Determination of mechanical properties of SIFCON produced using alkali activation systems

In this study, a binder was obtained by activating industrial waste materials such as YFC and UK with alkalis such as sodium silicate and sodium hydroxide without using cement. SIFCON was produced using the obtained binder. The mechanical properties and impact strength of the produced SIFCON were investigated. The experimental study was carried out in two stages. In the first stage of the experimental study, samples of the matrix phase of SIFCON were produced using industrial wastes such as YFC and UK, and its mechanical properties in fresh and hardened state were determined. By evaluating the test results of the produced SIFCON matrix samples, the optimum mixture amounts for the matrix were determined. In addition, the microstructure and chemical components of the hydration products were investigated on the hardened samples by SEM, XRD and XRF methods. In the second stage, the mechanical properties and impact resistance of SIFCON, which is obtained by adding different amounts (3%, 6%, 9% by volume) and different slenderness (40, 55) steel fibers to the matrix mixtures, which have the best mechanical properties for each mixture series, were determined in the first stage experiments. In the second stage experiments, 18 different alkali-activated SIFCON samples were produced, excluding the Portland cement control mixture. Experimental results have shown that alkali-activated SIFCON samples with better properties than those of Portland cement mixture can be produced.