Fracture properties and microstructure formation of hardened alkali-activated slag/fly ash pastes

By Shizhe Zhang, Zhenming Li, B. Ghiassi, Suhong Yin, Guang Ye. Cement and Concrete Research, 2021

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Abstract This study presents a comprehensive experimental investigation on the fracture properties of hardened alkali-activated slag/fly ash (AASF) pastes in relation to the microstructure formation and reaction product composition. The main reaction product in AASF is C-(N-)A-S-H gel along with minor hydrotalcite phase, with the polymerization of C-(N-)A-S-H gel substantially governed by its Ca/Si ratio. Strong positive correlations are identified between the Ca/Si ratios of C-(N-)A-S-H gel and the fracture properties KIc (Jtip), whereas, the compressive strength of AASF pastes is primarily determined by its capillary porosity (>0.01 μm). The disagreements between the Ca/Si ratios and corresponding intrinsic mechanical properties of C-(N-)A-S-H gel as proof by contradiction indicate that the fracture properties KIc (Jtip) of AASF pastes could be dominated by a cohesion/adhesion-based mechanism. These findings provide promising guidance for fine-tuning the fracture properties of AASF and also advise on the tailoring strategies for high-performance composite such as strain-hardening geopolymer composite.

Subfields: Building and Construction, Ceramics and Composites, Civil and Structural Engineering

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/5ebc3b5be8b04f587c9d0e7b2a21aea9445a82c2