EXPLORING THE POTENTIAL OF SLAG WASTE GENERATED AFTER ZINC METAL RECOVERY IN GEOPOLYMER MORTAR PRODUCTION
Abstract
During the purification of zinc metal, the slag waste generated causes various problems such as environmental pollution and storage. It is necessary to evaluate these wastes in different areas for effective management. In this study, the effect of slag from zinc production facilities on the mechanical properties of mortars obtained by substituting slag for fly ash in geopolymers at a replacement rate of 10-50% by weight was evaluated. Mortar mixtures were subjected to various tests including workability, flexural strength, compressive strength, water-absorption, and void ratio. Mortar mixtures containing NaOH with a liquid/binder ratio 0.40 were subjected to thermal curing at 90°C for 24 hours. Flexural and compressive strength tests were conducted on 7 and 28 days of samples. As a result of the tests, it was determined that the flexural strengths of mortars produced with slag ranged from 3.0 MPa to 5.8 MPa after 28 days, while the compressive strengths ranged from 28.2 MPa to 45 MPa. Mortar mixtures containing slag achieved 48-136% higher compressive strength values than the control mixture containing fly ash (19MPa). High-temperature tests (400, 600, 800°C) revealed that mortar mixtures containing up to 30% slag achieved higher flexural and compressive strengths than the control. As the amount of slag in the mortar increased, water absorption and void ratios also increased. These results indicate that slag waste can enhance the mechanical performance of geopolymers.
Keywords
Geopolymer, Fly ash, Slag waste, Mechanical properties
Thanks
The authors would like to thank Cinkur Factory (Kayseri/Turkey) for their support with waste materials.
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