A novel process for making advanced geopolymeric cementitious materials has been developed and patented in India and the USA. The novel process was conceptualised using the principles of solid-state chemistry. The process involves mechano-chemical reactions between fly ash and sodium hydroxide in the dry state. The dry solid powder thus obtained can then be used for the preparation of advanced geopolymeric material by just the addition of water. The process overcomes some of the drawbacks of the conventional manufacture of geopolymeric materials, and especially obviates the need to handle highly alkaline solution and the requirement of sodium silicate as this is synthesised in situ in the developed process. The advanced geopolymeric material thus produced was characterised using x-ray diffraction analysis, infrared spectral studies and scanning electron microscopy. It was found that even the dry powder material contained all the necessary mineral phases found in conventional geopolymeric materials. The developed advanced geopolymeric material was tested for mechanical strength as per the relevant Indian standard and was found to possess compressive strength 28·5% higher than that of conventional geopolymeric materials.
Advanced geopolymerization is a novel approach for the manufacture of geopolymers via innovative solid-state chemistry mechanism in which tailored geopolymeric precursors in solid powder form are the one part requirement, and only water is needed for its conversion to advanced geopolymeric material, in contrast to conventional process, where first solution of alkali is prepared and then mixed with silicoaluminous source materials. This novel process comprises of tailored geopolymeric precursors in solid powder form which is obtained via mechanochemical dry grinding of raw materials for prolonged hours. The basic raw materials include vitreous silica-and alumina-containing waste material/by-products, e.g. fly ash, activated by sodium hydroxide with or without sodium silicate. The solid powder needs only addition of water to form geopolymeric material. The advanced process includes solid-state reactions during dry grinding process and enables sequencing of reactions for preparation of geopolymeric material.
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