Composition and method for making geopolymer tubes

Abstract

A method of manufacturing geopolymer tubes comprises forming a geopolymer composition comprised of an aluminosilicate source and an alkali activator, wherein the geopolymer composition has a fluid consistency and a shear thinning index of greater than 1.05, transferring the geopolymer composition into a tubular mold, rotating the mold to shear and distribute the composition onto the inner wall of the mold until the geopolymer composition reaches non-flowable consistency, and curing the geopolymer in the mold to form geopolymer tubes. A method for making geopolymer tubes with the disclosed geopolymer composition comprises shearing the geopolymer composition in a tubular mold at a high rotational speed to significantly reduce apparent viscosity to form the tubular shape, at least in the initial process stage. A ceramic tube made from the geopolymer composition of the present invention is used as a membrane or adsorbent for filtration applications.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.