A huge amount of carbon dioxide is released in the Portland cement production process. A large quantity of greenhouse gases is produced because of the significant amount of energy consumption via making bricks through firing. Using the pozzolanic sources containing the aluminosilicate and alkaline reagents, a new type of green materials called geopolymeric materials are produced with quite lower environmental hazards. The use of laterite as an iron-rich aluminosilicate material has a high potential for building materials. In this study, the effect of the curing temperature and characteristics of the alkaline reagent including the concentration of sodium hydroxide solution and the water-glass to sodium hydroxide mass mixing ratio on the mechanical strength of the laterite-based, oven-cured geopolymer samples was investigated. The results showed that the curing temperature had a significant effect on the compressive strength of the laterite-based geopolymer samples so that with a 15°C change at the curing temperature, the compressive strength of the samples could be multiplied and a sharp increase in the mechanical strength could occur. Also, according to the results of this study, the 6 M sodium hydroxide is recommended for the construction of the laterite-based geopolymer materials with low cost and relatively high strength, and for the construction of higher-strength building materials, the 14 M sodium hydroxide is recommended.
A high amount of energy is required to produce different types of clay and sand-lime bricks, and a huge amount of carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. Also, brick waste from the destruction of dilapidated buildings pollutes the environment. Application of pozzolanic sources containing aluminosilicate and alkaline activators can be beneficial in production of geopolymer bricks, which do not need to be baked in a furnace and can be recycled. A laterite-based geopolymer brick mix design was introduced in this study as an environmental-friendly material. This type of brick is produced using available and cheap raw materials without the need for high furnace heat. The raw materials included laterite soil as aluminosilicate, laterite aggregate filler passed through sieve No. 8 and an alkaline activating solution with different concentrations. The effect of laterite aggregate size on the compressive strength of these brick samples was investigated. The results showed that the compressive strength of the prepared bricks here was much higher than the recommended standards for construction bricks and was similar to those of high-resistance bricks. The size of laterite aggregate had a significant effect on the compressive strength of geopolymer brick samples. The percentage of water absorption of the bricks with different concentrations of alkali activating solution was also within the recommended range for construction bricks.
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.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.