O USO DO VIDRO RECICLADO COMO PRECURSOR DE SISTEMAS CIMENTANTES GEOPOLIMÉRICOS

Abstract

Geopolymers, or ‘inorganic polymers’, considered an alternative cementing system to the convention Portland cement, are formed due to the dissolution, under a high alkali solution, of natural raw materials containing aluminosilicate species. The product of this reaction is the obtainment of a synthetic aluminosilicate product, manufactured under low temperature or even at room temperature. A wide range of materials can be used as precursors as well as alkali activators. The present work focuses on the obtainment of inorganic polymers with innovative precursors, based on different residues of several industrial sectors, such as glass manufacturing, ceramic claddings, and also with local minerals found in abundance on the region of the Campos Gerais. The development of an alternative cementing system will be directly applied on materials to be used as external cladding of steel/wood-based modular structures for residential/commercial buildings, replacing similar materials made from ordinary Portland cement, aiming and industrial application for this product. The obtained product presented similar/superior physical-mechanical properties when compared to its opponent products, with an average flexural strength of 11,73 MPa and a water absorption of 13,50%, being the first value intermediate and the second the best in comparison with commercial products. The use of temperature during curing cycle for increasing the properties of the geopolymeric cement was successfully tested, resulting on more dense and stable structures. Samples showed an increase in flexural strength from 1,83 MPa to 10,15MPa comparing curing cycles at room temperature and at 65ºC, which indicates that temperature works as a setting accelerator for the tested recipe of geopolymers.