This study reports the synthesis and characterization of geopolymer foam concrete (GFC). A Class F fly ash with partial slag substitution was used for GFC synthesis by mechanical mixing of preformed foam. The GFCs exhibited 28 day compressive strengths ranging from 3 to 48 MPa with demolded densities from 720 to 1600 kg/m 3 (105°C oven-dried densities from 585 to 1370 kg/m 3 ), with the different densities achieved through alteration of the foam content.The thermal conductivity of GFCs was in the range 0.15 to 0.48 W/m·K, showing better thermal insulation properties than normal Portland cement foam concrete at the same density and/or at the same strength. The GFC derived from alkali activation of fly ash as a sole precursor showed excellent strength retention after heating to temperatures from 100 to 800°C, and the post-cooling compressive strength increased by as much as 100% after exposure at 800°C due to densification and phase transformations. Partial substitution of slag for fly ash increased the strength of GFC at room temperature, but led to notable shrinkage and strength Preprint of: Z Zhang, JL Provis, A Reid, H Wang, Mechanical, thermal insulation, thermal resistance and acoustic absorption properties of geopolymer foam concrete (GFC), Cement and Concrete Composites, 62(2015): 97-105. Final published version is at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2015.03.013 2 loss at high temperature. Thin GFC panels (20 -25 mm) exhibited acoustic absorption coefficients of 0.7-1.0 at 40 to 150 Hz, and 0.1-0.3 at 800 to 1600 Hz.
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.