Determination of mechanical properties of alkali activated mortars containing fly ash and glass fiber slag

The fact that the production of one ton of cement causes 780 kg of CO2 emission to the world and the need for more energy during its production has led to the widespread use of alkaline activated mortars in recent years. Keeping industrial wastes with pozzolanic properties such as fly ash and Elâzığ ferrochrome slag in storage areas adversely affect the environment and human health, and the recycling of these materials in building materials is important in terms of waste management. In this study, F class fly ash, C class fly ash and Elazig ferrochrome slag activated composites were prepared, which were ground and passed through a 125 mm sieve. In order to obtain positive results in terms of bending strength, 0.5% glass fiber was used in all mixtures. NaOH and Na2SiO3 were used as alkali activators. Series with 0.35-0.40-0.45 and 0.50 activator/binder ratios were prepared from 16 moles of the prepared mixture and kept at 90 °C activation temperature for 24 hours. While preparing the composites, primary group mixtures containing 10%, 20% and 30% F class fly ash and ferrochrome slag and secondary group mixtures containing 10%, 20% and 30% C class fly ash and ferrochrome slag were prepared. Comparisons were made by examining the mechanical and durability properties of mixtures containing F and C class fly ash. 7 and 28-day variations of the produced mortars were examined. SEM and XRD analyzes were used for microstructure investigations. The most suitable activator ratios of the mixtures containing F and C class fly ash were determined and the compressive strength values of 36.48 MPa for F class fly ash and 18.65 MPa for C class fly ash were obtained. In the study, it was observed that the use of F class fly ash mortars together with Elâzığ Ferrochrome slag gave more positive results.