Processing, characterization and hardening mechanism of one-part geopolymer cement

Sustainable development of technologies for the industrial waste utilization for building construction areas are given considerable worldwide attention due to their advantages in reduction of greenhouse gases compared to Portland cement as well as conservation of raw materials resources used in cement production. Therefore, geopolymer materials are introduced, not only for the environmental issue, but also because they can reduce carbon dioxide emission caused by Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) by 80% to 90% in building construction. In this paper, we aim to produce an eco-friendly one-part geopolymer cement with low carbon dioxide emission as an alternative for traditional cements, as well as to conserve the natural resources. The current work focuses on the utilization of industrial wastes rather than natural raw materials with the just-add-water technique for pre-prepared one-part geopolymer cement, which can be applied in various building industries. In the current paper, different types of activators with various ratios and varying firing temperatures from 500 up to 1000°C are studied. The analysis showed that firing of nix at 800°C using 10 and 20% potassium carbonate results in better mechanical strength reaching 550 and 650 Kg/cm² after 28 days of hardening.