The fixation of heavy metals (Ba, Cu, Pb) in an alkali-activated matrix was investigated. The matrix consisted of fly ash and blast furnace slag (BFS). The mixture of NaOH and Na-silicate was used as alkaline activator. Three analytical techniques were used to describe the fixation of heavy metals-X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). All heavy metals formed insoluble salts after alkaline activation. Ba was fixed as BaSO₄, and only this product was crystalline. EDS mapping showed that Ba was cumulated in some regions and formed clusters. Pb was present in the form of Pb(OH)₂ and was dispersed throughout the matrix on the edges of BFS grains. Cu was fixed as Cu(OH)₂ and also was cumulated in some regions and formed clusters. Cu was present in two different chemical states; apart from Cu(OH)₂, a Cu-O bond was also identified.
Keywords: X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy; alkali-activated materials; fixation; heavy metals.