Investigation of Waste Mineral Wool in Geopolymer Production

Mineral wools are widely used insulation materials in the construction industry; however, their non-recyclable nature poses an environmental challenge. In this study, mineral wool wastes were sustainably utilized by grinding them into powder and activating them with Na₂SiO₃ and NaOH solutions. During the production process, different silica modulus ratios of Na₂SiO₃ (2.0, 2.5, and 3.0) were examined, and the optimal ratio was determined to be 2.5. The mechanical properties of the samples were evaluated after curing at various temperatures (25°C, 50°C, 75°C, and 100°C), with the maximum compressive strength of 59.2 MPa observed in glass wool samples. Thermal curing enhanced compressive strength, particularly at 75°C, for glass wool-based samples. Additionally, the compressive strengths of the samples stabilized after a curing period of 90 days. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of recycling mineral wool wastes into high-performance materials and highlight the significant role of thermal curing in enhancing mechanical properties.