RESUMEN
The kinetics of geopolymer formation are monitored using a novel in situ attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopic technique. Reaction rates are determined from the intensity variation of the bands related to the geopolymer gel network and the unreacted fly ash particles. Comparison with deuterated geopolymer samples provides critical information regarding peak assignments. An initial induction (lag) period is observed to occur for hydroxide-activated geopolymers, followed by gel evolution according to an approximately linear reaction profile. The length of the lag period is reduced by increasing the concentration of NaOH. An increase in the rate of network formation also occurs with increasing NaOH concentration up to a maximum point, beyond which an increased NaOH concentration leads to a reduced rate of network formation. This trend is attributed to the competing effects of increased alkalinity and stronger ion pairing with an increase in NaOH concentration. In situ analysis also shows that the rate of fly ash dissolution is similar for all moderate- to high-alkali geopolymer slurries, which is attributed to the very highly water-deficient nature of these systems and is contrary to predictions from classical glass dissolution chemistry. This provides for the first time detailed kinetic information describing fly ash geopolymer formation kinetics.
RESUMEN
Structural changes in fly ash geopolymers activated with different sodium hydroxide and silicate concentrations are investigated using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy over a period of 200 days. A strong correlation is found between the concentration of silicate monomer in the activating solution and the position of the main Si-O-T stretching band in the FTIR spectrum, which gives an indication of the relative changes in the gel Si/Al ratio. The FTIR spectra of geopolymer samples with activating solution concentrations of up to 1.2 M SiO2 indicate that an Al-rich gel forms before the final gel composition is reached. The time required for the system to reach a steady gel composition depends on the silicate activating solution concentration and speciation. Geopolymers activated with solutions containing predominantly high-order silicate species rapidly reach a steady gel composition without first forming an Al-rich gel. A minimum silicate monomer concentration of approximately 0.6 M is required to shift the geopolymer synthesis mechanism from hydroxide activation to silicate activation. Silicate speciation in the activating solutions also affects zeolite formation and geopolymer microstructures, with a more homogeneous microstructure and less zeolite formation observed at a higher SiO2 content.
RESUMEN
The present work examines how the gel structure and phase composition of Na-geopolymers derived from metakaolin with varied Si/Al ratio evolve with exposure to temperatures up to 1000 degrees C. Gels were thermally treated and characterized using quantitative XRD, DTA, and FTIR to elucidate the changes in gel structure, phase composition, and porosity at each stage of heating. It is found that the phase stability, defined by the amount and onset temperature of crystallization, is improved at higher Si/Al ratios. Two different mechanisms of densification have been isolated by FTIR, related to viscous flow and collapse of the highly distributed pore network in the gel. Gels with low Si/Al ratio only experience viscous flow that correlates with low thermal shrinkage. Gels at a higher Si/Al ratio, which have a homogeneous microstructure composed of a highly distributed porosity, undergo both densification processes corresponding to a large extent of thermal shrinkage during densification. This work elucidates the intimate relationship between gel microstructure, chemistry, and thermal evolution of Na-geopolymer gels.
RESUMEN
A systematic series of aluminosilicate geopolymer gels was synthesized and then analyzed using 29Si magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR) in combination with Gaussian peak deconvolution to characterize the short-range ordering in terms of T-O-T bonds (where T is Al or Si). The effect of nominal Na2O/(Na2O + K2O) and Si/Al ratios on short-range network ordering was quantified by deconvolution of the 29Si MAS NMR spectra into individual Gaussian peaks representing different Q4(mAl) silicon centers. The deconvolution procedure developed in this work is applicable to other aluminosilicate gel systems. The short-range ordering observed here indicates that Loewenstein's Rule of perfect aluminum avoidance may not apply strictly to geopolymeric gels, although further analyses are required to quantify the degree of aluminum avoidance. Potassium geopolymers appeared to exhibit a more random Si/Al distribution compared to that of mixed-alkali and sodium systems. This work provides a quantitative account of the silicon and aluminum ordering in geopolymers, which is essential for extending our understanding of the mechanical strength, chemical and thermal stability, and fundamental structure of these systems.
