Electrical conductivity and dielectric property of fly ash geopolymer pastes

The electrical conductivity and dielectric property of fly ash geopolymer pastes in a frequency range of 100 Hz-10 MHz were studied. The effects of the liquid alkali solution to ash ratios (L/A) were analyzed. The mineralogical compositions and microstructures of fly ash geopolymer materials were also investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The 10 mol sodium hydroxide solution and sodium silicate solution at a sodium silicate-to-sodium hydroxide ratio of 1.0 were used in making geopolymer pastes. The pastes were cured at 40℃. It is found that the electrical conductivity and dielectric constant are dependent on the frequency range and L/A ratios. The conductivity increases but the dielectric constant decreases with increasing frequency.     

Factors affecting the shrinkage of fly ash geopolymers

The shrinkage of fly ash geopolymers was studied in the present study. Fly ash was used as the source material for making the geopolymers. The effects of the concentration of NaOH, sodium silicate-to-NaOH ratio, liquid-to-ash ratio, curing temperature, and curing time on shrinkage were investigated. The geopolymers were cured at 25, 40, and 60℃, respectively. The results indicate that the shrinkage of geopolymers is strongly dependent on curing temperature and liquid-to-ash ratio. The increase in shrinkage is associated with the low strength development of geopolymers. It is also found that NaOH concentration and sodium silicate-to-NaOH ratio also affect the shrinkage of geopolymers but to a lesser extent.