Synthesis and characterization of Brushite-metakaolin-based geopolymer materials

Abstract

In a field of green chemistry, environmental protection and ecological conservation of the environment there are ways to come up with new and more advanced materials using on the one hand natural, recyceled or waste materials and on the other hand syntethic materials obtained by using green chemistry synthesis procedures. The aim of this paper was to synthesize and characterize Brushite-metakaolin-based geopolymer materials and to examine the possibility of using these materials in the fields of construction, cement industry, as well as in environmental protection as potential adsorbents. Initial materials which were used for geopolymer synthesis was Brushite (CaHPO4·2H2O) which was obtained by solutionprecipitation reaction form acetate solutions and Kaolinite clay from Rudovci deposit (Serbia). The obtained mixture powders were dissolved in a strong alcaline solution with addiction of water glass. Produced geopolymers was cast into mods and preserved for 28 days. The starting materials and the synthesized Brushite-metakaolin-based geopolymer material were examined using XRPD, FTIR SEM-EDS methods. The contact angle measurements were made to test hydrophilic and wettable properties of synthesized material.