Issues and challenges for development of geopolymer concrete
Authors :- Harit Upadhyay, Mahesh Mungule & KannanK. R. Iyer
Publication :- Materials Today: Proceedings, Volume 65, Part 2, 2022
Geopolymer concrete is projected as a sustainable alternative to conventional cement concrete. In Geopolymer concrete, availability of multiple choices for binder materials and activators, complicates the understanding of mechanisms/parameters contributing to strength gain. The parameters that are identified to influence the strength gain process of geopolymer concrete includes type of binder, binder to solution ratio, alkali activators ratio, curing time, curing temperature, concentration of alkali activators, and Si/Al ratio in the binder material and activators. The research studies so far have discretely explored some of these parameters. However, the holistic understanding of the same still remains a challenge. In this context, the present study provides a detailed comparative assessment of the past studies to understand the effect of different variables on the properties of geopolymer concrete. Based on the assessment, it can be suggested that no single parameter is dominant in influencing the strength of geopolymer concrete. However, the study identifies that geopolymer concrete with wide range of strength can be achieved with low molarity NaOH, higher sodium silicate/sodium hydroxide (SS/SH) ratio and narrow range of water binder ratio. Further, it is opined that attempts shall be made to identify interrelationship amongst parameters to pave way for the development of cost effective and environment friendly geopolymer concrete.