Microstructural Analysis and Compressive Strength of Fly Ash and Petroleum Sludge Ash Geopolymer Mortar under High Temperatures

Mubarak Usman Kankia, Lavania Baloo (), Nasiru Danlami, Noor Amila Zawawi, Abosede Bello and Sadiq Ibrahim Muhammad
Additional contact information
Mubarak Usman Kankia: Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Seri Iskandar 32610, Malaysia
Lavania Baloo: Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Seri Iskandar 32610, Malaysia
Nasiru Danlami: Civil Engineering Department, Bayero University, PMB 3011, Kano 700006, Nigeria
Noor Amila Zawawi: Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Seri Iskandar 32610, Malaysia
Abosede Bello: Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Maitama District, Abuja 900271, Nigeria
Sadiq Ibrahim Muhammad: Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), Maitama District, Abuja 900271, Nigeria

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 12, 1-14

Abstract: The development of sustainable building materials and construction to decrease environmental pollution in both production and operational stages of the materials’ life cycle is appealing to great interest in the construction industries worldwide. This study evaluated the negative effect of temperature up to 1000 °C on the compressive strength and microstructure of fly ash and petroleum sludge ash (PSA) geopolymer mortar. A sodium silicate and sodium hydroxide mixture is used as an activator. The synthesized mortar was investigated using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transformation Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry (MIP), and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM). As the temperature increased, the compressive strength of the geopolymer mortar decreased. The strength degradation is due to the damage to microstructure because of the temperature-induced dehydroxylation, dehydration thermal incompatibility between geopolymer aggregate and paste of geopolymer mortar at high temperatures. With an increase in temperature, the cumulative pore volume increased. The FESEM image showed the decomposition of the geopolymer matrix started at a temperature of 600 °C. Incorporating PSA in geopolymer mortar could result in an eco-friendly and sustainable environment that may reduce the problems associated with sludge disposal.

Keywords: petroleum sludge ash; compressive strength; fly ash; geopolymer mortar; elevated temperatures; microstructural analyses (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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