Abstract Alkali-activated metakaolin (AAMK) is a type of aluminosilicate-rich material often regarded as a potential alternative to ordinary Portland cement due to a smaller carbon footprint. However, the multiscale pore structure of AAMK, and how it is influenced by availability of free silica from the activator, remains largely unknown. Here, a Monte Carlo simulation approach is employed to generate the pore structure of AAMKs with different activator silicate moduli (SiO2/Na2O ratio). The simulation-derived pore size distributions are compared with experimental data obtained using nitrogen sorption (NAD) to assess the validity of the simulation results where qualitative agreement is obtained. The larger length scale pores in AAMKs are characterized using NAD and mercury intrusion porosimetry. This study stresses the importance of using complementary pore characterization techniques when investigating materials with multiscale pore structures, and shows the promise of the simulation approach to predict key transport properties of AAMKs and other cementitious materials.

中文翻译：

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水泥浆体多尺度孔隙结构的模拟与实验测定：以碱活化偏高岭土为例

摘要 碱活化偏高岭土 (AAMK) 是一种富含铝硅酸盐的材料，由于碳足迹较小，通常被认为是普通硅酸盐水泥的潜在替代品。然而，AAMK 的多尺度孔结构，以及它如何受活化剂中游离二氧化硅的影响，在很大程度上仍然未知。在这里，采用蒙特卡罗模拟方法生成具有不同活化剂硅酸盐模量（SiO2/Na2O 比）的 AAMK 的孔结构。将模拟导出的孔径分布与使用氮吸附 (NAD) 获得的实验数据进行比较，以评估模拟结果的有效性，获得定性一致性。AAMK 中较大长度的孔隙使用 NAD 和压汞孔隙率测定法进行表征。