Determination of the Influence of Hydraulic Additives on the Foaming Process and Stability of the Produced Geopolymer Foams

The research described in this article was aimed at determining the influence of hydraulic additives on the foaming process and the stability of the produced geopolymer foams. These foams can be used as insulation materials to replace the currently commonly used insulations such as expanded polystyrene or polyurethane foams. Geopolymers have low thermal conductivity, excellent fire- and heat-resistant properties, and have fairly good mechanical properties. Research on foamed materials shows that they have the highest class of fire resistance; therefore, they are most often used as insulation products in construction. Geopolymer foams were made of aluminosilicate materials (fly ash) and foaming agents (H2O2 and Al powder), and the stabilizers were gypsum and portland cement. Additionally, surfactants were also used. It was found that better foaming effects were obtained for H2O2-it is a better foaming agent for geopolymers than Al powder. When using a hydraulic additive-a stabilizer in the form of cement-lower densities and better insulation parameters were obtained than when using gypsum. Portland cement is a better stabilizer than gypsum (calcium sulfates), although the effect may change due to the addition of surfactants, for example.