Thermal activation of kaolinite through potassium acetate intercalation: A structural and reactivity study

Calcined clays have emerged as a suitable alternative to partially replace conventional cement due to their high pozzolanic activity. This study explores a novel activation methodology for kaolinite, aiming to obtain metakaolin at lower temperatures than conventional thermal activation. This methodology involves a prior intercalation stage with potassium acetate (KAc) before thermal activation. The effectiveness of KAc intercalation was assessed through X-ray diffraction (XRD), indicating an intercalation ratio of approximately 90%. Several calcined temperatures were tested in accordance with the thermal behaviour analyzed through thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Once calcined, the intercalated kaolinites exhibited enhanced reactivity compared to conventional calcined clays in the range between 400 °C to 550 °C, as demonstrated by modified Chapelle and Si/Al availability tests. A comprehensive structural characterization was conducted to facilitate a better understanding of the novel KAc-based metakaolin reactivity through various techniques (XRD, ²⁷Al - ¹H MAS NMR, and TGA). This focused on the crystalline changes in the kaolinite structure, the evolution of Al atoms conformation, and the OH behaviour at different thermal activation temperatures. Overall, this study highlights the potential of KAc intercalation as a strategy to obtain higher metakaolin content at lower temperatures than through conventional thermal treatments, offering insights into the development of its potential use as supplementary cementitious materials or alternative cementitious materials precursor.