Performance Assessment of Graphene Oxide–Reinforced Sustainable Geopolymer Concrete

Geopolymers, known as the next generation binder, are gaining the interest of contemporary researchers due to their superior strength and durability properties compared with ordinary portland cement (OPC). The current investigation aims to develop a greener geopolymer concrete (GC) containing waste materials as a replacement to fine and coarse aggregates. Waste foundry sand (WFS), an industrial waste, has been used as partial replacement to normal sand, whereas natural coarse aggregates were partially to fully replaced by recycled concrete aggregates (RCA). In addition, indigenously synthesized graphene oxide (GO), in the laboratory, was added to GC by a small proportion of 0.05% by weight of binder to compensate for the performance loss in GC due to addition of waste materials. The strength and durability properties were studied up to 90 days of curing age. The microstructure was also studied by conducting scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) to support the strength and durability results. The test results are promising and indicate enhanced performance of GC produced using waste materials with GO addition.