Journal of Asian Ceramic Societies (Jan 2020)

Preparation of low-cost nano and microcomposites from chicken eggshell, nano-silica and rice husk ash and their utilisations as additives for producing geopolymer cements

  • H. K. Tchakouté,
  • D. E. Tchinda Mabah,
  • C. Henning Rüscher,
  • E. Kamseu,
  • F. Andreola,
  • M. C. Bignozzi,
  • C. Leonelli

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/21870764.2020.1718860
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 8, no. 1
pp. 149 – 161

Abstract

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This work aims to prepare low-cost nanocomposite and microcomposite with lower molar ratio CaO/SiO2 (0.4). Nano-silica, rice husk ash and calcined chicken eggshell have been used as silica and calcium sources. Metakaolin has been separately replaced by 0, 10 and 20 wt% of each composite in order to study their behavior on the properties of geopolymers. The hardener used is sodium waterglass from rice husk ash. The surface area of nano-silica and rice husk ash was 54.40 and 4.08 m2/g, respectively. The cumulative volumes of the control geopolymer, the ones containing 10 wt% of microcomposite and nanocomposite are 119.71, 89.92 and 110.49 mm3/g, respectively. The compressive strength of the control specimen is around 64.02 MPa. The one using 10 wt% of microcomposite was 68.97 MPa. It drops to 42.88 MPa when metakaolin was replaced by 20 wt % of microcomposite. Whereas the one using 10 wt% of nanocomposite was 30.03 MPa and it decreases to 26.05 MPa when metakaolin was substituted by 20 wt% of nanocomposite. It can be concluded that 10 wt% of microcomposite could be mixed to metakaolin for strength development and nanocomposite does not recommend to use as an additive for producing high strength of geopolymer cements.

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