Journal of Sustainable Cement-Based Materials 

About: Journal of Sustainable Cement-Based Materials is an academic journal published by Taylor & Francis. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Cement & Compressive strength. It has an ISSN identifier of 2165-0373. Over the lifetime, 328 publications have been published receiving 4822 citations.

Quantitative study of the reactivity of fly ash in geopolymerization by FTIR

Abstract: Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy has been applied to analyse the environments of Al–O and Si–O bonds in fly ash, which are used as raw materials of geopolymer synthesis. It is noted that the relative intensities of the bands at around 1000, 910 and 700 cm−1 are much higher in fly ash with higher reactivity, as reflected by the compressive strength of geopolymer. Deconvolution analysis of the band from 400 to 1400 cm−1 shows that the cumulative area of these three resolved bands, together with the band at ∼1090 cm−1, which is assigned to the asymmetric stretching of Si(Al)–O–Si, is proportional to the reactivity of fly ash. If it is assumed that the area of the resolved bands is proportional to the concentration of the corresponding bonds, a general indication is therefore that fly ash containing more reactive bonds will exhibit higher reactivity in geopolymerisation. FTIR spectroscopy in combination with particle size analysis provides a fast approach to predict the reactivity of fly ash, fr...

Mechanical property and structure of alkali-activated fly ash and slag blends

Abstract: Mechanical property and structure of alkali-activated fly ash (FA)/ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) blends were investigated via compressive strength testing, X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy. It is shown that the incorporation of slag into solid precursors can improve compressive strength of the geopolymer binders and the optimal slag content ratio which will result in the highest strength is 0.8. GGBFS is relatively more reactive than FA in alkaline activation. The binder is predominantly a class of Al-substituted sodium calcium silicate hydrate (N-C-A-S-H) gel phase, which distributes around the solid particles homogeneously. Combining the results obtained from the glass diffraction maximum of XRD and the wavenumber of T-O-Si bands displayed in FTIR, it suggests that the degree of polymerization of geopolymer binders decreases and increases. This means that the microstructure of the bi...

Performance of alkali-activated slag mortars exposed to acids

Abstract: The acid resistance of 60-day cured alkali-activated slag (AAS) mortars, in comparison with Portland cement, is assessed. Specimens are exposed to hydrochloric, nitric and sulphuric acids at pH 3.0, and acetic acid (CH3COOH) at pH 4.5, for 150 days, with specimens also immersed in water as a control. Negligible changes in compressive strength are identified in Portland cement and AAS binders during exposure to mineral acids, while compressive strength increases during immersion in water. However, exposure to CH3COOH reduces strength, and increases pore volume, in both Portland cement and AAS mortars. AAS performs better than Portland cement in CH3COOH, associated with the lower initial permeability of the specimens, along with the low CaO/SiO2 ratio typical of AAS. Decalcification of the AAS binder through formation of calcium acetate leaves an aluminosilicate type gel that can hinder the further ingress of acids, contributing to the high acid resistance of this binder.

Effect of process parameters on the performance of fly ash/GGBS blended geopolymer composites

Abstract: Alkali activation of fly ash and ground-granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) is a sustainable technology that promotes recycling of industrial by-products in the form of geopolymer composites. In t...

Nano-modification of cementitious material: toward a stronger and durable concrete

Abstract: Nanotechnology in construction and building materials has attracted great attention in recent years. Results demonstrated that nanomodification of cementitious materials can lead to significant improvement of the mechanical property, compactness, and durability. In this paper, based on the major characteristics of nanomaterials when used in cement-based materials, the recent progresses of nanomodification of cementitious materials with the mostly used nanomaterials such as nano-SiO2, nanoclay, nano-Al2O3,and carbon nano materials (carbon nanotubes and nanofibers) are reviewed. Modification effects and their influencing mechanisms of nanomaterials introduced by their specific features, such as the hydration seeding effect, the filling effect, the thixotropy-modifying effect, and the chemical reactivity feature on the properties of cementitious materials are reviewed. It is suggested that a stronger, greener, and more durable cementitious material can be obtained through the help of nanomodification.