Recycled Ceramic tableware waste in fly ash–slag geopolymer concrete: Microstructure and strength evaluation

Wise waste management for sustainable construction materials demand development of eco-friendly binders that utilize industrial byproducts and incorporate waste materials such as ceramic tableware waste powder (CTWP) to reduce environmental impact. Geopolymer concrete is a cementless concrete using an alkali-activator to produce low-carbon concrete, and it mainly depends on the alumino-silicate content from the binder. Therefore, this study focuses on the silica effect from the ceramic waste powder (CWP) silica in polymerized aluminosilicate concrete by investigating the mechanical and Microstructural performance in terms of compressive strength, tensile, and flexural properties, as well as using XRD, XRF, FESEM/EDX, FTIR, and AFM. The use of ceramic waste powder (CWP) in geopolymer concrete at a molarity of 12 molarity, with CWP replacement levels of 0%, 3%, 6%, 9%, and 12% of the binder mass. Microstructural analyses confirmed mullite and gismondine formation, increased polymerization, consistent with the mechanical results. Overall, the targeted incorporation of 9% CWP enhanced the mechanical performance and promoted microstructural densification of geopolymer concrete, supporting both resource efficiency and waste reduction in construction.