Acid attack on geopolymer cement mortar based on waste-glass powder and calcium aluminate cement at mild concentration

The performance of geopolymer cement based on blend of waste-glass powder and calcium aluminate cement in pH = 3 of HCl and H2SO4 solutions for 24 months were investigated and compared to Portland cement and high alumina cement mortars as reference. The residual compressive strength and mass loss were monitored at different time intervals, and the reaction products were characterized by XRD, FTIR spectroscopy and SE microscopy to quantify the compositional and microstructural changes. The findings revealed that geopolymer cement possessed superior acid resistance compared to references. H2SO4 attack caused more deterioration than HCl attack due to the accelerating effect of gypsum formation.