INFLUENCE OF ORGANIC ALKALI AND CELLULOSE ON THE PROPERTIES OF FLY ASH-BASED GEOPOLYMER

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of organic alkali and cellulose on the properties of fly ash-based geopolymer materials. Geopolymers have shown promising applications in various fields, but their performance is significantly affected by the type and dosage of additives. The influence of organic alkali and cellulose on the properties of fly ash-based geopolymer materials has been extensively explored. To reveal the mechanism of these additives in the formation and performance regulation of geopolymers, this study used various characterization methods such as compressive strength testing, XRD analysis, FTIR analysis, and SEM observation. The experimental results show that the dosage of organic alkali has a certain effect on the strength of geopolymer, but the impact is relatively small. When only adding organic alkali, a dosage of twice only increases the strength from 5MPa to 6.3MPa. The addition of sodium silicate significantly improved the compressive strength of geopolymers. At a 5% organic alkali content, the addition of 5.5%, 11.0%, and 16.5% sodium silicate increased the compressive strength by 60%, 186%, and 396%, respectively. At a 10% organic alkali content, increasing by 47%, 256%, and 306% respectively, sodium silicate can promote the formation and expansion of the aluminosilicate network structure. The addition of cellulose exhibits a dual effect of first strengthening and then weakening, and its distribution and dosage have a significant impact on the properties of geopolymer. The cellulose dosages of 0.33%, 0.66%, and 0.1% increase by 0.9MPa, 2.4MPa, and 0.1MPa compared to those without addition. Through comprehensive analysis, this study reveals the correlation between organic alkali and cellulose in the microscopic characteristics and macroscopic performance of geopolymers, providing an experimental basis and theoretical guidance for the preparation of high-performance 
geopolymer materials. 

Keywords: Organic alkali, Cellulose, Fly ash based geopolymer, Compressive strength, Microscopic characteristics