Influence of SiC Sludge on the Microstructure of Geopolymers

There are considerable resource reuse and environmental concerns regarding SiC sludge (SiCS) that results from cutting silicon ingots into wafers. In the current study, the effect of the Na₂SiO₃ solution/sodium hydroxide solution (NS/SS) mass ratio and SiCS amount on metakaolin geopolymers was found during geopolymerization system performance. The results indicate that while NS/SS ratio was relatively low, increasing the NaOH content resulted in a sufficient amount of OH^- in the system to increase the solubility and hinder polycondensation, as indicated by the bulk density and setting-time results; since the polycondensation was inhibited, the mechanical strength was reduced. This study demonstrated that a geopolymer can be formed from a substitution of 10% SiCS and with an NS/SS ratio of 1.6, and that this geopolymer is a feasible material.