Issue 48, 2008
From the journal:

Journal of Materials Chemistry

X-Ray pair distribution function analysis of a metakaolin-based, KAlSi2O6·5.5H2O inorganic polymer (geopolymer)

Jonathan L. Bell,a   Pankaj Sarin,a   Patrick E. Driemeyer,a   Ryan P. Haggerty,a   Peter J. Chupasb  and  Waltraud M. Kriven†*a  

* Corresponding authors

a Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, USA
E-mail: kriven@illinois.edu
Fax: +1 217-333-2736
Tel: +1 217-333-5258

b X-Ray Science Division, Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, USA
Tel: +1 630-252-8651

Abstract

The atomic structure of geopolymers is often described as amorphous with a local structure that is equivalent to that of crystalline zeolites. However, this structural relationship has never been quantified beyond a first-nearest-neighbor bonding environment. In this study, the short to medium range (∼1 nm) structural order of metakaolin-based KAlSi2O6·5.5H2O geopolymer was quantified and compared to zeolitic tetragonal leucite (KAlSi2O6) using the X-ray atomic pair distribution function technique. Unheated KAlSi2O6·5.5H2O was found to be structurally similar to leucite out to a length of ∼8 Å, but had increased medium range disorder over the 4.5 Å < r < 8 Å range. On heating to >300 °C, changes in the short to medium range structure were observed due to dehydration and removal of chemically bound water. Crystallization of leucite occurred in samples heated beyond 1050 °C. Refinements of a leucite model against the PDF data for geopolymer heated to 1100 °C for 24 h yielded a good fit.

Graphical abstract: X-Ray pair distribution function analysis of a metakaolin-based, KAlSi2O6·5.5H2O inorganic polymer (geopolymer)

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Article information

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1039/B808157C
Article type
Paper
Submitted
14 May 2008
Accepted
10 Sep 2008
First published
07 Nov 2008

J. Mater. Chem., 2008,18, 5974-5981

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X-Ray pair distribution function analysis of a metakaolin-based, KAlSi2O6·5.5H2O inorganic polymer (geopolymer)

J. L. Bell, P. Sarin, P. E. Driemeyer, R. P. Haggerty, P. J. Chupas and W. M. Kriven, J. Mater. Chem., 2008, 18, 5974 DOI: 10.1039/B808157C

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