Properties of Geopolymers Based on Metakaolin and Soda-Lime Waste Glass

Abstract

The paper determines the properties of geopolymer pastes based on metakaolin and soda-lime waste glass. The density, alkaline activity, strength and microstructure of the reference geopolymer, as well as geopolymers with a 10%, 30% and 50% soda-lime waste glass content instead of metakaolin, were tested. The experimental results indicate that the properties of the geopolymers with waste glass largely depend on the ratio of the liquid to solid substance. Increasing the content of waste glass causes an increase in the fluidity of the geopolymer paste, which in turn allows the amount of water glass, i.e., an activator during the obtaining of geopolymers, to be reduced. On the basis of the conducted tests, it was found that the strength of geopolymers can be increased by adding up to 50% of soda-lime waste glass instead of metakaolin and by having a lower content of water glass.