Author : Saurav Kar, Dr. Anup Kumar Mondal

For the last few decades, use of industrial wastes such as fly ash and blast furnace slag in various cement concrete structures has gained immense importance. The substitution yielded substantial beneficial action in terms of enhancement of durability, low heat of hydration and better sulphate resisting properties. In order to counteract the diversity of BF slag reactivity from different sources and the poor performance behavior of blended high slag-Portland cement, the proper choice and controlled addition of suitable chemical slag activator has been gaining immense scientific and technological importance that would safely permit maximum percent utilization of granulated blast furnace slag to Portland-slag cement composition. Development of alkali-activated binders with better engineering properties are the new sustainable material for construction along with geopolymers. Geo-polymer materials are inorganic polymers based on alumina and silica units, they are synthesized from a wide range of de-hydroxylated alumina-silicate powders condensed with alkaline silicate in a highly alkaline environment. Using lesser amounts of calcium-based raw materials, lower manufacturing temperature and lower amounts of fuel, result in reduced carbon emissions for geopolymer cement manufacture up to 22%-72% in comparison with Portland cement. Even inclusion of ground granulated slag with class F fly ash can significantly increase the strength and setting of geopolymer binders when cured in ambient temperature. Detailed and extensive research work on geopolymers substituted with slag and fly ash is conducted with addition of various inorganic and organic polymers is presented in this paper.

Keywords: Blast furnace slag, Class C and Class F fly ash, organic polymers, water soluble polymers, ambient temperature.