Post by firewatcher on Oct 9, 2023 11:06:29 GMT -8
Starting off, i'd like to thank Karl for his guidance through all of my attempts at geopolymers (LTGS and otherwise).
Having finally purchased some "proper" materials, I plan on performing trials of LTGS bricks again (until it's too cold outside to make the mixtures - which probably won't be too long now).
My recent attempt will be using the following materials:
- Pioneer kaolin
- NaOH
- Rock wool
This trial is a re-try of a "recipe" which i've made in the past that seemed to hold up well. So this time around is more of a "co nfirmation" that the recipe works.
The big difference between the original recipe and this one is the type of clay used. In the original trial, i only had some "fireclay" purchased from a building supply store. This time around I'm using pioneer kaolin.
Here's the "recipe" and "process" that i followed:
Sample 10R (1000g sample)
10% binder
- mix 50g NaOH and 50g pioneer kaolin
(dry)
- mix in 25 mL (mixed in 12mL, then added 10 mL and mixed, then added 3mL and mixed). The result was a thick paste.
- let binder cool for 25 min
While the binder was cooling, I "shredded" the rockwool:
- placed 50g of rockwool in a 5 gallon bucket
- covered rockwool with hot water (hot water from the tap)
- used a mixing paddle attached to a drill to "break up" the rockwool
Next, i measured the remaining clay needed for the sample (850g)
After the binder had "cooled" (it wasn't ambient temperature, but was much cooler than when the mixture was made, as mixing the lye with water generates heat) I moved on to mixing the components together.
- added the 850g of pioneer kaolin to a 5 gallon bucket
- filtered the rockwool from the water and "squeezed the excess water out of it
- added the damp rock wool to the 850g of clay and mixed thououghly with a cake beater attached to an electric drill (this started to make mostly dry "balls" of mixture.
- added the binder to the mixture of clay/rock wool and mixed thoroughly
- added 30 mL of water to bucket and mixed for a few minutes with the cake beater.
- result was a semi-dry mixture of litttle "pebbles"
Took the mixture and transfered it to my cardboard circle mould. I used a hammer and wood block to "beat" the mixture into the mould as evenly as possible (to try and keep the thickness as uniform as possible)
Having finally purchased some "proper" materials, I plan on performing trials of LTGS bricks again (until it's too cold outside to make the mixtures - which probably won't be too long now).
My recent attempt will be using the following materials:
- Pioneer kaolin
- NaOH
- Rock wool
This trial is a re-try of a "recipe" which i've made in the past that seemed to hold up well. So this time around is more of a "co nfirmation" that the recipe works.
The big difference between the original recipe and this one is the type of clay used. In the original trial, i only had some "fireclay" purchased from a building supply store. This time around I'm using pioneer kaolin.
Here's the "recipe" and "process" that i followed:
Sample 10R (1000g sample)
10% binder
- mix 50g NaOH and 50g pioneer kaolin
(dry)
- mix in 25 mL (mixed in 12mL, then added 10 mL and mixed, then added 3mL and mixed). The result was a thick paste.
- let binder cool for 25 min
While the binder was cooling, I "shredded" the rockwool:
- placed 50g of rockwool in a 5 gallon bucket
- covered rockwool with hot water (hot water from the tap)
- used a mixing paddle attached to a drill to "break up" the rockwool
Next, i measured the remaining clay needed for the sample (850g)
After the binder had "cooled" (it wasn't ambient temperature, but was much cooler than when the mixture was made, as mixing the lye with water generates heat) I moved on to mixing the components together.
- added the 850g of pioneer kaolin to a 5 gallon bucket
- filtered the rockwool from the water and "squeezed the excess water out of it
- added the damp rock wool to the 850g of clay and mixed thououghly with a cake beater attached to an electric drill (this started to make mostly dry "balls" of mixture.
- added the binder to the mixture of clay/rock wool and mixed thoroughly
- added 30 mL of water to bucket and mixed for a few minutes with the cake beater.
- result was a semi-dry mixture of litttle "pebbles"
Took the mixture and transfered it to my cardboard circle mould. I used a hammer and wood block to "beat" the mixture into the mould as evenly as possible (to try and keep the thickness as uniform as possible)
