Construction and Building Materials 174 (2018) 138–149

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Construction and Building Materials

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/conbuildmat

Application-oriented mix design optimization and characterization of

zeolite-based geopolymer mortars
Néstor A. Ulloa a,d, Haci Baykara a,b,c,⇑, Mauricio H. Cornejo a,b, Andrés Rigail a, Cecilia Paredes a,
José Luis Villalba a
a
Facultad de Ingeniería Mecánica y Ciencias de la Producción, Escuela Superior Politécnica de Litoral, ESPOL, Campus Gustavo Galindo Km 30.5 Vía Perimetral, Guayaquil, Ecuador
b
Center of Nanotechnology Research and Development (CIDNA), Escuela Superior Politécnica de Litoral, ESPOL, Campus Gustavo Galindo Km 30.5 Vía Perimetral, Guayaquil, Ecuador
c
Departamento Ciencies Quimicas y Ambientales, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Matemáticas, Escuela Superior Politécnica de Litoral, ESPOL, Campus Gustavo Galindo km 30.5 Vía
Perimetral, Guayaquil, Ecuador
d
Facultad de Ingeniería Mecánica, Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo, ESPOCH, Panamericana Sur km 1½, Riobamba, Ecuador

h i g h l i g h t s g r a p h i c a l a b s t r a c t

 Zeolite-based geopolymer mortars

were prepared for the first time.
 The best mixture and curing
temperature, corresponding to:
activator/zeolite: 0.5, Na2SiO3/NaOH:
3, and 60 °C.
 The compressive strengths of the
specimens were evaluated for 7, 14
and 28 days.
 The use of corrosion inhibitor, MCI-
2005 NS favored the compressive
strength in ZGM specimens up to 14
days.

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: In the present study, geopolymer mortar samples (ZGM) were prepared based on natural zeolites in
Received 14 February 2018 which the effect of the addition of the MCI-2005 NS migratory type corrosion inhibitor was also evaluated
Received in revised form 9 April 2018 through the compressive strength. Additionally, the design of the mixture was optimized using; two alka-
Accepted 11 April 2018
line activators (NaOH 14 M and Na2SiO3) in different proportions, river sand as fine aggregate, curing
time and temperature. All ZGM samples were characterized using quantitative X-ray diffraction, SEM-
EDS, simultaneous TGA-DSC analysis, FTIR spectrometry and compressive strength. The best mixture
Keywords:
and curing temperature, corresponding to activator/zeolite: 0.5, Na2SiO3/NaOH: 3, and 60 °C, was identi-
Natural zeolite
Geopolymer mortar
fied by the highest mechanical strength obtained after 28 days of aging of the synthesized specimens,
Corrosion inhibitor which reached 17 MPa. The zeolite-based geopolymer mortars prepared can be used in real life applica-
Alkaline activation tions due to acceptable compressive strength obtained, and the use of MCI-2005 NS favors the compres-
Compressive strength sive strength in ZGM specimens at an early age up to 14 days.
Ó 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

⇑ Corresponding author at: Facultad de Ingeniería Mecánica y Ciencias de la Producción, Escuela Superior Politécnica de Litoral, ESPOL, Campus Gustavo Galindo Km 30.5
Vía Perimetral, Guayaquil, Ecuador.
E-mail address: hbaykara@espol.edu.ec (H. Baykara).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.04.101
0950-0618/Ó 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.