In this paper, raw natural metakaolin (MK, Serbia) clay was used as a starting material for the synthesis of geopolymers for thermal treatment. Metakaolin was obtained by calcination of kaolin at 750 °C for 1 h while geopolymer samples were calcined at 900 °C, which is the key transition temperature. Metakaolin was activated by a solution of NaOH of various concentrations and sodium silicate. During the controlled heat treatment, the geopolymer samples began to melt slightly and coagulate locally. The high-temperature exposure of geopolymer samples (900 °C) caused a significant reduction in oxygen, and even more sodium, which led to the formation of a complex porous structure. As the concentration of NaOH (6 mol dm⁻³ and 8 mol dm⁻³) increased, new semi-crystalline phases of nepheline and sanidine were formed. Thermal properties were increasingly used to better understand and improve the properties of geopolymers at high temperatures. Temperature changes were monitored by simultaneous use of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). The loss of mass of the investigated samples at 900 °C was in the range of 8–16%. Thermal treatment of geopolymers at 900 °C did not have much effect on the change in compressive strength of investigated samples. The results of thermal treatment of geopolymers at 900 °C showed that this is approximately the temperature at which the structure of the geopolymer turns into a ceramic-like structure. All investigated properties of the geopolymers are closely connected to the precursors and the constituents of the geopolymers.

Due to the growing number of people infected with the new coronavirus globally, which weakens immunity, there has been an increase in bacterial infections. Hence, knowledge about simple and low-cost synthesis methods of materials with good structural and antimicrobial properties is of great importance. A material obtained through the combination of a nanoscale hydroxyapatite material (with good biocompatibility) and titanium dioxide (with good degradation properties of organic molecules) can absorb and decompose bacteria. In this investigation, three different synthesis routes used to prepare hydroxyapatite/titanium dioxide nanomaterials are examined. The morphology and semiquantitative chemical composition are characterized by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDX). The obtained materials’ phase and structural characterization are determined using the X-ray powder diffraction method (XRD). The crystallite sizes of the obtained materials are in the range of 8 nm to 15 nm. Based on XRD peak positions, the hexagonal hydroxyapatite phases are formed in all samples along with TiO₂ anatase and rutile phases. According to SEM and TEM analyses, the morphology of the prepared samples differs depending on the synthesis route. The EDX analysis confirmed the presence of Ti, Ca, P, and O in the obtained materials. The IR spectroscopy verified the vibration bands characteristic for HAp and titanium. The investigated materials show excellent antimicrobial and photocatalytic properties.

The present work was focused on doping of 1% and 5% both of Nd₂O₃ and Sm₂O₃ in geopolymer gels. One of the main goals was to determine the influence of the behavior of Nd and Sm as dopants and structural nanoparticles changes of the final geopolymer formed. It is shown that the disorder formed by alkali activation of metakaolin can accommodate the rare earth cations Nd³⁺ and Sm³⁺ into their aluminosilicate framework structure. The main geopolymerization product identified in gels is Al-rich (Na)-AS-H gel comprising Al and Si in tetrahedral coordination. Na⁺ ions were balancing the negative charge resulting from Al³⁺ in tetrahedral coordination. The changes in the structures of the final product (geopolymer/Nd₂O₃; Sm₂O₃), has been characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis with energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS). Nucleation at the seed surfaces leads to the formation of phase-separated gels from rare earth phase early in the reaction process. It is confirmed that Nd and Sm have been shown to form unstable hydroxides Nd(OH)₃ and Sm(OH)₃ that are in equilibrium with the corresponding oxides.

As a material for application in the life sciences, a new composite material, geopolymer/CeO₂ (GP_CeO₂), was synthesized as a potential low-cost solid electrolyte for application in solid oxide fuel cells operating in intermediate temperature (IT-SOFC). The new materials were obtained from alkali-activated metakaolin (calcined clay) in the presence of CeO₂ powders (x = 10%). Besides the commercial CeO₂ powder, as a source of ceria, two differently synthesized CeO₂ powders also were used: CeO₂ synthesized by modified glycine nitrate procedure (MGNP) and self-propagating reaction at room temperature (SPRT). The structural, morphological, and electrical properties of pure and GP_CeO₂-type samples were investigated by X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), BET, differential thermal and thermogravimetric analysis (DTA/TGA), scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), and method complex impedance (EIS). XRPD and matrix-assisted laser desorption and ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) analysis confirmed the formation of solid phase CeO₂. The BET, DTA/TGA, FE-SEM, and EDS results indicated that particles of CeO₂ were stabile interconnected and form a continuous conductive path, which was confirmed by the EIS method. The highest conductivity of 1.86 × 10⁻² Ω⁻¹ cm⁻¹ was obtained for the sample GP_CeO₂_MGNP at 700 °C. The corresponding value of activation energy for conductivity was 0.26 eV in the temperature range 500–700 °C.

In recent years geopolymers have shown increased interest as binders with low CO₂ emission compared to Portland cement. The main goal of this research is focused on connecting green and sustainable characteristics with the mechanical and chemical properties of fly ash-based geopolymer. The samples of different ratios of fly ash (FA) and metakaolin (MK) were prepared. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) showed that in the geopolymer synthesis reaction a new amorphous phase was formed. Diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFT) confirmed characteristic bands of the Si-O and O-Si-O groups at 1045 cm⁻¹. Compressive strength analysis revealed that the optimal ratio of FA and MK is 50:50 and exhibits the highest value. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis revealed the total reduction of carbon content in the alkali-activated geopolymer with the optimal stoichiometry of 50:50. This indicates the possibility of obtaining a geopolymer material with an almost complete absence of carbon, which implies further application as a material with a very high environmental potential and of zero carbon emissions.

The main goal of the presented research was the preliminary investigation of possibility of red mud - Hungarian dump sites Almasfuzito (sample A) and Ajka (sample B) - application as a pigment or as a raw material for use in the construction materials industry. Also, the aim of this work was the characterization of red mud as industrial waste generated by the Bayer process in the aluminum industry - which may cause environmental problems if appropriate treatment is not carried out. The main mineral phases of both red mud are hematite (Fe2O3), calcite (CaCO3), gibbsite (Al(OH)3) and they consists of particles of median particle size 2.1 mm (sample A) and 2.5 mm (sample B) and have a characteristic red color, which was the reason for its testing for use in the industry of building materials as a pigment for standard concrete mixtures. The radionuclides content in the samples was determined by gamma spectrometry, and the radiological hazards originating from 238U, 232Th, 40K in the samples, were assessed through the radium equivalent activity, and the external radiation hazard index. The absorbed dose rate and the annual effective dose were calculated in accordance with the UNSCEAR 2010 report and the results are presented in this paper.