Theerawat Sinsiri

Properties of high calcium fly ash geopolymer pastes with Portland cement as an additive

The effect of Portland cement (OPC) addition on the properties of high calcium fly ash geopolymer pastes was investigated in the paper. OPC partially replaced fly ash (FA) at the dosages of 0, 5%, 10%, and 15% by mass of binder. Sodium silicate (Na2SiO3) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solutions were used as the liquid portion in the mixture: NaOH 10 mol/L, Na2SiO3/NaOH with a mass ratio of 2.0, and alkaline liquid/binder (L/B) with a mass ratio of 0.6. The curing at 60°C for 24 h was used to accelerate the geopolymerization. The setting time of all fresh pastes, porosity, and compressive strength of the pastes at the stages of 1, 7, 28, and 90 d were tested. The elastic modulus and strain capacity of the pastes at the stage of 7 d were determined. It is revealed that the use of OPC as an additive to replace part of FA results in the decreases in the setting time, porosity, and strain capacity of the paste specimens, while the compressive strength and elastic modulus seem to increase.

Leaching of heavy metals from solidified waste using Portland cement and zeolite as a binder

This study investigated the properties of solidified waste using ordinary Portland cement (OPC) containing synthesized zeolite (SZ) and natural zeolite (NZ) as a binder. Natural and synthesized zeolites were used to partially replace the OPC at rates of 0%, 20%, and 40% by weight of the binder. Plating sludge was used as contaminated waste to replace the binder at rates of 40%, 50% and 60% by weight. A water to binder (w/b) ratio of 0.40 was used for all of the mixtures. The setting time and compressive strength of the solidified waste were investigated, while the leachability of the heavy metals was determined by TCLP. Additionally, XRD, XRF, and SEM were performed to investigate the fracture surface, while the pore size distribution was analyzed with MIP. The results indicated that the setting time of the binders marginally increased as the amount of SZ and NZ increased in the mix. The compressive strengths of the pastes containing 20 and 40wt.% of NZ were higher than those containing SZ. The compressive strengths at 28 days of the SZ solidified waste mixes were 1.2-31.1MPa and those of NZ solidified waste mixes were 26.0-62.4MPa as compared to 72.9MPa of the control mix at the same age. The quality of the solidified waste containing zeolites was better than that with OPC alone in terms of the effectiveness in reducing the leachability. The concentrations of heavy metals in the leachates were within the limits specified by the US EPA. SEM and MIP revealed that the replacement of Portland cement by zeolites increased the total porosity but decreased the average pore size and resulted in the better containment of heavy ions from the solidified waste.

Cellular lightweight concrete containing high-calcium fly ash and natural zeolite

Cellular lightweight concrete (CLC) with the controlled density of approximately 800 kg/m3 was made from a preformed foam, Type-I Portland cement (OPC), fly ash (FA), or natural zeolite (NZ), and its compressive strength, setting time, water absorption, and microstructure of were tested. High-calcium FA and NZ with the median particle sizes of 14.52 and 7.72 μm, respectively, were used to partially replace OPC at 0, 10wt%, 20wt%, and 30wt% of the binder (OPC and pozzolan admixture). A water-to-binder mass ratio (W/B) of 0.5 was used for all mixes. The testing results indicated that CLC containing 10wt% NZ had the highest compressive strength. The replacement of OPC with NZ decreased the total porosity and air void size but increased the capillary porosity of the CLC. The incorporation of a suitable amount of NZ decreased the setting time, total porosity, and pore size of the paste compared with the findings with the same amount of FA. The total porosity and cumulative pore volume decreased, whereas the gel and capillary pores increased as a result of adding both pozzolans at all replacement levels. The water absorption increased as the capillary porosity increased; this effect depended on the volume of air entrained and the type or amount of pozzolan.

Role of Filler Effect and Pozzolanic Reaction of Biomass Ashes on Hydrated Phase and Pore Size Distribution of Blended Cement Paste

The role of filler effect and pozzolanic reaction of biomass ash on hydrated phase and pore size distribution of blended cement paste was studied. Rice husk ash (RHA), palm oil fuel ash (POFA), and river sand (RS) were ground to two fineness values, and used to replace Type I portland cement (OPC) at 0, 20, and 40% by weight of binder. A water to binder ratio of 0.35 was used. The compressive strength, pore size distribution, and thermogravimetric analyses of the blended cement pastes were investigated. Partial replacement of OPC with fine RHA and POFA at a dosage of 20% by weight of binder resulted in pastes with higher compressive strengths than that of OPC paste. The compressive strengths of RHA paste were slightly higher than those of POFA pastes at the same age. The differences between mass losses (at 30-450°C) of RS and RHA (or POFA) blended pastes at the same fineness, curing time, and replacement rate were due to the pozzolanic reaction, which increased in accordance with particle fineness and cement replacement rate. In addition, the weight losses (at 30-450°C) due to the pozzolanic reaction were higher than those due to the filler effect. The use of fine RHA and POFA enhanced the pozzolanic reaction, and reduced the average pore diameters of pastes.