Geopolymer fly ash composites modified with cotton fibre

Abstract

The work’s primary goal is to assess the influence of the cotton fibres addition and their proportion on the strength properties and thermal conductivity of foamed geopolymer composites based on fly ash.Fly ash from a thermal power plant was used as the foundation material to create the geopolymer composites in this study. Volcanic silica was used as an additional source of silicon. As an additive, the recycled cotton flock was used in amounts of 0.5%, 1% and 2% by weight of dry ingredients. The density, compressive, and three-point bending strength of the created geopolymers were measured. Moreover, the thermal conductivity measurements for three temperature ranges: 0–20C, 20–40C, and 30–50C for all investigated geopolymers were conducted. The structure of tested materials was observed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM).It was demonstrated within the context of the study that the addition of cotton fibres to foamed fly ash-based geopolymers aids in slightly reducing their density. Cotton fibres can be used to boost the strength of the examined geopolymers; for samples with 1% cotton fibres added, compressive strength rose by around 22% and flexural strength by about 67%. Additionally, it is feasible to lower their thermal conductivity coefficient by incorporating cotton fibres into foamed fly ash-based geopolymers.The results obtained highlight the potential of fly ash-based geopolymer composites with the addition of cotton flocks for application as insulating materials in the building industry.The novelty of this work is the demonstration of the possibility of producing foamed geopolymers based on fly ash with the addition of recycled cotton fibres, with properties that make them suitable for use as building insulation materials.