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Special Issue "Research on Alkali-Activated Materials"

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A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Construction and Building Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 February 2024 | Viewed by 2693

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Hui Liu

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Guest Editor

Department of Civil Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
Interests: alkali-activated materials; geopolymer; recycled concrete

Prof. Dr. Feng Rao
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Zijin Mining, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
Interests: geopolymer; alkali-activated materials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Alkali-activated materials are a kind of cementitious material generated by the reaction of solid silicate wastes (such as slag, fly ash, kaolinite, etc.) with pozzolanic activity or potential hydraulic properties and alkaline activators, including four types: alkali-aluminosilicate vitreous, alkali-fired clay, alkali-ore tailings and alkali-calcium carbonate. It has the advantages of simple preparation, low cost, easy access to raw materials, low energy consumption, green environmental protection, high strength, good durability etc., and is considered as an ideal substitute for Portland cement materials. As a low-carbon material, it has become the focus and hot spot of research in major countries across the world. However, due to the complex source of raw materials, high content of alkali activator, lack of applicable additives, etc., the alkali-activated materials still are limited to use in practical engineering.

Therefore, in order to promote the application, we are pleased to invite researchers from all over the world to investigate the alkali-activated materials.

This Special Issue aims to highlight the original findings regarding the alkali-activated materials, and the potential perspectives for future investigations are also encouraged.

In this Special Issue, original research articles, communications and reviews are welcome.

Dr. Hui Liu
Prof. Dr. Feng Rao
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

alkali-activated materials
alkali-activators
mixing proportion design
mechanical performances and durability
reaction mechanism
modification
additives
carbon analysis

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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Open AccessArticle

Properties of Gangue Powder Modified Fly Ash-Based Geopolymer

and

Materials 2023, 16(16), 5719; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16165719 - 21 Aug 2023

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Abstract

The environmental and economic problems caused by gangue accumulation continue to worsen. Therefore, the implementation of a cost-effective method for utilizing gangue resources is urgent. In this study, different gangue powder (GP) contents (0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50%) for mechanical–thermal activation were used to modify a fly ash-based geopolymer (FAG). Further, the effect of GP was revealed by investigating the setting time, fluidity, porosity, water absorption rate, mechanical properties, drying shrinkage, and microstructure. Results showed that the addition of GP reduced the fluidity and setting time of gangue powder—fly ash-base geopolymer (GPFAG), improved density, and decreased the water absorption rate of GPFAG. Moreover, its mechanical properties gradually improved. Compared with GPFAG0 (FAG with 0% GP), the 28-d compressive and flexural strengths of GPFAG50 (FAG with 50% GP) increased by 246.4% and 136.8%, respectively. The incorporation of GP increased the drying shrinkage. The results of XRD and FTIR analyses showed that the addition of GP increased the production of amorphous silica–aluminate gels, such as N-S-A-H and C-S-A-H. Moreover, strong Si-O-T vibrational peaks appeared in the range 743–1470 cm⁻¹, characterizing the GPFAG strength and reaction degree. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Alkali-Activated Materials)

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Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

New Experimental Evidence for Drying Shrinkage of Alkali-Activated Slag with Sodium Hydroxide

Marco Sirotti

Brice Delsaute

and

Stéphanie Staquet

Materials 2023, 16(16), 5659; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16165659 - 17 Aug 2023

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Abstract

Alkali-activated slag (AAS) is emerging as a possible and more sustainable alternative to Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) in the construction industry, thanks to its good mechanical and chemical properties. Conversely, the effects of its high drying shrinkage are still a concern for its long-term durability. This study aims to investigate the drying shrinkage behaviour of six AAS/sodium hydroxide mortar compositions and the main phenomena affecting their drying shrinkage behaviour. Specifically, the molarity, solution-to-binder ratio (s/b), autogenous shrinkage, creep compliance, microcracking, and carbonation are considered as possible causes of the differences between AAS and OPC. The results show that it is not possible to correlate the shrinkage magnitude with the molarity of the activating solution, while an increase in the s/b increases the drying shrinkage. Concerning the other factors, autogenous deformation remains significant even after a period of 112 days, while the creep compliance is definitely affected by the drying process but does not seem to affect the shrinkage magnitude. Furthermore, the presence of microcracks caused by the drying process definitely influences the drying shrinkage. Finally, carbonation depends on the molarity of the activating solution, even though its effects on the material are still unclear. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Alkali-Activated Materials)

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Open AccessArticle

Potential Evaluation for Preparing Geopolymers from Quartz by Low-Alkali Activation

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Materials 2023, 16(4), 1552; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16041552 - 13 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 810

Abstract

Alkali fusion of granite sawdust at a high alkali dosage can significantly improve geopolymerization activity, but also result in a high alkali consumption and a poor geopolymer performance. In this work, quartz, the most inert component in granite sawdust, was selected to explore the effect of low-alkali activation on its reactivity and the compressive strength of geopolymer. It was found that the amount of activated quartz is mainly determined by the amount of alkali used for activation. The surface of a quartz particle can be effectively activated by an alkali fusion process at a low alkali dosage of 5%. The metakaolin-based geopolymer synthesized with quartz activated by an alkali dosage of 5% shows a high compressive strength of 41 MPa, which can be attributed to the enhanced interfacial interaction between quartz and the geopolymer gel, suggesting that low-alkali activation is a potential way to improve the geopolymerization ability of granite sawdust. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Alkali-Activated Materials)

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Review

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Review of the Interactions between Conventional Cementitious Materials and Heavy Metal Ions in Stabilization/Solidification Processing

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Materials 2023, 16(9), 3444; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16093444 - 28 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 839

Abstract

In the past few decades, solidification/stabilization (S/S) technology has been put forward for the purpose of improving soil strength and inhibiting contaminant migration in the remediation of heavy metal-contaminated sites. Cement, lime, and fly ash are among the most common and effective binders to treat contaminated soils. During S/S processing, the main interactions that are responsible for improving the soil’s behaviors can be summarized as gelification, self-hardening, and aggregation. Currently, precipitation, incorporation, and substitution have been commonly accepted as the predominant immobilization mechanisms for heavy metal ions and have been directly verified by some micro-testing techniques. While replacement of Ca²⁺/Si⁴⁺ in the cementitious products and physical encapsulation remain controversial, which is proposed dependent on the indirect results. Lead and zinc can retard both the initial and final setting times of cement hydration, while chromium can accelerate the initial cement hydration. Though cadmium can shorten the initial setting time, further cement hydration will be inhibited. While for mercury, the interference impact is closely associated with its adapted anion. It should be pointed out that obtaining a better understanding of the remediation mechanism involved in S/S processing will contribute to facilitating technical improvement, further extension, and application. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Alkali-Activated Materials)

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Special Issue "Research on Alkali-Activated Materials"

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