Development and evaluation of GGBFS based geopolymer artificial lightweight aggregates incorporating expanded perlite: An alternative to natural aggregates
Sustainable Chemistry and Pharmacy, cilt.52, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 52
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.scp.2026.102479
- Dergi Adı: Sustainable Chemistry and Pharmacy
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, Chemical Abstracts Core, EMBASE
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Artificial lightweight aggregate, Expanded perlite, Geopolymer, Ground granulated blast furnace slag
- İnönü Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
The depletion of natural aggregate resources and the environmental impacts of conventional concrete production have increased the need for artificial aggregates from recycled materials. In this study, geopolymer artificial lightweight aggregates were produced using ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) and expanded perlite (EP). In the first stage, 48 mixtures (EP-free) were prepared to evaluate the effects of NaOH molarity, water-to-binder ratio, and curing regime on the mechanical and physical properties of the aggregates. In the second stage, different amounts of EP were added to the optimum mixture to reduce particle density further. The optimum mixture, produced with 12 M NaOH, a w/b ratio of 0.21, and curing at 80 °C followed by water curing, achieved a single particle strength of 11.25 MPa and a cylinder compressive strength of 21.14 MPa. The incorporation of EP reduced particle density and bulk density, although mechanical strength gradually decreased with increasing EP content. Microstructural analyses confirmed that curing conditions and activator concentration had significantly influenced geopolymer gel formation. Mortars prepared with the produced aggregates exhibited high compressive strength. An exponential relationship was found between aggregate cylinder compressive strength and mortar compressive strength. The results indicated that GGBFS based geopolymer aggregates incorporating EP could be considered a promising alternative to natural aggregates, particularly for lightweight concrete applications where reduced density and adequate mechanical performance were required. These findings demonstrated the potential of industrial by-products for developing lightweight construction materials while reducing natural resource consumption in the construction sector.