A systematic study on polymer modified alkali-activated slag – Part I: Stability analysis of colloidal polymer dispersion in sodium water glass

Abstract Colloidal stability of polymer particles in activator is the pre-condition for the application of polymer dispersion in alkali activated materials (AAM). In this study, investigation of the stability of classical cement-stable polymers (styrene acrylate (SA) and ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA)) in the presence of sodium silicate with different moduli at varied dosages and storing times was conducted through combined techniques including laser particle analysis and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry (UV–Vis). It is found that SA is significantly more stable than EVA dispersions. Dosage of sodium silicate and storing time are the main factors for loss of colloidal stability of the polymer particles. The highest colloidal stability of the latexes was observed with the lowest investigated modulus (M