Mechanical properties of high ductile alkali-activated fiber reinforced composites incorporating red mud under different curing conditions

Red mud (RM) is an industrial by-product created during the production of alumina/aluminium that has engendered severe environmental concerns arising from its improper disposal. To mitigate the negative environmental impact of RM waste and produce a sustainable material having high mechanical performance (particularly ductility) for a variety of applications, this study developed an alkali-activated fiber reinforced composite (AAFRC) using RM, ground granulated blast-furnace slag (or slag), and silica fume as the precursors. The effects of two different curing conditions (ambient-curing and heat-curing) on the mechanical properties and microscopic characteristics of the material were systematically investigated. The heat-cured RM-derived AAFRC exhibited excellent tensile strain capacity (or ductility) of up to 5.6%, which was significantly higher than that of its counterpart that was cured under ambient condition. Despite the reduction in strength caused by heat-curing, AAFRC retained adequate tensile and compressive strengths of 4.0 and 75 MPa, respectively. The results of threepoint bending, single crack tensile, and single fiber pullout tests provided reasonable explanations for the tensile behaviors of the studied material. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that a less compacted matrix was formed in the RM composite due to heat-curing. The combined results from energy dispersive spectroscopy and nanoindentation tests indicated that adding red mud did not alter the types of reaction products for the material, which were similar in composition to conventional alkali-activated slag while also including C-A-S-H and N-A-SH gels in addition to a type of layered double hydroxide. These findings can serve as theoretical guidelines for the future design and application of eco-friendly, high-ductile cementless composites prepared from RM waste.