Sustainable construction: development of self-cleaning geopolymer composite with fly ash, and bentonite incorporated with nano-ZnO
Abstract The growing demand for sustainable construction materials has spurred innovative research into eco-friendly alternatives, particularly in the form of geopolymers. This study examines the integration of fly ash (FA) and bentonite clay (BC) as industrial waste and natural clay to create a geo...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Sustainable Environment Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s42834-025-00256-y |
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| Summary: | Abstract The growing demand for sustainable construction materials has spurred innovative research into eco-friendly alternatives, particularly in the form of geopolymers. This study examines the integration of fly ash (FA) and bentonite clay (BC) as industrial waste and natural clay to create a geopolymer composite with enhanced mechanical and photocatalytic properties and beneficial antimicrobial characteristics. The novel composite, made up of 70% FA and 30% BC, was further enhanced by adding zinc oxide nanoparticles to develop the FB-ZnO composite. The mechanical characteristics of the geopolymer composites (FB and FB-ZnO) were tested for 3 to 28 d at room temperature with 100% humidity. Adding 2.5% nano-ZnO improved the FB composite’s mechanical strength by 20% and reduced its total porosity from 15 to 11%. The study also examined the antibacterial activity of the composites against six pathogenic bacterial strains, with FB-ZnO having nearly twice the inhibition zone diameter. The study evaluated the environmental impact of two composites, FB and FB-ZnO, on the effluent from Reactive Blue 19 (RB) dyeing baths. The composites showed superior adsorption activity, with Qmax values of 136 and 196 mg g−1, respectively. Adsorption is chemisorption and conforms to the Langmuir isotherm model. The degradation of RB solution under sunlight exposure was studied, with removal and degradation enhancing within the first 90 min. Elimination efficiency increased from 22 to 49% for FB and 40 to 61% for FB-ZnO composites. This highlights the development of eco-friendly building materials suitable for various biological and environmental applications. |
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| ISSN: | 2468-2039 |