Rheology of Geopolymer: Comparative Study between Portland Cement and Metakaolin Based Geopolymer

Metakaolin based geopolymers are presented in many studies as an alternative to normal Portland cement. Previous studies have focused on their chemical and mechanical properties, their microstructures and their potential uses, but very few on their rheological behaviour. Our work highlights the main differences that exist between geopolymer and Portland cement. These materials behave as Newtonian fluids as the colloidal interactions between particles are dominated by the hydrodynamic effects, which are mainly controlled by the high viscosity of the alkaline silicate solution ant not by the contribution of direct contacts between Metakaolin grains.