Geopolymer-Based Nepheline Ceramics: Effect of Sintering Profile on Morphological Characteristics and Flexural Strength
Romisuhani Ahmad,
Wan Mastura Wan Ibrahim,
Mohd Mustafa Al Bakri Abdullah,
Phakkhananan Pakawanit,
Petrica Vizureanu,
Arman Shah Abdullah,
Andrei Victor Sandu,
Fakhryna Hannanee Ahmad Zaidi
Affiliations
Romisuhani Ahmad
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Kangar 01000, Malaysia
Wan Mastura Wan Ibrahim
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Kangar 01000, Malaysia
Mohd Mustafa Al Bakri Abdullah
Center of Excellence Geopolymer and Green Technology (CEGeoGTech), Faculty of Chemical Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Perlis 01000, Malaysia
Phakkhananan Pakawanit
Synchrotron Light Research Institute, 111 University Avenue, Muang District, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand
Petrica Vizureanu
Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iasi, Blvd. D. Mangeron 71, 700050 Iasi, Romania
Arman Shah Abdullah
Faculty of Technical and Vocational, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Tanjong Malim 35900, Malaysia
Andrei Victor Sandu
Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iasi, Blvd. D. Mangeron 71, 700050 Iasi, Romania
Fakhryna Hannanee Ahmad Zaidi
Center of Excellence Geopolymer and Green Technology (CEGeoGTech), Faculty of Chemical Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP), Perlis 01000, Malaysia
The focus of this study is the fabrication of innovative and sustainable ceramic-based geopolymer with improved low temperatures performances. Kaolin was mixed with liquid sodium silicate (Na2SiO3) and 12M of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution using alkali activator ratio of 0.24 and solid-to-liquid ratio of 1:1 to synthesize kaolin geopolymer. The effect of the sintering profile on the microstructure, pore evolution and flexural strength were investigated. The heating exposure aided consolidation and created a fairly uniform microstructure, resulting in a smooth surface texture. In comparison to the unheated geopolymer, 3D pore distribution showed a significant increase in the range size of ~30 µm with the appearance of isolated and intergranular pores. The flexural strength at 1200 °C with a heating rate of 5 °C/min and was increased by 146.4% to 85.4 MPa, as compared to the heating rate of 2 °C/min. The sintering process has an impact on the final microstructure formation thus improving the characteristic of geopolymer-based nepheline ceramic.
