Research Information System
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS, vol.457, 2024 (SCI-Expanded)
This study examines the effects of using Carbon Fiber (CF) and Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) on the mechanical and thermal properties of ground Raw Perlite (RP) based Geopolymer Mortar (GPM). It focuses on determining the optimal dosages of CF and H2O2. This study aims to make perlite-based GPMs that form strong bonds with alkali activators lightweight, while also improving their compressive, tensile, flexural, and thermal properties. Sodium Silicate (Na2SiO3) and Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) were used as alkali activators, while H2O2 served as the foaming agent. The NaOH solution was 13 M, and Na2SiO3 was used with a 2-module specification. In this context, a reference GPM was prepared using RP and Crushed Sand (CS). CF was chosen for its advantages, such as low density, high Young's modulus and tensile strength. Various amounts of CF and H2O2 were used to determine the optimal dosage to achieve a durable and lightweight mortar. The results showed that the best performance was achieved with 1 % CF and 1 % H2O2. Compressive strength increased to around 3.5 MPa with the addition of 2 % H2O2 and 2 % CF. It was found that the use of CF provided significant protection in compressive and flexural strength, but increasing the fiber weight or volume ratio beyond a certain dosage could decrease strength efficiency. These findings support the use of 6 mm CF as a reinforcing material in GPMs within the construction industry while emphasizing the need to avoid exceeding a 2 % H2O2 ratio. The results of this research can be considered an important step toward developing environmentally friendly and durable building materials.