Study the Mechanical Properties of Geopolymer under Different Curing Conditions

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

I found the manuscript very interesting. FA-GGBS based geopolymers were cured under standard curing, 40 °C water curing, and 40 °C heat curing condition. I recommend the publication of this work after addressing the following comments.

1.       The title of Table in this paper should be modified, such as Table 2.

2.       Figure 3 and Figure 4 should be combined in one Figure.

3.       Why the temperature of 25±2°C and humidity of 95%±3% are defined as standard curing.

4.       The position of each process in the Sample preparation flow chart (Figure 2) is out of order. Please modify.

5.       Please add the position of the sample for Microstructure test.

6.       The title of some sections should be modified, such as “3.1. The optimum ratio of geopolymer prepared under standard curing”. The same as “3.3”.

7.       Please give the unit of “GGBS content”.

8.       “The optimum ratio of geopolymer prepared under water curing” should be “The optimum ratio of geopolymer prepared under 40°C water curing”.

9.       The meaning of * in Tab.7 needs to be modified. What is the meaning of "very significant".

10. Some mistakes in English should be modified.

11. Please emphasize your research significance in the introduction.

12. Please compare your results with others. Any new findings?

13. Please provide an explanation to different optimum mixes for different curing conditions.

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

This paper entitled “Study of the mechanical properties of geopolymer under different curing conditions”, the mechanical properties of geopolymer under different curing conditions were studied. The subject of this paper is quite interesting and worth studying. Before accepted for publication, this paper needs some enhancements. So, a minor revision is suggested.

1.Some minor mistakes in English should be improved.

2.The particle size of FA and GGBS should be provided.

3. Please explain why the alkaline activator modulus is 3.29.

4.Please explain why the the Orthogonal test method was selected？

5.Please check the Eq.(1) and Eq.(2). The “K” and “k” should be variable. The others variable in this paper should be check and modified.

6.In Figure 11, the colon is removed from the label.

7.the table 12 and table 13 should be combined and presented. And the other tables should checked and modified.

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

In this work, the Study of the mechanical properties of geopolymer under different curing conditions was investigated. 

At the beginig, You should pay more attention to the title, because much more is shown in the paper. The work is too long and there are a lot of different samples. It should be based on one problem and it should be monitored and investigated. Will it be the different compositions of the samples, or the aging time, the mechanical properties... there are too many results like this.  You should decide on one presentation of the results, tabular or graphic. Especially since there are too many results.Two nice works can be made from this one, where it will be clearly seen what the goal is. In the end, the conclusion is so short, considering so many results.

-In Table 2., you should put content of FA?

- With which lubrikant you coated mold?

- What is it standard curing?

I disagree that the paper should be published in this state.

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 3 Report

Dear authors,

I see you have accepted some comments and suggestions. The paper still seems to me to be a bit long, to have a lot of results, but with some explanations it can be followed. I agree that the paper should be published, but once again check the technical errors and the English.

Author Response

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Round 3

Reviewer 3 Report

Dear authors,

I have a comment on the title:

you deleted Of from the tittle, so I suggest to delete also Study, then the title woulde be:

The mechanical properties of geopolymer under different
curing conditions

In my opinion, the paper is still too long, but you have a lot of results and it should be published