Mechanical properties and durability of GGBS geopolymer mortar for M sand and river sand

The increasing demand for sustainable construction materials has led to a renewed interest in geopolymer technology, which utilizes industrial by-products to create eco-friendly alternatives to traditional cement-based products. This study focuses on geopolymer mortar developed using Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBS), a by-product of iron production, known for its pozzolanic properties. GGBS-based geopolymer mortar not only addresses environmental concerns associated with cement production but also enhances the mechanical and durability characteristics of the final product The fly ash based geopolymer motor set slowly in an ambient temperature and needs heat curing. To overcome this limitation, GGBS powder is used as a cementious material which shows considerable gain in strength.. In this research, various formulations of GGBS-based geopolymer mortar were created by varying the ratio of GGBS to fine aggregates, the concentration of alkaline activators (such as sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate), and the curing conditions, including temperature and duration. The primary objective was to optimize these parameters to achieve superior performance characteristics in terms of compressive strength, flexural strength, and durability. The properties of geopolymeric binder prepared using the ground-grounded blast surface without using any conventional cement has been investigated. The individual properties of the GPM for 1:3 ratio, such as compressive strength, split tensile, water absorption, sportivity and acid resistivity test were determined as perrelevant Indian standards .Cubes of size (70.6X 70.6X 70.6 )mm were casted and cured in ambient condition for molarity 4M 6M and 8M with M sand. Compressive strength for 3, 7, 28 days was studied along with oven curing for 28 days. The result shows increase in strength for 8M M sand. The sorptivity test was conducted and also water absorption was studied, it shows decreased results for 8M M sand. Good and effective results were obtained for acid resistivity test and also the results obtained for porosity, sportivityand water absorption of geopolymer motor specimens also indicates the durability of geopolymer motors.