Neutral geopolymer foams reinforced with cellulose studied with the FT-Raman spectroscopy

Abstract

In this work, cellulose fibers were successfully used as a reinforcement agent in a metakaolin-based geopolymer composite to produce, by direct foaming, sustainable and lightweight material with neutral properties for eco-friendly agricultural purposes. The structure of these materials after the neutralization process as well as changes during curing were investigated in their relations to the Raman spectra. The results showed both, a strong degree of conversion of the starting materials to the innovative neutral geopolymer product, and an advantage of the Raman spectroscopy in order to confirm the type of SiO4 polymerization.