Journal of Recent Activities in Infrastructure Science

Volume 1 Issue 3

Geopolymer Bricks Using Fly Ash and Dyeing Sludge

S.R.Sanjaiyan1 S.Vishnu2 Dr. M.I.Abdul Aleem3

1, 2 Third Year B.E. Civil Engineering Student, PSG Institute of Technology and Applied Research,
Coimbatore-641062,Tamil Nadu, India.
3. Professor in Civil Engineering, PSG Institute of Technology and Applied Research, Coimbatore-
641062,Tamil Nadu, India.
E mail: 1sanjaidhivagar@gmail.com, 2 vishnucivil28@gmail.com,3aleem@psgitech.ac.in

Abstract
Geopolymer brick is an innovative construction material produced using Fly Ash and dyeing
waste. Fly Ash, a by-product of coal obtained from the thermal power plants rich in silica
and alumina, plays the role of clay in the brick by the reaction with alkali (Sodium Hydroxide
NaOH) and Sodium Silicate (Na2SiO3) producing alumino silicate gel, that acted as a binding
material. Dyeing sludge is a waste material obtained as the final residue after treating the
effluent from the dyeing industry. An attempt is made to manufacture Geopolymer bricks
using Fly Ash and dyeing waste sludge. Bricks of size 230 x 115x 75 mm were prepared and
cured under hot air oven curing for 24 hours. The compressive strength and water absorption
test were taken out. Their results were compared with ordinary clay brick.

Keywords: Geopolymer , Fly ash, Dyeing Sludge, Bricks.

INTRODUCTION ash has higher content of silica and

The geopolymer cement was first alumina and this silica and alumina when
produced by Joseph Davidovits in 1978 by reacts with alkaline solutions like sodium
using the combined chemical reaction of hydroxide and sodium silicate or
silicon, aluminium, oxygen and hydrogen. potassium hydroxide and potassium
[1, 5 & 6]. silicate gets into a gel form of higher
bonding strength. The dyeing sludge is
The previous researchers [4, 9, 10 &11] then added to this geopolymer gel to form
informed that the chemical reaction mainly the bricks.
depends on the ratio of silicon and
aluminium, which is generally 2 to 3.5. Fly

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 Journal of Recent Activities in Infrastructure Science
Volume 1 Issue 3

LITERATURE STUDY EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

Banupriya et al.,2016,[2] carried out
experiments to study the behavior of
Geopolymer bricks using Fly Ash and
Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag
(GGBS). The test results confirmed that
Geopolymer brick using 65% Fly Ash &
35% Ground Granulated Blast Furnace
Slag produced good compressive strength.
Raghunathan et al., 2010 [12], cast bricks
using cement, dyeing sludge, and sand in
the ratio of 1:1.7:3.5 and obtained a
compressive strength of 3.73 N/mm2. The
previous studies on bricks were carried out
separately for Fly Ash bricks or dyeing
sludge along with cement and sand[1-5].
In this study, it is proposed to study the
characteristics of geopolymer bricks using
Fly Ash and dyeing sludge. Hence there is
a scope for this study.
The Geopolymer brick was prepared using
Fly Ash, Dyeing sludge, Sodium
Hydroxide, and Sodium Silicate.
Fly Ash
Fly ash is a waste product from the
thermal industries during the production of
electricity. There are two types of fly ash
called class F and class C. Class F fly ash
is called low calcium fly ash which has
less than 10% of calcium oxide[Cao],
while Class C fly ash is called high
calcium fly ash which has more than 10%
calcium oxide. The class F fly is the final
waste product from bituminous coal and
class C is the end product of lignite coal.
In this study class F fly from Mettur
thermal power plant, Tamil Nadu is used.
The SEM image and constituents of fly ash
are shown in Figure 1 and Table 1.

Fig.1 SEM image of Fly Ash

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 Journal of Recent Activities in Infrastructure Science
Volume 1 Issue 3

Table 1: Constituents of Fly Ash sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate

Element Weight solutions were mixed one day prior to use.
C 8.34
O 50.95
Mix Proportions
Mg 0.37
The Fly Ash and dyeing waste were mixed
Al 13.98
Si 21.54 in the proportions as mentioned in Table 2.
K 0.81
Ca 0.51 Table 2 Mix Proportions
Ti 1.26 Fly Ash (%) Dyeing waste (%)
Fe 2.24 90 10
80 20

Dyeing Sludge 70 30

The Dyeing sludge is the final residue 60 40

50 50
formed due to the chemical treatment of
dyeing industrial effluent[6-9]. In this
Casting
study, it was collected from the common
The brick mould was made using Plywood
effluent treatment plant(CTEP),
of inner dimensions 230 x 115 x 75 mm.
Chinnakarai in Tiruppur District, Tamil
The Fly Ash and dyeing waste were mixed
Nadu.
manually in a container and then the
alkaline solution was added to prepare the
Sodium Hydroxide Solution
geopolymer brick. The mixed materials
The Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) was
were placed in 230 x 115 x 75mm moulds
purchased directly from the local market in
in three layers, and each layer was
the pellet form[10-14]. 10 molar solution
compacted by giving 25 blows with a 16
was prepared by just adding 400g of
mm tamping rod. The Geopolymer brick
sodium hydroxide in 1000ml of distilled
was dark in color with shiny appearance as
water.
shown in Figure.2.

Sodium Silicate Solution

Commercial grade of Sodium Silicate
(Na2SiO3) solution was procured from the
local suppliers and used as it is. The

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 Journal of Recent Activities in Infrastructure Science
Volume 1 Issue 3

Water Absorption Test

The dry brick specimens were weighed in
a weighing balance to note the weight and
then immersed in water for 24 hours. The
brick specimens were then taken out from
water and weighed in the weighing
Fig.2 Geopolymer brick
balance again.
Curing
The Geopolymer brick will harden at
The percentages of water absorption were
steam curing or hot-air curing and the
found as presented in Table 3 and Figure
minimum curing period shall be 24 hours.
3.
After casting the specimens, they were
kept in rest period under room temperature
Table 3. Water Absorption
for 3 days. The term ―Rest period‖ was
Weight Weight of
coined to indicate the time taken from the Specimen of dry wet brick Percentage
completion of casting of test specimen to brick (g) of

the start of curing at an elevated (g) water

absorption
temperature.
(%)
90:10 3480 4110.57 18.12
The Geopolymer brick was demoulded and 80:20 3362 3987.66 18.61
then placed in an oven for high- 70:30 3207 3811.5 18.85

temperature curing at 110°C for 24 hours. 60:40 3087 3682 19.30

50:50 2972 3560 20
The bricks were then allowed to cool at
3386 3904.05 15.3
room temperature for 24 hours.
Ordinary
Clay
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS Brick
In order to find out the strength
characteristics, the following tests were
carried out.

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 Journal of Recent Activities in Infrastructure Science
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Fig.3 Percentage of Water absorption

The test results indicated that the Compressive Strength Test

percentage of water absorption increased The brick specimens were tested for
as the percentage of dyeing waste compressive strength in a compressive
increased. The bonding strength mainly testing machine having 2000 KN capacity
depended on the reaction between the Fly in accordance with the Bureau of Indian
Ash and alkaline solutions. As the Standard test procedure. The compressive
percentage of dyeing sludge increased, the strength test results are presented in Table
quantity of Fly Ash decreased and hence 4 and Figure 4.
the bonding strength also decreased. If the
bonding strength was decreased, there was Table 4 Compressive Strength
a possibility of more voids and hence the Average Compressive Strength
Specimen
water absorption was increased. The water (N/mm2)
90:10 1.96
absorption for 90:10 combinations was
80:20 1.485
18.12%. Bennet Jose Mathew et al., [3]
70:30 1.085
had obtained a similar minimum water 60:40 0.765
absorption as 18.36% for geopolymer 50:50 0.605
bricks using Fly Ash and GGBS. Hence Ordinary clay
5.35
Brick
the permissible limit of dyeing sludge for
the geopolymer brick was 10% only.

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 Journal of Recent Activities in Infrastructure Science
Volume 1 Issue 3

Fig.4 Compressive Strength

The test results indicated that the the dyeing sludge brick cannot be used for
compressive strength decreased while load bearing walls. However, the
increasing the percentage of dyeing geopolymer bricks using Fly Ash and
sludge. The compressive strength also dyeing sludge shall be used for non-load
depended upon the boding between Fly bearing walls like partition walls,
Ash and alkaline solution. As explained in pavements, and kerb stone walls.
the water absorption, the bonding strength
was decreased due to the increase in CONCLUSION
percentage of dyeing sludge. The 90 % Fly Based on this study the following
Ash and 10% sludge combination had a conclusions were arrived.
compressive strength of 1.96 N/mm2.  The optimum mix for the geopolymer
Gowthami [7] obtained a compressive brick using Fly Ash and dyeing sludge
strength of 4.3 N/mm2 for the geopolymer is 90 % Fly Ash and 10% dyeing
bricks with 1 part of Fly Ash and 2 parts of sludge.
sand. Since the density of dyeing sludge is  The geopolymer brick using Fly Ash
lower than the density of sand, lower and dyeing sludge is used for the
compressive strength was obtained in this construction of non-load bearing walls
study. As per the Construction Practice, a like partition walls, pavements, and
compressive strength of brick of 5N/mm2 kerb stone walls.
is required for load bearing walls. Hence,

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 Journal of Recent Activities in Infrastructure Science
Volume 1 Issue 3

 By producing the geopolymer brick Blocks‖, Indian Journal of Science

using Fly Ash and dyeing sludge, the and Technology, Vol 9(16).
dyeing sludge shall be used [3] Bennet Jose Mathew1, Sudhakar M
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used in the production of bricks, the International Journal of Science and
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