{
  "abstract": "The growing demand for Portland cement has intensified concerns over construction-related CO₂ emissions, driving interest in low-carbon alternatives such as alkali-activated concrete (AAC). Although AAC can substantially reduce embodied carbon, the production of commercial sodium silicate (SS), a widely used activator, remains a significant environmental burden. This study evaluates the feasibility of a waste-derived sodium silicate activator produced from silica fume (SF) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and compares its performance with that of a conventional commercial activator in blended f fuel ash (PFA) and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) systems. Fresh and hardened properties were assessed across a range of activator-to-binder (A/B) and SS/SH ratios, considering workability, setting time, and compressive strength requirements for structural concrete applications. Increasing the A/B ratio from 0.16 to 0.20 improved compressive strength and accelerated setting, while higher SS/SH ratios enhanced early- and later-age strength through increased soluble silica availability and gel formation. Although higher activator contents reduced workability due to increased viscosity, both commercial and SF-derived activators achieved comparable mechanical performance. The high amorphous silica content of SF was found to promote dense C-(A)-S-H gel development, while 10 M NaOH and a 24 h ambient-temperature extraction process provided sufficient silica dissolution without additional heating. These findings demonstrate the potential of SF-derived sodium silicate as a sustainable activator for producing low-carbon AAC with performance comparable to conventional systems.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Science, University of South Wales, Pontypridd CF37 1DL, UK."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 3,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Andrew Ayres"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Jonathan Oti",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-5968-5089"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "John Kinuthia",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-3273-846X"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/8e5xh9cd5a9tn.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3390/ma19204321",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13707136",
  "id": "8e5xh9cd5a9tn",
  "issns": [
    "1996-1944"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42941062",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2205|Concrete and Cement Materials Research"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7221785518",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13707136?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13707136",
  "pmid": "42941062",
  "published": "2026-10-14",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/8e5xh9cd5a9tn.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:22:12Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42941062",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42941062"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [],
  "title": "Comparative Assessment of Commercial and Waste-Derived Sodium Silicate Activators in PFA-GGBS Alkali-Activated Concrete.",
  "title_text": "Comparative Assessment of Commercial and Waste-Derived Sodium Silicate Activators in PFA-GGBS Alkali-Activated Concrete.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:22:12Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/8e5xh9cd5a9tn",
  "venue": "Materials (Basel, Switzerland)",
  "versions": []
}