Publications by authors named "Kinga Setlak"

The continued global urbanization of the world is driving the development of the construction industry. In order to protect the environment, intensive research has been carried out in recent years on the development of sustainable materials and ecological construction methods. Scientific research often focuses on developing building materials that are renewable, energy-efficient, and have minimal impact on the environment throughout their life cycle.

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Geopolymer materials, considered to be an alternative to Portland cement-based concretes, can be produced from various types of waste aluminosilicate raw materials. This article presents the results of research related to the use of diatomite as an additive in geopolymers. The results of testing geopolymer composites with 1%, 3%, and 5% additions of diatomite with a grain size of 0-0.

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This paper presents a research program aimed towards developing a method of producing lightweight, porous geopolymer composites for the construction industry based on industrial wastes. A direct method involving the addition of chemicals is currently most commonly used to produce the porous mineral structure of a geopolymer matrix. This relies on a reaction in a highly alkaline environment of the geopolymer to produce a gas (usually hydrogen or oxygen) that forms vesicles and creates a network of pores.

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The increasing use of plastic (synthetic polymers) results in the release of uncontrollable amounts of synthetic materials into the environment through waste, infrastructure, and essential goods. As plastic materials undergo weathering, a complex process unfolds, leading to the formation of pollutants, notably microplastics. This study employs multiple instrumental methods to explore the intricate abiotic degradation of the five most commonly used synthetic polymers in environmentally relevant conditions.

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The purpose of this study is to synthesize geopolymer binders as an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional cement using available local raw materials. Waste materials such as chalcedonite (Ch), amphibolite (A), fly ash from lignite combustion (PB), and diatomite dust (D) calcined at 900 °C were used to produce geopolymer binders. Metakaolin (M) was used as an additional modifier for binders based on waste materials.

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