Extrusion and rheology characterization of geopolymer nanocomposites used in 3D printing

Panda, B., Unluer, C. and Tan, M. J. (2019) Extrusion and rheology characterization of geopolymer nanocomposites used in 3D printing. Composites Part B: Engineering, 176, 107290. (doi: 10.1016/j.compositesb.2019.107290)

Abstract

This study focused on the suitability of geopolymer mixes for extrusion-based additive manufacturing applications. Geopolymer mixes including alkaline potassium silicate activator with different molar ratios were prepared and evaluated for their rheological responses (e.g. yield stress, viscosity and thixotropy) that influenced their extrudability and buildability. Due to the low yield stress of geopolymers, nanoclay was introduced to enhance their thixotropy, which was assessed by structural breakdown and viscosity recovery tests. An activator-to-binder ratio of 0.35 and water-to-solid ratio of 0.30 were found to work well with a clay addition of 0.5% (i.e. by mass of total binder component). The addition of nanoclay led to an improvement in the rheological properties of geopolymer nanocomposites, which was attributed to the flocculation characteristic of the clay particles. A small-scale bathroom unit was printed by using the developed geopolymer nanocomposite, indicating the suitability of the proposed mix design to be used in 3D printing applications.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: The authors would like to acknowledge Sembcorp Architects & Engineers Pte. Ltd. and National Research Foundation, Singapore for their funding and support in this research project.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Unluer, Dr Cise
• Authors: Panda, B., Unluer, C., and Tan, M. J.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Infrastructure and Environment
• Journal Name: Composites Part B: Engineering
• Publisher: Elsevier Ltd.
• ISSN: 1359-8368
• ISSN (Online): 1879-1069
• Published Online: 13 August 2019