Physicochemical characteristics of alkali activated slag pastes with siliceous materials

Abstract

Alkali activated slag which is one of the eco-friendly construction materials has been attracted attention, since the mechanical properties and the durability are higher than those of ordinary portland cement. Recently, Many studies have been conducted to improve the mechanical properties, by using various admixtures. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of siliceous materials on the physicochemical characteristics of alkali activated slag pastes. Silica fume and nano-$SiO_2$ were used as siliceous materials. the test results showed that the use of siliceous materials improved the mechanical properties of alkali activated slag pastes. The effects of the type of siliceous materials on the physicochemical characteristics of alkali activated slag were discussed via mercury intrusion porosimetry, thermogravimetric/derivative thermogravimetric test, nuclear magnetic resonance analysis, field emission scanning electron microscopy analysis and x-ray powder diffraction.