Experimental study on mechanical, toughness and microstructural characteristics of micro-carbon fibre-reinforced geopolymer having nano TiO2

Geopolymer (GMR) paste with micro-fibres and nanoparticles is an excellent alternative for reducing cement production for environmental sustainability. Therefore, the performance of fibre-reinforced (FR) GMR pastes containing nanoparticles must be further explored. The goal of this study is to incorporate varying amounts of nano titanium dioxide (NTD)into micro carbon-FR fly ash-based GMR pastes to increase microstructure, impact strength, toughness, fracture, and mechanical performance. Four different dosages of NTD, ranging from 1 to 4% by the weight of the mix to cast GMR mixes including a constant dosage of micro carbon fibre (CF) (0.5% by weight of mix). A reference mix with 0.5% micro-CF having no dosage of NTD was also manufactured. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used to assess the internal structure of GMR. The average findings of six specimens from each paste were taken to determine the different features of GMR pastes. The outcomes of this investigation revealed that using 3% NTD in a carbon-FR-GMR mix produced the best results in terms of hardness, impact strength, and compressive stress while using 2% NTD produced the best results in terms of flexural stress and fracture toughness of pastes. The compressive and flexural strengths of GMR improved by 23% and 40% while the impact strength and hardness were improved by 53% and 10%, respectively.