Study of synergy between a natural volcanic pozzolan and a granulated blast furnace slag in the production of geopolymeric pastes and mortars

The production and characterization of a cement and mortar based on the alkaline activation of a high content (>= 70%) of natural volcanic pozzolan (NP) and the synergic effect of the addition of granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS) up to 30% were performed. NaOH and a mixture of NaOH + Na2SiO3 were used as activators. The results of this study highlight the possibility of obtaining a binder with a compressive strength of up to 125 MPa at 28 days of curing (25 degrees C). The optimal alkaline cement that was obtained can be categorized as GU- and LH-type cement according to the ASTM C1157 standard. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.