Ceramics-Silikáty 57 (4) 328-335 (2013)

POROUS MICROSTRUCTURE OF THE INTERFACIAL TRANSITION ZONE IN GEOPOLYMER COMPOSITES

The study deals with a comparison of the differences in the structure, composition and micromechanical properties of a metakaolinite geopolymer composite matrix, inside and outside of the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) with quartz grains of added silica sand. The microstructure is investigated by a measurement of the mercury porosimetry, microscopy and by a measurement in SEM and AFM, completed by Raman spectroscopy. Weaker mechanical properties, micropores in the ITZ, a higher concentration of Al atoms and hydroxyl groups than in the ambient matrix were detected. The water transport is probably the reason for the micropore formation, caused by disequilibrium in the course of solid-phase building from geopolymer dispersion.

Keywords: Geopolymer matrix, Filler aggregates, Boundary, Porosity, Nanoindentation