Mechanical enhancement of natural-curing geopolymer via shear-exfoliation graphene for sustainable paving blocks
Więcej
Ukryj
1
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Riau, Panam, Pekanbaru 28293, Indonesia
2
Department of Civil Engineering, University of Riau, Panam, Pekanbaru 28293, Indonesia
3
Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Riau, Panam, Pekanbaru 28293, Indonesia
Autor do korespondencji
Amun Amri
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Riau, Panam, Pekanbaru 28293, Indonesia
J. Ecol. Eng. 2025; 26(7)
SŁOWA KLUCZOWE
DZIEDZINY
STRESZCZENIE
The compressive strength and surface hardness of fly-ash based geopolymer paving block composites (GPBC), fabricated in a room temperture curing process (natural curing), have been successfully improved with the addition of low-cost liquid shear-exfoliation graphene (LSE-G) additives. The incorporation of LSE-G represents a breakthrough enabling natural-curing geopolymer composites to compete with conventional geopolymer materials while being easier and more economical to produce, making them suitable for small-scale production by local communities. Natural-curing GPBC was synthesized by mixing coal fly ash, sand, Na2SiO3, NaOH, and LSE-G solution with concentrations of 20 mg/ml, 40 mg/ml, and 80 mg/ml. The GPBC were characterized using compressive strength tests, Vickers hardness, water absorption tests, Raman spectroscopy (RS), scanning electron microscopy-EDX Spectrum (SEM-EDX), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Raman spectroscopy analysis indicated that LSE-G was well-distributed within the geopolymer matrix. The addition of LSE-G up to a concentration of 40 mg/ml increased compressive strength of geopolymer composite to 21.83 MPa (a 23.4% increase) and surface hardness to 122.5 Hv (a 6.15% increase). However, higher concentrations led to a decline in both parameters. SEM analysis revealed a denser and more compact geopolymer composite structure when LSE-G was added, with a reduction in porosity by 26.80%, which also resulted in a decrease in water absorption by 10.71%. EDX analysis supported the RS results, showing that LSE-G was homogenously incorporated into the composite matrix. TEM analysis explained that adding LSE-G up to a certain limit could enhance the density and compactness of the material. LSE-G has proven to be an effective and promising additive for improving the mechanical properties of natural-curing geopolymer paving block composites.