Critical parameters affecting the thermal resistance of alkali-activated aluminosilicate wastes: Current understanding and future directions.

Many research articles and reviews have recognized alkali-activated materials (AAMs) as eco-friendly alternative binders to ordinary Portland cement (OPC) due to their economic andenvironmental advantages. However, few literature surveys reported the physical, mechanical and microstructural changes that occur after the exposure of AAMs to elevated temperatures. Owing to the wide diversity in the properties of aluminosilicates, alkali-activation conditions, and additives, a deep survey is needed to understand how different factors can affect the performance of AAMs under elevated temperatures. Therefore, this review extensively discusses the impact of recent critical parameters, including aluminosilicate compositions, aggregate type and mineral, micro, and nano additives, on the behavior of AAMs under thermal load. It can be concluded that regardless of alkali-activator type and concentration, alkali-activated fly ash shows higher thermal resistance than alkali-activated metakaolin and slag. Moreover, the presence of an adequate amount of calcium can increase the thermal stability of AAMs, while the iron has a varying effect on the thermal resistance of AAMs, either positively or negatively. Compared with all additives and aggregates, using waste glass and lightweight aggregates enhanced the thermal resistance of AAMs. Howerver, some types of aggregate having a binding ability which increase the residual strength after heat exposure. Considering the fineness of materials, evaluating the role of nano and micro materials on the properties of AAMs at high temperatures is reviewed. Based on this survey, several promising topics for future work are suggested.

Performance of alkali-activated slag individually incorporated with two nanozinc sources.

The role of nanozinc source (nanohydrozincite: nHZ; nanozinc oxide: nZO) on the performance of alkali-activated slag (AAS) was explored for the first time in the present work. The results showed that nHZ with different contents (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 wt%) retards the early hydration rate of AAS, whereas nZO showed the lowest retardation effect. Zn(OH)2 is the main retarder inside AAS-nZO and AAS-nHZ, which consumes the dissolved Ca2+ (responsible for the early hardening of AAS) from slag to yield calcium zincate hydrate (CZH). The high retardation rate of nHZ is originated from its high affinity to consume much Ca2+ through the formation of additional pirssonite (Na2CO3.CaCO3.2H2O) double salt. Although adding nHZ induced the drying shrinkage of AAS, it improved the later compressive strengths (28 to 365 days), especially at low nHZ content (0.5 wt%), via the formation of CASH with lower Ca/Si ratio and higher binding capacity compared to that formed inside AAS and AAS-nZO. A further research is needed to reduce the drying shrinkage and to accelerate the early strength of AAS containing nHZ.