Synthesis and thermal behavior of geopolymer-type material from waste ceramic

Waste ceramic was activated by alkali hydroxides and/or sodium/potassium silicate solutions to synthesize geopolymer-type material in this study. The synthesized geopolymer pastes were characterized by mechanical test, TG-DSC, SEM, XRD, as well as FT-IR analyses. And the thermal behavior of synthesized geopolymer was determined in terms of compressive strength evolution by exposure to 100, 200, 400, 600, 800, and 1000 degrees C. The synthesized geopolymer pastes exhibited a maximum 28-day compressive strength of 71.1 MPa and favorable anti-thermal properties by showing a higher compressive strength of 75.6 MPa after heat treatment of 1000 degrees C. The results indicate that waste ceramic could serve as a satisfying source material for thermostable geopolymer. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.