Geopolymer Concrete Production by Using Nano-Bauxite Binder

Iraqi bauxite ore was used in the manufacturing of geopolymer mortar and concrete. To de-hydroxylate and turn bauxite into an amorphous phase, it was heated to 650 degrees Celsius. Mixing bauxite nanoparticles with an active alkaline solution produces a geopolymer of high grade due to their high efficiency. The nano-bauxite geopolymer mortar is produced following ASTM C109 with various quantities of alkaline solution with molarity (8, 10, 12, and 14). At 3, 7, and 28 days, the maximum compressive strength of mortar with a molarity of 12 was 20.2, 49.7, and 65.3 MPa, respectively. The same quantity of molarity for the mortar was utilized for the production of geopolymer concrete using an alkaline solution. The weight of nano bauxite was substituted for the percentage of nano-glass and carbon nano-tubes that were included in the geopolymer concrete. This resulted in the utilization of nano-glass and carbon nano-tubes, the best ratios are 8% silica merge with 0.01% of carbon nano-tubes. At the age of 28 days, the water absorbency value was found to be 1.78%, and it was noted that the increased compressive strength reached 81.4 MPa. For the polymerization and performance hardening of samples at low temperatures (20±3 °C), geopolymers with nano-bauxite binders were manufactured without heat treatment. The increased compressive strength as well as resistance to freezing and thawing tests are a result of the superior performance and high requirements of nano-materials. XRD examination was performed, many geopolymer phases were generated, and the bond structures between alumina and silica were observed; these results confirm the development of geopolymer.