Porosity of Geopolymers Using Complementary Techniques of Image Analysis and Physical Adsorption of Gases
Previous research on geopolymers has not fully established their porosity and its influence on the matrix structure, as well as its relevance to mechanical and durability properties, supporting the potential of this material as a sustainable alternative to traditional construction materials. In this...
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MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| author | Carlos A. Rosas-Casarez Ramón Corral-Higuera Susana P. Arredondo-Rea José M. Gómez-Soberón Manuel J. Chinchillas-Chinchillas Margarita Rodríguez-Rodríguez Manuel J. Pellegrini-Cervantes Jesús M. Bernal-Camacho |
| author_facet | Carlos A. Rosas-Casarez Ramón Corral-Higuera Susana P. Arredondo-Rea José M. Gómez-Soberón Manuel J. Chinchillas-Chinchillas Margarita Rodríguez-Rodríguez Manuel J. Pellegrini-Cervantes Jesús M. Bernal-Camacho |
| author_sort | Carlos A. Rosas-Casarez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Previous research on geopolymers has not fully established their porosity and its influence on the matrix structure, as well as its relevance to mechanical and durability properties, supporting the potential of this material as a sustainable alternative to traditional construction materials. In this study, three geopolymer mortar (GM) mixtures were prepared: the first was obtained with fly ash (FA) without mechanical grinding (GM_FA), the second with FA that required crushing and sieving through a #200 sieve (GM_FA_200), and the third was a GM with FA that required crushing and sieving through a #325 sieve (GM_FA_325). The main objective was to evaluate the porosity of the geopolymeric paste and the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) between the aggregate and the geopolymerization products. Due to the susceptibility of this area to develop higher porosity, which leads to reduced mechanical properties and durability, it has become a significant focus of investigation in materials such as concrete and mortar. These analyses were carried out using physical adsorption of gases (PAG), and a methodology for image analysis of GM microporosity was implemented using micrographs obtained from a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and processed with the NI Vision Assistant 8.6 software (VA). The results from both image analysis and physical adsorption demonstrated that the GM_FA_325 matrix exhibited 19% less porosity compared to the GM_FA matrix. The results confirmed that GMs are predominantly mesoporous. It was observed that GM_FA_325 has the lowest total porosity, resulting in a denser and more compact microstructure, which is a key factor in its mechanical performance and potential applications as an eco-friendly construction material for coatings and precast elements such as blocks, panels, and similar products. In addition, image analysis using VA is highlighted as an efficient, cost-effective, and complementary technique to PAG, enabling robust results and resource optimization. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2075-5309 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-2a7539b72c5142f8bdbd8dc2bf82b9132025-08-20T02:35:43ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092025-07-011513235310.3390/buildings15132353Porosity of Geopolymers Using Complementary Techniques of Image Analysis and Physical Adsorption of GasesCarlos A. Rosas-Casarez0Ramón Corral-Higuera1Susana P. Arredondo-Rea2José M. Gómez-Soberón3Manuel J. Chinchillas-Chinchillas4Margarita Rodríguez-Rodríguez5Manuel J. Pellegrini-Cervantes6Jesús M. Bernal-Camacho7Departamento de Ingeniería y Tecnología, Universidad Autónoma de Occidente (UAdeO), Guasave 81048, Sinaloa, MexicoFacultad de Ingeniería Mochis, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa (UAS), Los Mochis 81223, Sinaloa, MexicoFacultad de Ingeniería Mochis, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa (UAS), Los Mochis 81223, Sinaloa, MexicoEscuela Politécnica Superior de Edificación de Barcelona, Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña, Gregorio Marañón 44-50, 08028 Barcelona, SpainDepartamento de Ingeniería y Tecnología, Universidad Autónoma de Occidente (UAdeO), Guasave 81048, Sinaloa, MexicoFacultad de Ingeniería Mochis, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa (UAS), Los Mochis 81223, Sinaloa, MexicoFacultad de Ingeniería Mochis, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa (UAS), Los Mochis 81223, Sinaloa, MexicoFacultad de Ingeniería y Tecnología de Mazatlán, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa (UAS), Mazatlán 82146, Sinaloa, MexicoPrevious research on geopolymers has not fully established their porosity and its influence on the matrix structure, as well as its relevance to mechanical and durability properties, supporting the potential of this material as a sustainable alternative to traditional construction materials. In this study, three geopolymer mortar (GM) mixtures were prepared: the first was obtained with fly ash (FA) without mechanical grinding (GM_FA), the second with FA that required crushing and sieving through a #200 sieve (GM_FA_200), and the third was a GM with FA that required crushing and sieving through a #325 sieve (GM_FA_325). The main objective was to evaluate the porosity of the geopolymeric paste and the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) between the aggregate and the geopolymerization products. Due to the susceptibility of this area to develop higher porosity, which leads to reduced mechanical properties and durability, it has become a significant focus of investigation in materials such as concrete and mortar. These analyses were carried out using physical adsorption of gases (PAG), and a methodology for image analysis of GM microporosity was implemented using micrographs obtained from a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and processed with the NI Vision Assistant 8.6 software (VA). The results from both image analysis and physical adsorption demonstrated that the GM_FA_325 matrix exhibited 19% less porosity compared to the GM_FA matrix. The results confirmed that GMs are predominantly mesoporous. It was observed that GM_FA_325 has the lowest total porosity, resulting in a denser and more compact microstructure, which is a key factor in its mechanical performance and potential applications as an eco-friendly construction material for coatings and precast elements such as blocks, panels, and similar products. In addition, image analysis using VA is highlighted as an efficient, cost-effective, and complementary technique to PAG, enabling robust results and resource optimization.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/13/2353geopolymersfly ashporosityITZimage analysiseco-friendly construction |
| spellingShingle | Carlos A. Rosas-Casarez Ramón Corral-Higuera Susana P. Arredondo-Rea José M. Gómez-Soberón Manuel J. Chinchillas-Chinchillas Margarita Rodríguez-Rodríguez Manuel J. Pellegrini-Cervantes Jesús M. Bernal-Camacho Porosity of Geopolymers Using Complementary Techniques of Image Analysis and Physical Adsorption of Gases Buildings geopolymers fly ash porosity ITZ image analysis eco-friendly construction |
| title | Porosity of Geopolymers Using Complementary Techniques of Image Analysis and Physical Adsorption of Gases |
| title_full | Porosity of Geopolymers Using Complementary Techniques of Image Analysis and Physical Adsorption of Gases |
| title_fullStr | Porosity of Geopolymers Using Complementary Techniques of Image Analysis and Physical Adsorption of Gases |
| title_full_unstemmed | Porosity of Geopolymers Using Complementary Techniques of Image Analysis and Physical Adsorption of Gases |
| title_short | Porosity of Geopolymers Using Complementary Techniques of Image Analysis and Physical Adsorption of Gases |
| title_sort | porosity of geopolymers using complementary techniques of image analysis and physical adsorption of gases |
| topic | geopolymers fly ash porosity ITZ image analysis eco-friendly construction |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/13/2353 |
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