Effects of Al/Na and Si/Na Molar Ratios on the Alkalinity of Metakaolin-Based Geopolymer Pore Solutions

Abstract

The pH values of pore solutions are of great significance for the durability of concrete, but the influencing factors and mechanisms of geopolymer pore solutions are still unclear and the composition of raw material elements has a great influence on the geological polymerization behavior of geopolymers. Therefore, we prepared geopolymers with different Al/Na and Si/Na molar ratios using metakaolin, and the pH and compressive strength values of the pore solutions were determined using solid–liquid extraction. Finally, the influencing mechanisms of sodium silica on the alkalinity and geological polymerization behavior of geopolymer pore solutions were also analyzed. The results showed that the pH values of the pore solutions decreased with an increase in the Al/Na ratio and increased with an increase in the Si/Na ratio. The compressive strength of the geopolymers first increased and then decreased with an increase in the Al/Na ratio and decreased with an increase in the Si/Na ratio. The exothermic rates of the geopolymers first increased and then slowed down with an increase in the Al/Na ratio, indicating that the reaction levels first increased and then decreased with an increase in the Al/Na ratio. The exothermic rates of the geopolymers gradually slowed down with an increase in the Si/Na ratio, indicating that an increase in the Si/Na ratio reduced the reaction levels. In addition, the results obtained from SEM, MIP, XRD and other test methods were consistent with the pH change laws of geopolymer pore solutions, i.e., the higher the reaction level, the denser the microstructure and the smaller the porosity, whereas the larger the pore size, the smaller the pH value of the pore solution.