Effects of Chemicals Exposure on the Durability of Geopolymer Concrete Incorporated with Silica Fumes and Nano-Sized Silica at Varying Curing Temperatures

Sagar Paruthi; Ibadur Rahman; Asif Husain; Mohd Abul Hasan; Afzal Husain Khan

doi:10.3390/ma16186332

Effects of Chemicals Exposure on the Durability of Geopolymer Concrete Incorporated with Silica Fumes and Nano-Sized Silica at Varying Curing Temperatures

Materials (Basel). 2023 Sep 21;16(18):6332. doi: 10.3390/ma16186332.

Authors

Sagar Paruthi¹, Ibadur Rahman¹, Asif Husain¹, Mohd Abul Hasan², Afzal Husain Khan³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Civil Engineering, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 110025, India.
² Civil Engineering Department, College of Engineering, King Khalid University, Abha 61421, Saudi Arabia.
³ Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, Jazan University, P.O. Box 706, Jazan 45142, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Durable concrete significantly reduces the spalling caused by chemical damage. The objective of current research is to substitute cement with supplementary such as fly ash (FA), ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS), and alccofine (AF). Additionally, the impact of nano-silica (NS) and silica fumes (SF) on the GPC durability when cured at various temperatures has been attempted. In order to perform this, GPC samples were produced by combining NS and SF at proportions of 0.5% NS + 5% SF, 1% NS + 10% SF, and 1.5% NS + 15% SF, and then cured at temperatures of 27 °C, 60 °C, 90 °C, and 120 °C, respectively. In this research, all concrete specimens were continuously immersed for twelve weeks under four different chemicals, i.e., HCl (2%), H₂SO₄ (2%), NaCl (6%), and Na₂SO₄ (6%). The influence of chemical attack on the qualities of concrete was examined by evaluating the water absorption, sorptivity, loss of mass, and loss of GPC strength. The durability aspect is also studied by visual appearance and mass loss under harmful chemical attack. The combination of GPC with integrated NS and SF affords great resistance against chemical attacks. The percentages of these two components are 1.5% and 15%. For GPC specimens, when cured at 90 °C, the resultant strength is found at its maximum.

Keywords: alccofine; durability; geopolymer concrete; nano-silica; silica fumes.

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.