Exploring Geopolymer Concrete Using Biomedical and Bone China Waste: Impact of Sodium Hydroxide Molarity

Abstract

This study investigates the potential of utilizing biomedical waste ash (BA) and bone china clay (BC) in geopolymer concrete production, especially when combined with optimized NaOH concentrations, to achieve concrete with superior mechanical properties. Study contributes to the ongoing efforts in sustainable construction materials and waste utilization, presenting a promising avenue for enhancing the performance of geopolymer concrete in structural applications. The performance of these novel mixes was compared with conventional 40-grade concrete to assess their suitability for structural applications. The key findings reveal that geopolymer mixing with a 16M NaOH concentration demonstrated superior mechanical properties compared to other molarities, indicating the effectiveness of higher alkaline solution. Particularly, the mix containing 30% BA and 30% BC (SFB30C30) exhibited significantly improved strength characteristics, surpassing the performance of the control mix OPCF0B0C0. Compressive strength (CS), flexural strength (FS), and split tensile strength (STS) tests conducted at various curing periods (7, 28, and 90 days) showcased notable enhancements in SFB30C30 mixes with 16M NaOH. Compared to the control mix, these enhancements ranged from 20% to 41.81% for CS, 25% to 41.81% for FS, and 30% to 38.88% for STS.