Abstract
Some basic properties of inorganic coatings hardened by the room temperature reaction with alkalies were examined. The coating paste was prepared from the powders in the system $Al_2O_3-SiO_2$-CaO using blast furnace slag, fly ash and amorphous ceramic fiber after mixing with a solution of sodium hydroxide and water glass. The mineralogical and morphological examinations were performed for the coatings prepared at room temperature and after heating to $1200^{\circ}C$ respectively. The binding force of the coating hardened at room temperature was caused by the formation of fairly dense matrix mainly composed of oyelite-containing amorphous phase formed by the reaction between blast furnace slag and alkali solution. At the temperature, fly ash and ceramic fiber was not reacted but imbedded in the binding phase, giving the fluidity to the paste and reinforcing the coating respectively. During heating up to $1200^{\circ}C$, instead of a break in the coating, anorthite and gehlenite was crystallized out by the reaction among the binding phase and unreacted components in ternary system. The crystallization of these minerals revealed to be a reason that the coating maintains dense morphology after heating. The maintenance of binding force after heat treatment is seemed to be also caused by the formation of welldispersed fiber-like mineral phase which is originated from the shape of the amorphous ceramic fiber used as a raw materials.