Synthesis of geopolymer binder from treated palm oil fuel ash

الملخص EN

This study deals with the ability of geopolymers mortar synthetized from industrial waste of treated palm oil fuel ash (TPOFA) containing aluminosilicate activated with alkaline activator solution.

Geopolymers are inorganic polymers formed by the activation of amorphous aluminosilicate (Al2O3.SiO2), which react in a strongly alkaline medium.

10M NaOH, Na2SiO3:NaOH with a 2.5 weight ratio, and alkali-activator: solid-material with a 0.47 weight ratio were used as the alkaline medium.

The production of geopolymer mortar synthesized from TPOFA is currently underway at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM); the results of the experiments that are in progress show that the TPOFA-geopolymer mortar achieved a compressive strength of 19 MPa after only 1 day of curing.

The properties of the TPOFA-based geopolymer mortar were further analyzed via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffractography (XRD), thermogravimetry (TGA/DTA) , field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis.

All results of the analyses show that the main binding phases are the tridimensional tecto-aluminosilicate type gel.