Diabase Mud-Based Geopolymer Paste: Formulation and Properties

Abstract

The concepts of sustainability and waste utilization have received urgent attention in the European construction industries. Material selection plays a vital role in the manufacturing process of sustainable building construction. The general objective of this study is the transformation of waste diabase mud into a value-added product. The diabase mud was characterized, and different parameters were selected for the cement, as well as the metakaolin in the mixture. This paper includes analytical research results of a geopolymer paste embedded with diabase mud waste material as its precursor, and a combination of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium silicate (Na2SiO3) as its alkaline activators to form a geopolymeric system. The compressive strength of the optimum mix sample was recorded as 14.0 MPa at 72 h. The embedding of a diabase mud into a geopolymer resulted in a viable composite for use in the construction industry.

Keywords

• geopolymer
• diabase mud waste
• building materials
• compressive strength
• microstructure