- The coal gangue (CG), a prominent industrial coal mining waste, for sustainable construction materials is a key focus of this research. We employed mechanical activation via a planetary ball mill to enhance coal gangue reactivity for geopolymer application. A systematic experimental design explored the influence of crucial rinding parameters: grinding media size dGM, rotational speed (rpm), and grinding time (tg). A primary objective was to optimize the specific grinding energy (Em), recognizing the substantial energy consumption associated with ball milling. The effectiveness of mechanical activation was rigorously evaluated by analysing changes in particle size distribution (PSD), stressing conditions (CF, SE and SI), phases analysis X-ray diffraction (XRD), morphological of powder by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and chemical bonding by Fourier� transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Subsequently, the performance of the developed geopolymers was comprehensively assessed through visual observation, compressive strengthThe coal gangue (CG), a prominent industrial coal mining waste, for sustainable construction materials is a key focus of this research. We employed mechanical activation via a planetary ball mill to enhance coal gangue reactivity for geopolymer application. A systematic experimental design explored the influence of crucial rinding parameters: grinding media size dGM, rotational speed (rpm), and grinding time (tg). A primary objective was to optimize the specific grinding energy (Em), recognizing the substantial energy consumption associated with ball milling. The effectiveness of mechanical activation was rigorously evaluated by analysing changes in particle size distribution (PSD), stressing conditions (CF, SE and SI), phases analysis X-ray diffraction (XRD), morphological of powder by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and chemical bonding by Fourier� transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Subsequently, the performance of the developed geopolymers was comprehensively assessed through visual observation, compressive strength measurements, and detailed analysis of reaction mechanisms. Our results demonstrate a significant improvement in geopolymer properties directly attributable to increased geometric specific surface area and reduced particle size of the mechanically activated coal gangue. This research elucidates a strong correlation between particle characteristics (size and geometric surface area), specific grinding energy Em and stressing intensity SI, and the overall mechanically activated coal
gangue, ultimately its efficacy in geopolymer applications.…

