Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research· 2026Q1
Cellulose-Mediated Hydration Interactions Enable Mechanically Durable Hydrosetting Geopolymers
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- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Adding cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and pulp fibers (PFs) to metakaolin-based geopolymers significantly enhances mechanical properties and alters water-binding mechanisms, enabling stronger, more durable construction materials.
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Key points
- Incorporating 6 wt% pulp fibers (PFs) increased geopolymer compressive strength by 93.25% and flexural strength by 103.85%.
- Adding 4 wt% cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) increased geopolymer compressive strength by 60.12% and flexural strength by 126.92%.
- CNCs and PFs interact with and redistribute water via distinct hydration-mediated pathways.
- CNCs cause greater perturbation of geopolymer water, while PFs retain more mobile water longer.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Abstract Developing geopolymers that combine a low-carbon composition with high performance through tailored rheology, hydration-guided curing, and mechanical reinforcement is essential for commercial and residential construction. Herein, we examined biobased cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and northern bleached softwood kraft pulp fibers (PFs) as additives in metakaolin-based geopolymers. Both CNCs and PFs resulted in a substantial enhancement of the mechanical properties. Compared with pristine geopolymers, the incorporation of 6 wt % PFs resulted in a 93.25% increase in compressive strength and a 103.85% increase in flexural strength, whereas incorporating 4 wt % CNCs led to increases of 60.12% and 126.92%, respectively. Notably, we discovered that CNCs and PFs interact with and redistribute water through distinct hydration-mediated pathways. CNCs are associated with a greater perturbation of the geopolymer-associated water population, whereas PFs preferentially retain more mobile water and delay its incorporation into the evolving geopolymer network. The two fundamentally different hydration strategies, together with the CNC/PF-mediated heterogeneous structures, provide a pathway for developing high-performance hydrosetting constructs from geopolymers.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Civil and Structural Engineering
Civil and Structural EngineeringEngineering