Effect of ceramic tile waste addition on the performance of slag-based geopolymer upon exposure to marine conditions: Physico-mechanical characteristics, and shielding proficiency against ionizing radiation

The effect of ceramic waste powder (CWP) on the performance of slag-based geopolymer prior and after exposure to marine conditions was evaluated by determining the physical, mechanical and radiological properties. Geopolymers were designed upon partial replacing slag with waste in the range of 5–30%. Bulk density and compressive strength of mixtures in line with ASTM standards were investigated. The radiation parameters, including μ m , μ, HVL, Z eff , N eff , and C eff for photons were verified through Phy-X/PSD in a wide energy range. Fast Neutrons Effective Removal Cross-Sections (FNRCS) and Macroscopic Removal Cross-Section (MRCS) values for fast neutrons were verified through Phy-X/PSD and MRCS software. While, thermal neutron total removal cross-section factors were calculated by NGcal software. However, the energy range was investigated by SRIM (Monte Carlo) software for H + , He ++ and Au + ions. The results revealed that, the mix containing 20% waste immersed in seawater is the most suitable composition for mitigating photons and fast neutrons. In the same vein, the formulation containing 15% waste is the better candidate under normal conditions compared to its counterparts. At the same gamma ray energy, the performance of the seawater-immersed mixtures as photon attenuators is higher than that of their counterparts treated under normal conditions. • The physico-mechanical properties showed the best performance among all the tested samples before and after exposure. • The investigated mixtures are the most suitable material in terms of photons and fast neutron shielding. • At the same gamma ray energy, mixtures under marine conditions act as better photon attenuators than normal conditions. • The TSP and CSDA range of the energetic electron increase with the energy and depends on CWP content. • The mean excitation energy of an electron is independent of the hardening conditions.