Performance of Geopolymer Concrete Against Acid Attacks Using Taguchi Method

Abstract

The acid and sulfate resistance of geopolymer concrete generated from treated fly ash is the primary subject of this investigation. The major goal is to find out if geopolymer concrete can be used for structural requests in harsh climates. The study includes the replacement of 90% of regular Portland cement with fly ash. The effect of numerous issues on the performance of geopolymer concrete is studied, including molarities of alkali activator, sodium silicate/sodium hydroxide ratio, alkali activator/binder ratio, and binder content. All specimens are treated at 65^{o C}. After 28 days, specimens from each mix are put into a 10% concentration sulfuric acid bath for 8 weeks. The performance of the mixes was investigated using some mechanical properties. The outcomes show that geopolymer concrete has exceptional resistance to acid and sulfate attacks at all molarities tested compared to traditional concrete, with the 8-molarity mix suffering the least strength loss and the 12-molarity mix suffering the most. Overall, the results show that it is possible to make geopolymer concrete from treated fly ash that is strong and long-lasting enough for structural purposes, even in hostile chemical environments.