Recycling Ash and Slag Waste from Thermal Power Plants to Produce Foamed Geopolymers
Elena A. Yatsenko,
Boris M. Goltsman,
Andrey I. Izvarin,
Viktor M. Kurdashov,
Victoria A. Smoliy,
Anna V. Ryabova,
Lyudmila V. Klimova
Affiliations
Elena A. Yatsenko
Department “General Chemistry and Technology Silicates”, Platov South-Russian State Polytechnic University (NPI), Prosveshcheniya Street 132, Rostov Region, 346428 Novocherkassk, Russia
Boris M. Goltsman
Department “General Chemistry and Technology Silicates”, Platov South-Russian State Polytechnic University (NPI), Prosveshcheniya Street 132, Rostov Region, 346428 Novocherkassk, Russia
Andrey I. Izvarin
Department “General Chemistry and Technology Silicates”, Platov South-Russian State Polytechnic University (NPI), Prosveshcheniya Street 132, Rostov Region, 346428 Novocherkassk, Russia
Viktor M. Kurdashov
Department “General Chemistry and Technology Silicates”, Platov South-Russian State Polytechnic University (NPI), Prosveshcheniya Street 132, Rostov Region, 346428 Novocherkassk, Russia
Victoria A. Smoliy
Department “General Chemistry and Technology Silicates”, Platov South-Russian State Polytechnic University (NPI), Prosveshcheniya Street 132, Rostov Region, 346428 Novocherkassk, Russia
Anna V. Ryabova
Department “General Chemistry and Technology Silicates”, Platov South-Russian State Polytechnic University (NPI), Prosveshcheniya Street 132, Rostov Region, 346428 Novocherkassk, Russia
Lyudmila V. Klimova
Department “General Chemistry and Technology Silicates”, Platov South-Russian State Polytechnic University (NPI), Prosveshcheniya Street 132, Rostov Region, 346428 Novocherkassk, Russia
Ash and slag waste (ASW) from coal combustion creates significant environmental and economic challenges. A promising method of ASW recycling is alkali activation with geopolymer material formation. This study investigates the influence of activating solution components (sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate) on the formation of porous geopolymers using ASW of different origins. The sodium hydroxide content of 0–4 wt.% and the sodium silicate content of 17–25 wt.% were studied. An increase in sodium hydroxide resulted in decreased density, but it adversely affected the strength. An increase in sodium silicate led to a compromised porous structure with relatively high density and compressive strength. An optimal composition, S19N3, comprising 3 wt.% of sodium hydroxide and 19 wt.% of sodium silicate obtained porous geopolymers with uniformly distributed 1.4–2 mm pores and a corresponding density of 335 kg/m3, a compressive strength of 0.55 MPa, a porosity value of 85.6%, and a thermal conductivity value of 0.075 W/(m·K). A mechanism for porous geopolymer formation was developed, including the interaction of alkaline components with ASW and a foaming agent, foaming, curing, and densification. The mechanism was examined using ASW from the Severodvinsk CHPP-1. This study allows for the optimization of geopolymer mixtures with various waste sources and the utilization of waste materials in the construction industry.