Influence of the type and concentration of the activator on the microstructure of alkali activated SiMn slag pastes

Abstract

The influence of the type and concentration of the activator on the composition of the products formed and the microstructural development of alkali activated SiMn slag pastes and their evolution with curing time are studied. About 15–17 million tons of SiMn slag is produced per year, so valorising this residue is interesting for the economic and environmental scope. For this purpose, NaOH and WG with different concentrations of Na2O have been used as activators. The hydration products have been studied by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX) has been used to study the microstructure and elemental composition of hydrated phases. The advance of the degree of hydration with time and with the activator concentration is consistent with the mechanical behaviour of these pastes observed in previous studies. All the pastes show high microcracking due to the stresses caused by the shrinkage, as it has been observed in previous studies. Elemental composition data do not show significant differences regarding the type of activator with respect to the main elements and their relationship in the reaction products except for Mn. The main reaction product formed in the alkaline activation of SiMn slag is C-S-H with a low Ca/Si ratio, this being higher for pastes activated with NaOH compared to those with WG. In addition, the modification of the C-S-H structure is demonstrated by the presence of small amounts of Al and Mn and that Mg is not incorporated into it. The presence of hydrotalcite is not detected by XRD, but small amounts have been confirmed by TGA/DTG and SEM/EDX.