Geopolymer is known as an alkaline alumino-silicate material that has many potential advantages to replace for cement-based materials. Geopolymer is a green material with low or non-CO2 emission technology, high strength and heat resistance, high chemical resistance, and low energy production. Geopolymer has synthesized from activated alumino-silicate resources in high alkaline conditions. After formed, the geopolymer samples are cured in different conditions such as room temperature, drying oven temperature (from 40°C to 150°C), high pressure and temperature conditions of autoclave equipment. In this study, the paper would like to introduce a new technique for curing the specimens. The geopolymer samples were cured in a microwave oven set by various regimes of curing time. After cured in microwave conditions, the samples were tested for engineering properties such as compressive strength (MPa), volumetric weight (kg/m3), and water absorption (kg/m3). This technology is a useful solution because of saving time for curing the geopolymer specimens in comparison with others (normally, it takes time for curing in 28 days). Microstructural characteristics of the fly ash-based geopolymer were analyzed and evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.