Properties of zeolite-based geopolymer foam reinforced nanocellulose prepared in low alkaline media
The growing interest in geopolymer foam, driven by its exceptional properties and environmental benefits, presents promising prospects for diverse industrial applications. However, its reliance on highly concentrated alkaline solutions and fresh water poses significant limitations. Concentrated a...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2024
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/118559/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/118559/1/118559.pdf |
| Summary: | The growing interest in geopolymer foam, driven by its exceptional properties
and environmental benefits, presents promising prospects for diverse industrial
applications. However, its reliance on highly concentrated alkaline solutions
and fresh water poses significant limitations. Concentrated alkaline solutions
are expensive, low in supply, and corrosive, while fresh water is becoming
scarce globally. This study developed geopolymer foams using low molarity
alkaline solutions and seawater to address these issues. The geopolymer
consisted of aluminosilicate zeolite, a mixture of Potassium Silicate (KSil),
below 2M Potassium Hydroxide (KOH), Potassium Chloride (KCl), and
seawater as the alkaline solution, with Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulphate (SLES)
and Benzalkonium Chloride (BAC) as surfactants to stabilize the foam
produced by Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2). Nanocellulose (NC) was used as
reinforcement. Geopolymerisation validation revealed successful depolymerization,
reticulation, networking, and solidification of aluminosilicates, indicating that
low molarity alkaline solution and seawater can effectively produce
geopolymers. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used to statistically
analyze the impact of each material on properties such as density, porosity,
water absorption, and compressive strength. All four models displayed high R²
values of more than 0.85, indicating that the chosen factors (SW/KSil,
KOH/KCl, SLES/BAC, and H2O2/NC) effectively explain the variability in the
tested properties. Optimization yielded a density of 1.691 g/cm³, porosity of
52.86%, water absorption of 43.106%, and compressive strength of 0.677
MPa, each with an average error below 15%. This study is the first to report on
low molarity alkaline solution and seawater-based geopolymer foam,
highlighting its potential as an eco-friendly alternative for various applications. |
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