Thermal treatment of Kalabsha kaolin deposits, south of the Western Desert, Egypt: contribution to geopolymer production as green building materials

Abstract

Kaolin samples were collected to study the mineralogical, texture, chemical composition, thermal behavior, and treatment and also the possibility to convert kaolinite mineral into metakaolin and use it as a natural pozzolanic and/or as geopolymer materials. Kaolinite is the main constituent of clay mineral, which related to many of the chemical weathering of parent rocks and complete leaching of alkali elements under warm, humid to semi-arid climatic conditions. However, quartz, anatase, and iron oxide are considered non-clay minerals. Cement substituted by metakaolin under different ratios in the concrete industry was carried out to enhance the physical and mechanical properties of the concrete. The best results are detected at 10% and 15% of cement replacement by metakaolin. Geopolymer production using Metakaolin (MK) was mixed with NaOH and Na2O-3SiO2 to replace the Portland cement in the concrete industry and the obtained results are suitable and match with the green building material concept.