Fly-ash geo-polymer foamed concrete

Aleksey Kargin, Vladimir Baev, and Nikolay Mashkin

Citation: AIP Conference Proceedings 1800, 020005 (2017); doi: 10.1063/1.4973021

View online: https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4973021
View Table of Contents: http://aip.scitation.org/toc/apc/1800/1
Published by the American Institute of Physics

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 Fly-Ash Geo-Polymer Foamed Concrete
Aleksey Kargin1, 2, a), Vladimir Baev2, b) and Nikolay Mashkin2, c)
1
T.F. Gorbachev Kuzbass State Technical University, 28 Vesennyaya St., Kemerovo, Russia
2
Novosibirsk State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering, 113 Leningradskaya St., Novosibirsk, Russia
a)
Corresponding author: say-bay@mail.ru
b)
atdabvs100@mail.ru
c)
nmashkin@yandex.ru

Abstract. In recent years, the interest of researchrs in using fly-ash as a raw material for the geo-polymer synthesis is
increasing. Kuzbass region (in Russia) has a large amount of ash wastes generated, which defined the relevace of the
study performed in this paper. Results of investigating load-bearing capacity of structural insulating material produced by
geo-polymerization of fly-ash of Kemerovo hydro-electric power plant with the addition of complex activator are
described in the paper. Hydrogen peroxide solution was used as the foaming agent. The activation time, the temperature
of isothermal holding and hardening in normal conditions for all samples were constant. The compressive strength and
the mean density of geo-polymer foamed concrete were determined. The influence of the material composition on its
properties was revealed. It is found that of the geo-polymer foamed concrete with the optimum composition has hardness
of 1,1-3,5 MPa at the density of 400 to 900 kg/m3. Thus, the production of the fly-ash geo-polymer concretes and mortars
is feasible, justified and promising.

INTRODUCTION
In April 2016, the international community adopted “The Paris Climate Agreement” – the document that
includes the transfer of some countries, in particular Russia, to carbon-free economy up to 2020. It is planned that
meeting requirements set in the document will stop increase of the global average temperature and minimize the
occurrence of environmental disasters [1].
However, for such coal mining region as Kuzbass the abandonment of coal-based power facilities in the next 20
years is hardly possible. This stresses importance of scientific community efforts, particular in the Kemerovo region,
to perform research on reducing the harmful effects of heat and power enterprises on the environment around. One
of the solutions is reusing wastes produced by thermal power plants, such as ash and slag from coal-based power
facilities, which in turn is mainly used by construction industry [2].
In recent years, a large number of researchers are engaged in studing geo-polymer technologies [3-7]. They are
produced by alkaline activation of natural or man-made aluminum silicate raw materials. This technology allows
producing construction materials consuming small amount of energy, since the firing is excluded from the operation.
The researchers found out that the main waste of coal-based power industry, which is fly-ash, in most cases contains
the sufficient amount of SiO2 to be used as the agents for the geo-polymerization [8]. Thus, the use of fly-ash as a
main component of geo-polymer materials allows not expending extra energy for the comminution. It means that
geo-polymer concrete can be more energy-efficient compared to Portland cement.
Another additional issue is that during production of 1 ton of Portland cement about one ton of carbon dioxide is
released [9]. Implementation of geo-polymer technology will reduce the production of Portland cement and,
consequently, the amount of carbon dioxide emissions in atmosphere. This will allow meeting the requirements set
in the provisions of the “Paris Climate Agreement”.

Youth, Science, Solutions: Ideas and Prospects (YSSIP-2016)

AIP Conf. Proc. 1800, 020005-1–020005-4; doi: 10.1063/1.4973021
Published by AIP Publishing. 978-0-7354-1468-6/$30.00

020005-1
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
The fly-ash of Kemerovo hydro-electric power plant was used for the experiment. Previously, authors carried out
a comprehensive chemical and particle size distribution analysis of the ash that is the subject of study [10]. Data in
Table 1 shows the relatively low content of calcium oxide CaO equal to 5.7% in the chemical composition of ash.
The basic component is the acidic ferro-aluminum silicate glass Al2O3+SiO2+FeO presented in the amount of more
than 65%, which is the main condition for its use as the main component in the geo-polymer technology.
TABLE 1. The chemical composition of the fly-ash of Kemerovo hydro-electric power plant.
Content, %
Name
SiO2 Al2O3 Fe2O3 FeO CaO MgO K2O SO3 Al2O3+SiO2+FeO
Fly-ash of
Kemerovo
49,1 18,6 12,8 5,7 1,5 2,8 0,2 1,05 67,7
hydro-electric
power plant

The 5 molar NaOH solution and sodium water glasses in various ratios were used as the complex alkali
hardening activator. The hydrogen peroxide solution was selected as the foaming agent.
The paper examines the impact of the geo-polymer concrete composition on compressive strength and average
density of produced foamed concrete. 6 compounds with different content of complex alkali activator and foaming
agent were investigated (Table 2).
TABLE 2. Geo-polymer concrete compositions under study.
The content ratio of the component in the mixture to the fly-ash mass, %
Name
1 2 3 4 5 6
Fly-ash of Kemerovo
hydro-electric power 100 100 100 100 100 100
plant
NaOH solution 10 20 30 20 20 20
Sodium water
3 5 10 5 5 5
glasses
H2O2 5 5 5 10 15 20

The components have been mixed for 30 seconds in a laboratory turbulent mixer, then they were deposed into
the block-form and subjected to steam curing for 12 hours at a temperature of 80° C of isothermal holding. After
that, the samples have been cured for 7 days under normal conditions.

RESULTS
The results of the experiments presented in Fig. 1 show increase of specimens’ strength up to 20% when
increasing the content of the complex alkali activator. Then, having achieved 20% the strength decreases, probably
due to the high mobility of the mixture, since the concentration of NaOH in the alkaline solution is invariable during
the experiment. The dependence of the geo-polymer foamed concrete density on the content of complex alkaline
activator is inversely proportional, since increase in the mobility of the mixture facilitates gassing and increases the
size and number of pores.
When the amount of the foaming agent is increased the mixture strength and average density decrease. This
relationship can be seen on Fig. 2. The size and number of pores depend on the mixture density.

020005-2
 FIGURE 1. The dependence of the compressive strength and the average number density on the alkali activator amount

FIGURE 2. The dependence of the compressive strength and the average density on the amount of the foaming agent

CONCLUSION
The study demonstrates that production of fly-ash geo-polymer concrete and mortar is feasible, justified and
promising. Development and application of the technology will support reuse of large amount of fly-ash waste and
improve environmental situation in Kuzbass region. The technology of geo-polymer foamed concrete itself can
provide load-bearing structural insulating material production based on local raw material resources.

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 ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The study was supported by the grant of the Foundation for Assistance to Small Innovative Enterprises in
Science and Technology of the Government of the Russian Federation in the framework of the program “The
Participant of Youth Research and Innovation Competition”. Works are carried out according to the instructions
№2014/76 for execution of public works in the field of scientific activities within the basic part of public tasks of the
Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation under the project №770 “Development of waste
composite materials and co-products of industrial production”.

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