powder (GPP), Portland cement (PC), and silica fume (SF) with tap water and 2 M sodium hydroxide solution. The effect of PC replacement, sodium silicate-to-sodium hydroxide solution (SS-to-SH) ratio, and pre-curing temperature in the production of GPP on the properties of AACP paste were also investigated. Test results showed that the incorporation of FA and PC activated with an SS-to-SH ratio of 2.0 for the production of GPP decreased their setting time of fresh one-part AACP pastes, whereas their strength development marginally increased. Furthermore, the increasing PC content and SS-to-SH ratio had an adverse effect on drying and autogenous shrinkages. However, the pre-curing temperature had a marginal effect on their shrinkages. In addition, one-part AACP paste-coated reinforcing steel bars positively affected the bond strength of reinforced concrete, especially for the GPP produced by FA without PC. The increased reaction products at the contact zone could assist in improving their bond strength. It can be recommended that the use of FA without PC activated with a low SS-to-SH ratio in the production of GPP would be beneficial in improving shrinkage and bond strength while providing high equivalent substrate stiffness (ks).

A lightweight rubber foaming insulation reinforced by carbon nanotubes and carbon fibers for solid rocket motors

The development of lightweight insulation materials has become one of the effective ways to improve the performance of solid rocket motors (SRMs). In this paper, porous structure was introduced into ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) insulation materials through rubber foaming technology to prepare lightweight insulation materials. The influence of foaming agent content and pre-curing temperature on morphology and properties of EPDM rubber foams were investigated. With the increase in pre-curing temperature, the cell size decreases significantly and the cell becomes more uniform, resulting in an increase in mechanical properties. As the foaming agent content increases, the cell density increases gradually without significant change in cell diameter. Meanwhile, the mechanical properties of insulation materials gradually decrease. EPDM rubber foams have optimum ablation resistance when the pre-curing temperature is 120 °C and the content of foaming agent is 6phr. Its charring ablation rate is 0.186 mm/s, only increasing by 16% compared with that of basic formula. On this basis, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and carbon fibers (CF) were added to reinforce EPDM rubber foams. The tensile strength of the reinforced formula increases by 36.4% compared to the foaming formula, which is 19.2% lower than that of the basic formula. The charring rate of the reinforced formula decreases by 35.5% compared to the foaming formula, which is only 5.3% higher than that of the basic formula.

A preliminary study on waste marble powder-based alkali-activated binders

Marble, as a widely used building decoration material, produces a significant amount of waste marble powder (WMP) during processing. To investigate the potential of WMP as a precursor in the preparation of alkali-activated binders, this paper uses WMP as the only precursor and conducts a series of macroscopic mechanical and microscopic characterization tests. The variables included the alkali activator modulus (Ms), Na2O dosage, and curing conditions. The results showed that increasing the Na2O dosage shortened the setting time of the binders, reduced the fluidity, and improved the strength. With the increase in the modulus of the alkali activator, the binder setting time was prolonged, the fluidity first increased and then decreased, and the strength decreased. Increasing the precuring temperature and prolonging the high-temperature curing time was beneficial to developing early strength. Sealed curing was more favorable for stable strength development than standard curing. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) characterization tests revealed that the dissolution of WMP occurred in the alkali activator, and the hydration products contained carbonate, C-S-H, N-C-S-H, and other substances. The results of the gray correlation analysis showed that the Na2O dosage had a greater influence on the binder fluidity than the alkali activator modulus, while the setting time was the opposite. The effects of the four studied factors on the long-term flexural and compressive strengths of the specimens were in the consistent order of Na2O dosage > alkali activator modulus > precuring temperature > high-temperature curing time.

Effects of pre-curing temperatures on the mechanical properties and microstructural development of impregnated municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash mortar

Environmental pollution and land resource waste caused by municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash (MSWIBA) have attracted considerable attention. The use of MSWIBA as a gelling material is a promising treatment method, but temperature significantly influences its mechanical properties and microstructural development as a gelling material. In this study, the effects of pre-curing temperature on the mechanical strength and microstructural development of Na2CO3-impregnated MSWIBA mortar were investigated to improve the performance of MSWIBA and utilisation rate of bottom ash. The compressive and flexural strengths of the mortars were tested. X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy were used to analyse the microstructure of the sample from the fracture surface of the mortar. The results indicated that the high-temperature pre-curing conditions stimulated the early hydration reaction of the mortar, accelerated the hydration process, and improved the early compressive strength. However, the early hydration products are formed quickly, and the uneven accumulation hinders the development of strength in the middle and late stages. The variation in the pre-curing temperature does not change the type of hydration products but affects the number of hydration products. High-temperature pre-curing conditions accelerate the transformation of hydration products and affect the microstructure of hydration products. This research provides theoretical support to improve the performance of MSWIBA, enhance the utilisation of bottom ash, and reduce environmental pollution.

Effect of shelf-storage temperature on degree of conversion and microhardness of composite restorative materials

BackgroundThe pre-cure temperature is considered an important parameter that affects the polymerization kinetics and the properties of composite restoration. As dissension exists about the effect of storing composite restorative materials in refrigerator, this study aimed to assess the effect of shelf-storage temperature on degree of conversion (DC) and microhardness of three composite restorative materials with different matrix systems.MethodsThree commercially-available composite restorative materials were used in this study; an Ormocer-based composite (Admira Fusion, Voco GmbH), a nanoceramic composite, (Ceram.X SphereTEC One, Dentsply Sirona GmbH), and a nanohybrid composite (Tetric N-Ceram, Ivoclar Vivadent AG). Regarding DC and microhardness tests, 60 disc-shaped composite specimens for each test were randomly divided into 3 groups (n = 20) according to the restorative material used. Each group was divided into 2 subgroups (n = 10) according to the composite storage temperature; stored at room temperature or stored in the refrigerator at 4°–5 °C. DC was evaluated using a Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer coupled to an attenuated total reflectance accessory. Microhardness was evaluated using micro-Vickers hardness tester under a load of 50 g with a dwell time of 10 s. The results were analyzed by ANOVA, post-hoc LSD, and independent t-tests at a significance level of p < 0.05.ResultsRegarding DC test all groups showed statistically significant differences at both storage temperature. The Ormocer-based composite had the highest mean values. There was a statistically significant difference between all room-stored groups and their corresponding groups stored at refrigerator (p < 0.05). For microhardness test, all groups exhibited also statistically significant differences at both storage temperatures with the Ormocer-based composite having the highest mean values. A statistically significant difference between both room-stored and refrigerator-stored groups has been observed also (p < 0.05).ConclusionsRefrigeration of resin-composite might have a deleterious effect on DC and microhardness of the tested composite restorative materials with different matrix systems. Moreover, the differences in the formulations of composite matrix have a potential impact on DC and microhardness.

Fabrication of a continuous carbon fiber-reinforced phenolic resin composites via in situ-curing 3D printing technology

An in situ-curing 3D printing technology was developed, which comprised resin impregnation, 3D printing/pre-curing and post-curing processes. Continuous carbon fiber-reinforced thermosetting phenolic resin (CF/PF) composites were fabricated based on that. The selection of pre-curing temperature was the key to successful printing. The deviation distances of prepregs during 3D printing, degrees of curing and defect volumes of the composites after 3D printing and post-curing were used to determine the pre-curing temperature. With the optimum pre-curing temperature of 260 °C, the deviation distance of the prepreg was 8.57 mm, defect volume of post-cured CF/PF composite was 12.1% and its mechanical properties were optimal. The degree of curing was 80.7% after 3D printing, which could maintain the structure integrity during the 3D printing and post-curing processes.

Effect of Different Storage Temperatures on Degree of polymerization of Tetric Evoceram Bulk Fill Composite resin (An in vitro study)

Aims: This study aims to evaluate the effects of different storage temperatures -18°C, 5°C, 23°C and 40°C on degree of conversion of bulk fill composite. Materials and Methods: The tetric evoceram was randomly allocated into four equal treatment groups (n=10/group) according to the storage temperatures: A: 23°C (control), B: 5°C, C: -18°C and D: preheated to 40°C. After the material removal from storage. The forty-disc shape specimens were prepared with 8mm diameter and 4mm thickness all specimens cure with monowave LED light (LEDition light cure). After photoactivation, the specimens were stored in artificial saliva for 24 hours, at 37°C for complete polymerization. The degree of conversion of the top and bottom surface of composite resin specimens were determined after 24 hours of curing using FTIR-ATR. Results: There was a significant difference in different storage temperatures on degree of conversion. As the temperature of resin composite increase, the top and bottom degree of conversion of the specimens also increased. Conclusions: The degree of conversion of bulk-fill composite resin increase as the increase of pre-cure temperatures.

Effect of graphene nanoparticles on suspension viscosity and mechanical properties of epoxy-based nanocomposites

The use of nanocomposite materials in many industrial applications has been increasing in recent years due their superior mechanical performance and reduced weight. Among the nanoparticles available for use in nanocomposites, graphene appears as one of the most promising due to its excellent mechanical and electrical properties. Therefore, the objective of this work is to analyse the properties of an epoxy resin and how they were affected by the presence of graphene. Epoxy resin viscosity, contact angle between graphene particles and resin, effect of mixture condition on polymerization rate and shrinkage tests were performed. The effects of the pre-cure temperature, between 7ºC and 40ºC, and hardener mixing times on the mechanical properties of the nanocomposite were studied. It was observed that the presence of graphene (0.5 wt.%) in the epoxy resin increased the viscosity by 4.2% and the shrinkage increased from 3.2 % to 5.7%. It was also possible to conclude that higher hardener mixing times and lower pre-cure temperatures had a very positive impact on the mechanical properties. Concerning the graphene content, the best mechanical properties were obtained with 0.5 wt.%, for which an increase of maximum bending stress between 8% and 31% was observed, depending on the pre-cure temperature.

Pre-Heating Effect on Monomer Elution and Degree of Conversion of Contemporary and Thermoviscous Bulk-Fill Resin-Based Dental Composites

Detection of unreacted monomers from pre-heated resin-based dental composites (RBC) is not a well-investigated topic so far. The objectives were to determine the temperature changes during the application and polymerization, the degree of conversion (DC) and unreacted monomer elution of room temperature (RT), and pre-heated thermoviscous [VisCalor Bulk(VCB)] and high-viscosity full-body contemporary [Filtek One Bulk(FOB)] bulk-fill RBCs. The RBCs’ temperatures during the sample preparation were recorded with a K-type thermocouple. The DC at the top and bottom was measured with micro-Raman spectroscopy and the amounts of eluted BisGMA, UDMA, DDMA, and TEGDMA were assessed with High-Performance Liquid Chromatography. The temperatures of the pre-heated RBCs decreased rapidly during the manipulation phase. The temperature rise during photopolymerization reflects the bottom DCs. The differences in DC% between the top and the bottom were significant. RT VCB had a lower DC% compared to FOB. Pre-heating did not influence the DC, except on the bottom surface of FOB where a significant decrease was measured. Pre-heating significantly decreased the elution of BisGMA, UDMA, DDMA in the case of FOB, meanwhile, it had no effect on monomer release from VCB, except TEGDMA, which elution was decreased. In comparison, RBC composition had a stronger influence on DC and monomer elution, than pre-cure temperature.

Development of a fracture-mechanics based fatigue testing method for epoxy/electrical steel laminates with thin adhesive layer

A fatigue fracture mechanics method was developed, implemented and used to characterize the crack kinetics of laminated electrical steel. Tests were carried out on double cantilever beam specimen based on electrical steel sheets and an epoxy adhesive layer with a thickness of just 10 µm. Two different crack length measurement methods based on optical measurement or compliance calculation were evaluated. As validation method specimens with different artificial initial crack length were used. The accuracy is limited to thin and stiff adhesives ensuring a small plastic zone size compared to the crack length. The accuracy of the crack length evaluation methods was higher for the compliance based approach meeting standard specifications at low to intermediate crack length values. The compliance based method was applied to investigate a specimen series varying the pre-curing temperature of the epoxy adhesive systematically. The fatigue tests were performed at ambient condition and 60 °C. At ambient temperature, laminates based on coated electrical steel pre-cured at low to intermediate temperatures revealed rather slow crack propagation rates in comparison to laminates made from coated steel pre-cured at 250 °C. The differences in the stable crack propagation rate of the investigated laminates at ambient conditions were up to two orders of magnitude higher. At 60 °C, the worst performance was also obtained for laminates based on coated steel sheets pre-cured at 250 °C. The failure mode was similar for laminates tested at 23 and 60 °C. While interfacial failure was ascertained for laminates based on coated steel sheets pre-cured at 190 and 250 °C, the better performing laminates made from sheets with epoxy coating pre-cured at 210 or 230 °C exhibited mainly cohesive failure. Hence, adequate pre-curing conditions are of utmost importance for the crack kinetics of adhesively bonded electrical steel.

Effects of curing temperature on the structure and properties of epoxy resin-poly(ε-caprolactam) blends

Improving the toughness of epoxy resins (EP) with diverse thermoplastic polymers through curing reaction induced phase separation (RIPS) has been widely studied, with the prerequisite of designing and tailoring the phase morphology evolution of the blend. Herein, two typical amine-type curing agents, 4,4′-diamino diphenylmethane (DDM) with precuring temperature at around 150 °C and diethylenetriamine (DETA) at 80 °C were utilized to regulate and control the phase structures of EP-poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) blends. The curing temperature above or below the melting temperature (Tm) of PCL resulted in different states of PCL. The effect of curing temperature on the miscibility between EP matrix and PCL phase, and the correlation between phase morphology evolution and thermomechanical behavior, mechanical properties were comprehensively investigated for the first time. Results revealed that when the curing temperature of EPDDM-PCL blends was higher than the Tm of PCL, curing took place without phase separation; while distinct phase separation took place when EPDETA-PCL was cured at a temperature below the Tm of PCL. When the curing temperature was high, the PCL was able to dissolve completely in the resin before crosslinking began, so that semi-interpenetrating networks were formed; and that when the curing temperature was low, the PCL was unable to dissolve, and therefore formed separate particles. Consequently, the EPDDM-PCL blends exhibited all-leading mechanical properties due to the entanglement and slippage between PCL chains and EP networks. The strength of EPDETA-PCL was reduced but the toughness was improved for island-shaped PCL particles bridging or pinning the cracks during failure. These results elucidated the effect of the phase morphologies formed at different curing temperature on mechanical properties, and provided significant insights regarding the toughening of thermosets.

Effects of debulk temperature on air evacuation during vacuum bag-only prepreg processing

Air removal prior to cure is critical for limiting porosity during vacuum bag-only (VBO) processing of prepregs. In this study, the effects of pre-cure dwell temperature (debulk) on air evacuation were investigated for both plain weave (PW) and unidirectional (UD) prepregs. In situ observations revealed that increasing dwell temperature promoted inter-ply air evacuation (by as much as 2x for UD prepregs). Through-thickness gas permeability increased with increasing temperature and decreased with increasing number of plies. The decrease in in-plane permeability during heated debulk was attributed to increased tow impregnation. The findings provide guidelines for cure cycle optimization. Heated debulk enhanced air evacuation in PW laminates, particularly as laminate width/thickness ratios exceed a threshold value. However, warm debulks were less effective, particularly for thicker laminates (>8 plies).

Effect of a heterogeneous network on glass transition dynamics and solvent crack behavior of epoxy resins.

In general, it has been widely accepted that the physical properties of an epoxy resin are strongly dependent on how it is prepared. However, a clear understanding of the mechanisms of the relationship at a molecular level has yet to be achieved. We here studied the glass transition dynamics and fracture behavior of four epoxy resins, which were pre-cured at different temperatures and well cured under the same conditions. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that the reaction kinetics for an epoxy-amine mixture were strongly dependent on the pre-curing temperature. The glass transition temperature of epoxy resins with the same cross-linking density was dependent on the pre-curing temperature. Dielectric relaxation spectroscopy and dynamic mechanical analysis revealed that the fragility index of the epoxy resin decreased with increasing pre-curing temperature, indicating that the network structure formed in it became more heterogeneous with increasing pre-curing temperature. Once the epoxy resin was immersed in a good solvent, it was partly swollen and was then macroscopically fractured. The fracture was initiated by the crack generation in an un-swollen region of the resin due to the stress induced upon swelling. The immersion time required to reach the fracture decreased as the extent of the heterogeneity increased. The knowledge here obtained should be useful for understanding and controlling fracture toughness of epoxy resins, leading to the furtherance of their functionalization.

Parametric optimization for rehabilitation of pipes with adhesive bonding

This work deals with the optimization of process parameters for rehabilitation of the pipe through-wall hole defects using adhesive bonding. Epoxy-based nonstructural adhesive (NSA) and structural adhesive (SA) combination, precure temperature, bond length, and surface preparation were considered as the parameters. The optimization of parameters directly on pipes is an expensive and time-consuming process. Hence, stainless steel and carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (SS-CFRP) composite single-strap joint was considered. The equivalent loads that were acting during the hydrostatic pressure test were applied to the SS-CFRP joint and its parametric effect on bond strength was studied. The stress distribution along the adhesive layer length has been derived analytically. The surface roughness of prebond surfaces was measured using a 3-D microscope. The quality of the adhesive bond was evaluated using nondestructive testing (digital radiography). The damaged pipe was rehabilitated with optimized parameters and its hydrostatic pressure resistance was tested according to ISO/TS 24817 standards. From the results, it is observed that the rehabilitated pipe with optimized parameters was able to sustain a maximum of 79% of its allowable pressure.

Fabrication of polyimide films with imaging quality using a spin-coating method for potential optical applications

Abstract Optical polyimide (PI) films were prepared by spin-coating from nearly non-volatile dimethylacetamide (DMAc) solutions. The uniformity of film thickness met the requirements of diffraction imaging quality. The results show that the final rotating speed ω, dynamic viscosity η, and initial polymer solid concentration c are the main factors affecting the film thickness T, and an empirical relationship which describes the film thickness as a function of the measured parameters was established to be T ∝ c 3.473 , η 0.586 , ω − 0.811 . $T \propto {c^{3.473}},{\rm{ }}{\eta ^{0.586}},{\rm{ }}{\omega ^{ - 0.811}}.$ Moreover, the viscosity dependence on concentration is system specific. Unlike traditional photoresist, the thickness uniformity of the PI film is determined by both spinning and precure process, which is intensively discussed in the present work. Uniform, 22-μm thick, PI films with transmitted wavefronts peak to valley (PV) ≤ 1/5 λ and root mean square (RMS) ≤ 1/50 λ were prepared under the optimum process: spin speed 900 rpm, initial fluid viscosity 10,500 cp, final spin time 120 s, precure temperature 70°C, spin process repeated 3 times. The results will find use in the production of optical quality membrane for ultra-lightweight optics or other applications.

Optimization of pre-structuring parameters in fabrication of magnetorheological elastomer

Pre-structuring of magnetic particles during fabrication of magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) is a crucial step, which results in the formation of chain-like columnar structures in the rubber matrix. In this study, MRE based on natural rubber and carbonyl iron particles were prepared. The Taguchi method was utilized to study the effect of several dominating factors during the fabrication process such as pre-curing time, pre-curing temperature and applied magnetic field during curing on the loss tangent (tan δ) and tensile properties. Tan δ was measured through parallel-plate rheometer over a frequency range of 1–100Hz and a strain amplitude range of 0.1–6%. Tensile properties were measured with a universal tensile testing machine. The obtained data were statistically analyzed using S/N ratios and ANOVA in order to predict the optimal combination of factors, and then further experiments were conducted for verification purpose. Results indicated that the magnetic field had the greatest influence on tan δ when measured over a range of frequency and elongation at break. Furthermore, pre-curing time and magnetic field were found to influence tan δ when measured over a range of strain amplitude. However, none of the factors exhibited significant influence on tensile strength. In addition, the morphology of MRE was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Study on the Activity of Aeolian Sand Powder and Alkali Excitation Modification

Aeolian sand powder samples were made from aeolian sand which was obtained from the Kubuqi Desert of Inner Mongolia, China. With the method of boiling, the effects of different mass fraction sodium sulfate and sodium hydroxide on the dissolution of active substances of aeolian sand powder were studied. Meanwhile, based on the “alkali activation” theory, the type of activator, the quality fraction and the pre-curing temperature were shown to be variable, and the effect of aeolian sand powder modification is discussed through the test of the strength of aeolian sand powder–cement mortar. Micro-methods such as the total spectral semi-quantitative analysis, x-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance technology were used to study the mineral composition, microstructure and pore characteristics, and then to discuss the feasibility of aeolian sand powder as an alkali-activated material. The results showed that sodium sulfate had a better activation effect on the aeolian sand powder compared with that of sodium hydroxide. The activation rate of aeolian sand powder increases with the increase of the mass fraction of the activator, and, with the increase of the alkalinity of the solution, the dissolution of SiO2 and other active substances in the aeolian sand powder increases gradually. The effect of sodium sulfate on the aeolian sand powder is better than that of sodium hydroxide, and when the mass fraction of sodium sulfate is 2%, the volume of the aeolian sand powder is 15%. When the pre-curing temperature is 35°C, the modification effect of aeolian sand powder is better and the activity index reaches 108.2%. Under the effects of the sodium sulfate, 2.2% and 2.6% active SiO2 and CaO were, respectively, dissolved from the aeolian sand powder. Then, a polymerization reaction occurred under the combined action of the temperature, which generated the needle-shaped hydration product ettringite with a good development state. Meanwhile, the ratio of the inner 20-nm hole of the aeolian sand powder–cement mortar specimen reached 85.69%, and there were many disconnected capillary pores, the irreducible fluid saturation was as high as 94.311%, and the gelling property was good.