Effects of Sulfuric Acid on Geopolymer Composites

This report investigates the effects of sulfuric acid attack on the High-Performance Concrete (HPC) and Engineered Geopolymer Composite (EGC) mixes. Specimens from a total of 28 EGC mixes and 10 HPC mixes were selected for this study. A sulfuric acid solution with concentration of 10% was used for examining the resistance of concrete specimens over a period of 45. The durability of concrete mixes was evaluated by measuring the weight loss, change in strength, thermal conductivity and UPV value. The results of the weight loss reveal that the EGC mixes were more resistant to sulfuric acid attack than HPC mixes. The mixes with ternary binders of class c fly ash, silica sand, and class f fly ash experienced the greater strength loss after exposure to high concentrations of sulfuric acid as opposed to the binary mix of class c fly ash and silica sand. A significant decline in compressive strength of HPC specimens was observed as compared to EGC specimens.