Full text

Turn on search term navigation

© 2025. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the "License"). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

This study delves into the impact of different potassium‐waterglass (K‐WG) compositions on the early reaction dynamics and strength evolution in metakaolin‐based geopolymers (GP). By maintaining a constant SiO2/Al2O3 ratio of 4, the study explores the influence of varying H2O/K2O and K2O/Al2O3 ratios on GP properties under both dry and saturated curing conditions. Early reaction kinetics are examined using isothermal calorimetry at room temperature (21°C), and pH measurements provide insights into alkali leaching. A strong correlation was found between total heat release and strength gain, as evidenced by ultrasonic cement analyzer (UCA) readings. The study further identifies that increased H2O/K2O ratios prolong setting times and delay the geopolymerization peaks, while a higher K2O/Al2O3 ratio enhances the geopolymerization process. Vicat tests confirmed the results obtained by calorimetry and UCA: only the GP4 formulation (H2O/K2O = 8.7 and K2O/Al2O= 1.3) hardened in less than 7 days. Additionally, it was found that saturated curing conditions decelerate strength development, with an initial notable decline in compressive strength at 24 h compared with dry curing. However, this difference diminishes to a negligible 7.6% after 3 days. Optimal ratios of H2O/K2O = 8.7 and K2O/Al2O= 1.3 were determined to be critical for achieving reliable strength measurements at 1 day of curing. pH assessments indicated strong water resistance in all GP formulations, with leaching primarily governed by diffusion mechanisms. Specifically, the K‐WG composition with SiO2/K2O = 1.53 and H2O/K2O = 8.69 showcased minimal leachability. These fundamental findings are crucial for the later design of GP materials that require rapid strength development, especially crucial for applications necessitating cementing under extreme conditions, such as deep‐sea drilling, geothermal energy production, and high‐temperature industrial processes.

Details

Title
Effect of potassium‐waterglass composition on strength development and leaching behavior of geopolymers in different curing conditions
Author
Siciliano, Umberto C. C. S. 1 ; Trindade, Ana C. C. 2 ; Silva, Flávio de Andrade 1 

 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC‐Rio), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil 
 Department of Biosystems Engineering, Pirassununga, SP, Brazil 
Section
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Publication year
2025
Publication date
Jan 1, 2025
Publisher
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
e-ISSN
25783270
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3157347278
Copyright
© 2025. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the "License"). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.