Microstructure and mechanical properties of geopolymers with different dolomitic lime contents

Abstract This study investigated the effect of dolomitic lime incorporation on the microstructure and mechanical properties of metakaolin-based geopolymers activated by alkaline solution. Five geopolymer mixtures were prepared with the addition of 0.0%, 2.5%, 5.0%, 7.5%, and 10.0% dolomitic lime. The microstructure of the geopolymers was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction analyses (XRD). The compressive strength of the mixtures ranged between 53.2 and 63.0 MPa after 28 days of ambient curing. SEM/EDS analyses showed that the main phases formed were the N-A-S-H gel together with the C-A-S-H and N-M-A-S-H gels in the mixtures with dolomitic lime. In summary, the results showed that the incorporation of dolomitic lime can significantly improve the microstructure and properties of geopolymers.