Phosphoric acid-based porous geopolymers were prepared by two different foaming agents (H2O2 and Al powder) with phosphoric acid as the activator. High-magnesium nickel slag (HMNS) and fly ash (FA) were the precursor combination. The effects of foaming agent types and contents on the properties of HMNS-FA-phosphate-based porous geopolymers were investigated in terms of dry density, pore structure, compressive strength, thermal conductivity, and water absorption. The phase was analyzed by x-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). It was found that both foaming agents could successfully prepare porous geopolymers, and the compressive strength and dry density of porous geopolymers gradually decreased and the low-thermal conductivity and water absorption gradually increased with the increase in foaming agent content. The foaming agents formed porous structures inside porous geopolymers but did not affect the phases of geopolymerization reactions. This study demonstrates that both foaming agents can be used to prepare HMNS-FA-phosphate-based porous geopolymers for the application of phosphate-activated geopolymers in the direction of refractory materials.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.