"Enhancing Concrete Properties with Nano-Metakaolin: Effects of Calcination Temperature and Heating Duration"

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Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 civil department , faculty of engineering ,port said university ,port said ,egypt

2 Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt.

3 Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Port Said University

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the effect of thermally activated nano metakaolin (NMK) at different calcination temperatures on the compressive strength of cement mortar. Nano metakaolin was prepared by thermally activating kaolin clay at temperatures of 600°C, 700°C, 800°C, and 900°C for periods of 30, 45, and 60 minutes, with a temperature control rate of 5°C per minute during the thermal stability period. The cement mortar was prepared with a cement-to-sand ratio of 1:3 by weight and a water-to-cement binder (w/b) ratio of 0.4. Fresh mortar samples were pre-cured under 100% relative humidity for 24 hours and then immersed in water for a further curing period of 28 days.

Experimental results showed that the addition of NMK significantly improved the compressive strength of cement mortar compared to conventional mortars prepared with the same water-to-cement (w/c) ratio. It is worth noting that the maximum improvement in compressive strength was 25% when using NMK thermally activated at 800°C for 30 minutes. The results of this study indicate that the optimum thermal activation temperature of 800°C for 30 minutes is the most effective for improving the compressive strength of cement mortar

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Port-Said Engineering Research Journal

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 23 September 2025

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