Composition and properties of phosphoric acid-based geopolymers

Two metakaolins exhibiting different reactivities were used to study geopolymers obtained via phosphoric acid activation. The study of consolidation of samples with various Si/Al and Al/P showed that the Al- and Si-rich and P-poor compositions were more likely to consolidate properly. The geopolymers formed at 20 or 70 °C kept the same crystalline impurities as the starting metakaolins, the samples remaining mostly amorphous. The microstructure of geopolymers formed with less reactive metakaolin was smooth and dense, while the geopolymers prepared from the most reactive one were more porous and rough. Finally, tests on water and fire resistances of all the samples were reported.