Study on Manufacturing Process and Performance of Foamed Inorganic Polymers

Abstract

A mixture of 70% metakaolin and 30% blast furnace slag powders is used as the raw material in the manufacture of foamed inorganic polymers (FIP) with various densities ranging from 0 4 to 1 0 g?cm^3 and different thicknesses of 6 10 and 14 cm using a mechanical foaming method The microstructures of the metakaolin and slag powders inorganic binder and FIP specimens are characterized by using XRD FTIR and image analyses The effects of stirring time water/solid ratio and foaming agent on the properties of the inorganic binders are also evaluated Moreover the pore size distributions water absorption thermal properties mechanical properties sound absorption coefficients and sound transmission losses of the FIP specimens are obtained by conducting a series of measurements and then compared with each other Based on the experimental results it is found that the measured cell length cell wall thickness compressive strength flexural strength and coefficient of thermal conductivity of the FIP specimens are significantly affected by their density The variation in water absorption with respect to density is similar to that of the noise reduction coefficient In addition the sound transmission losses of sandwich panels with different-thickness and various-density FIP cores were measured to determine if two faces of calcium silicate boards can enhance their noise reducing effects As a result the feasibility of using inorganic polymeric foam as a sound absorption and insulation material can be evaluated

Date of Award	2014 Jan 17
Original language	English
Supervisor	Jong-Shin Huang (Supervisor)