Feasibilty of valorizing quarry wastes in the synthesis of geopolymer binders: engineering performances and...

The exploitation of volcanic rock quarries generates enormous waste, which causes the problem of disposal, leading to rising dust levels in quarries and depositions on nearby farms by runoffs. To address this issue, the development of sustainable solution for their valorization in construction industries is required. The present investigation aims to valorize granite (GW) and basalt (BW) quarry waste powders as partial replacement (up to 20 wt.%) of iron-rich aluminosilicates in the synthesis of geopolymer binders. Both synthesized series of samples were sealed and cured at 7, 14, and 28 days at room temperature before subjecting to various analytical techniques, including the mechanical properties, XRD, FT-IR, TG/DTG, and SEM-EDS. The results showed that both GW and BW powders are efficient to produce sufficient amounts of geopolymer binder, with ensure good cohesion and connectivity between different components within the final matrices. The values of compressive strength were 7.5-35.9 MPa and 6.2-39.7 MPa for laterite/granite and laterite/basalt geopolymer composites, denoted LGA and LBA, respectively. Moreover, the coexistence of the amorphous Na-aluminosilicate, Ca-aluminosilicate, and Na-polyferrosialate species is responsible for the mechanical properties development of the end-products. Based on the findings, the selected quarry wastes appeared to be sustainable and cost-effective materials for the synthesis of low-energy consumption binder, suitable for the production of construction materials.