Innovative one-part Alkali activated binder from activator derived from agricultural waste: Synthesis and application for sustainable construction
Anoop Kallamalayil Nassar, Parthiban Kathirvel, G. Murali, Turki AlQemlas, Marc Azab
Abstract
Commercial powder activators are commonly used to produce one-part alkali-activated binders (AAB) despite their manufacturing method uses more energy and generating more CO2 emissions. To address this concern, the study employed mechanical process to synthesize agricultural waste-based powder activator, derived from rice husk ash (RHA) and NaOH powder at six different ratios. Paste samples were prepared by blending the derived activator with ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) precursor in 1:4 ratio. Fresh properties and compressive strength (range of 33–77 MPa) was evalauated. Besides, microstructural analysis and ecological factors were estimated, including embodied CO2 emissions and energy analysis, and the approach employed in this investigation significantly reduced both embodied CO2 emissions and embodied energy requirements compared to conventional practices. The result indicates that the activator powder synthesized in this study can be employed to produce AAB with qualities comparable to Portland cement.