Asses the Use of Calcium Carbide for Increasing Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Alkali Activated GGBFS-MK Precursor

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether calcium carbide can effectively develop the strength of a slag-metakaolin geopolymer matrix. For all mixes, a solution of sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate was used as a liquid alkali activator. CaC2 was added in ratios of 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5% by weight. Compressive strength shrinkage and thermal resistance of alkali-activated composites were examined. The GGBFS-MK geopolymer pastes with/without calcium carbide were subjected to FTIR, XRD, and SEM investigations for inspecting the effect of the CaC2 addition. The findings demonstrated that calcium carbide enhances compressive strength compared to the control mix, by producing more reaction products and providing a greater level of geopolymerization.