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Alkali-activated basalt powder/slag systems: compressive strength and microstructural characterization

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Abstract

This study investigates the potential use of basalt powder as a sole precursor or blended in high amounts in slag-based alkali-activated systems. Eight alkali-activated mixes are prepared and comprehensively analyzed to determine the compressive strength development and microstructural characterization of basalt powder-based and basalt powder/slag blends activated by sodium hydroxide and a mixture of sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate. The mixes are characterized from a microstructural viewpoint via X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric and scanning electron microscopy analyses. The results show that while basalt powder-based mixes have low compressive strength values, ranging between 2 and 9 MPa, basalt powder/slag blend mixes exhibit a moderate compressive strength, i.e., 20 MPa at 28 days. Furthermore, sodium-silicate-activated basalt powder/slag blend mixes achieve high compressive strengths at early and further ages. The low strength values of the basalt powder-based mixes are attributed to the low concentration of reactive species and lack of Ca2+ ions in the medium, while the high compressive strength of the blended mixes is mainly associated with the formation of calcium aluminosilicate hydrate [C–(A)–S–H] or Na-enriched calcium sodium aluminosilicate hydrate [C–(N)–A–S–H] gel phases along with the calcic-plagioclase, which afford a denser microstructure. The obtained results show that basalt powder can be used in high concentrations, i.e., 50%, in alkali-activated systems, and basalt powder/slag blends can be a feasible, alternative binder system for use as a structural material.

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Acknowledgements

This research was conducted at the Construction Materials Laboratory of Istanbul Bilgi University. The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support from the Istanbul Bilgi University Research Fund (Project Code: 2019.02.004). The authors would like to acknowledge the AKCANSA Cement Company for supplying slag and cement. Moreover, we would like to thank the METU Central Laboratory and Yildiz Technical University Central Laboratory for the XRD and SEM analyses.

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    Busra Akturk & Bilal Umut Ayhan

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Akturk, B., Ayhan, B.U. Alkali-activated basalt powder/slag systems: compressive strength and microstructural characterization. Mater Struct 56, 81 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-023-02165-1

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