In this paper, Bayer red mud and ground granulated blast furnace slag were formed into three different ratios (7:3, 5:5 and 3:7) of alkali-activated cementitious materials (AASR) using a water glass solution as the alkali activator. By studying the compressive strength of different red mud content, the effect of Bayer red mud content on the mechanical properties of AASR was analyzed. The influence mechanism of red mud content on the mechanical properties of AASR was revealed by the variation of micro-porosity, connected porosity, Isothermal calorimetry, XRD, FTIR, and BSE/EDS testing techniques. The results show that the compressive strength of the specimens at the same age decreases with the increase of red mud content. On one hand, the addition of red mud makes the connected porosity in the AASR system increase, and the densification of the slurry structure decreases; on the other hand, the inert minerals in red mud participate in the hydration reaction to a lesser extent, the overall hydration reaction process becomes lower, and the generation of hydration products providing strength decreases.

The low mechanical strength of a low-calcium fly ash (FA)–red mud (RM) geopolymer severely limits its application. Steel slag (SS) and Ca(OH)₂ can provide calcium and alkali for the hydration process of a low-calcium FA-based geopolymer. In this study, SS was used to replace part of the RM, and Ca(OH)₂ was introduced. The effects of SS and Ca(OH)₂ on the properties of the FA-RM geopolymer were investigated. The experimental results show that SS promoted the matrix to generate more C(N)-A-S-H and C-S-H gels and optimized the pore structure, thereby improving the mechanical properties of the FA-based geopolymer. The addition of 4 wt.% Ca(OH)₂ increased the hydration products of the FA-based geopolymer, the microstructure was denser, and the mechanical properties were significantly improved. The 28 d compressive strength of the FA-based ternary composite geopolymer prepared by replacing part of the RM with SS and adding Ca(OH)₂ reached 30.6 MPa, which provided an experimental basis for the resource utilization of various bulk solid wastes.

In response to the high water sorptivity of alkali-activated slag–red mud–steel slag cementitious material (AASRSS), water and aggressive ions are easily transferred to the interior of cementitious materials, which poses a significant threat to their durability. In order to limit the transfer of moisture and aggressive ions to the interior of AASRSS, sodium stearate (NaSt) was utilized in this paper to reduce its water sorptivity. The aim of this study was to elucidate the role of NaSt in the AASRSS system. The changes in the compressive strength and water sorptivity of AASRSS mortar were tested by mixing different amounts of NaSt into the mortar. The changes in the hydration process and microstructure of AASRSS after mixing with NaSt were analyzed by using the test methods of the isothermal calorimetry, resistivity, SEM and MIP. The results showed that NaSt plays an important role in the pore structure characteristics of AASRSS and that the use of NaSt significantly reduces its water sorptivity. The improvement in the water sorptivity was caused by two main mechanisms, namely the optimization of the pore structure (reduction in defects of the microstructure and alteration of pore size distribution) and the introduction of a hydrophobic film on the pore surface. The addition of NaSt did not change the type of AASRSS hydration product, but it inhibited the hydration reaction, leading to a reduction in the hydration product. The combination of the increased porosity and reduced hydration products mainly accounts for the decrease in the compressive strength of AASRSS due to NaSt.

The composite micronized powder is prepared by using blast furnace slag (BFS), water-quenched manganese slag (WQMS), manganese tailing slag (MTS) and desulfurization gypsum (DG) and grinding aid (GA) through orthogonal test optimization design. The effect of the doping amount of each solid waste on the fluidity, activity at different ages and resistance to chloride ion penetration of the composite micropowder was studied systematically, and the exothermic characteristics of hydration of the composite micropowder with the optimal ratio were tested. The results showed that the amount of MTS dosing was the most significant factor among the four factors on the activity index of composite micronized powder at 7 d and 28 d. The activity index at 28 d decreased and then increased with the increase in MTS dosing; the amount of BFS dosing was the most significant factor affecting the fluidity and chloride ion permeation resistance of composite micronized powder. With an increase in BFS dosing, the fluidity ratio of composite micronized powder increased and then decreased; the electric flux of the matrix decreased, and the chloride ion permeation resistance increased. The optimal ratio of composite powder with the highest 28 d activity is 35% BFS, 30% MTS, 0.3% GA, 5% DG and 30% WQMS. The hydration rate and cumulative heat release of the slurry prepared with the optimal ratio of composite micronized powder to cement (1:1) are lower than those of pure cement slurry. The microstructure of the mortar test block prepared with a 1:1 composite of cement is more compact than that of the pure cement mortar test block, and the pores are fewer.