الفهرس 
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTIONOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) industry is considered as one of the major contributors in the global carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) and global warming. It contributes to around 7% of total CO2 emissions and utilizes about 15% of global total industrial energy besides the production of cement kiln dust which is highly dangerous to human health and the environment. Recently, alkali-activated binders have emerged as a promising sustainable solution in the construction industry to the OPC. There is great demand to promote the development of one-part alkali-activated materials (OP-AAMs) to overcome the hazardous, irritating, and corrosive nature of alkaline activator solutions while sustaining their superior engineering properties. This study’s main objective is to study the effect of applying thermal energy from different sources on amorphous active aluminosilicate precursor to produce safe, environmental and economic one-part geopolymer.
The effect of applying different treatment energies (conventional heating, microwave heating) on the fresh and hardened properties of OP-AAS pastes was studied. The phase composition and microstructure were investigated using X-ray diffraction analysis and scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. A viability/cytotoxicity test was performed on selected mixes to investigate the effect of the prepared OP-AAS on the human skin. It is concluded that the optimum treatment temperature, in case of conventional heating, to prepare OP-AAS is ranged between 300°C and 500°C. Also, the optimum treatment period, in case of microwave heating, to prepare OP-AAS is ranged between 10 minutes and 30 minutes. Therefore, with low-energy consumption, the production of OP-AAS is accessible, economical, and safe for the commercial application of alkali-activated materials in the construction industry.