Circular Economy
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- 2021 (2)
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- Englisch (2)
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- Alkali-activated materials (2) (entfernen)
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Due to environmental concerns regarding the use of Portland cement as the principal binder material in concrete and mortar it is imperative to identify alternative materials that could reduce the carbon footprint of the construction industry. One alternative to address these issues is the use of alkali activated materials, in particular, when based on waste streams that currently have no or only limited industrial application. This paper reports a preliminary study into the synthesis of geopolymer mortar utilizing Brown Coal Fly Ash. The ash had a CaO content of ~39%, indicating that synthesis at ambient or low temperature may be feasible. The paper reports initial trials on the effect of curing temperature, ambient to 120 °C, on the mechanical properties of the mortars produced. The results showed that ambient cured mortar achieved a compressive strength of 6.5 MPa at 3 days. A curing temperature of 60 °C gave the optimum results with a compressive strength of almost 20 MPa and a flexural strength of 3.5 MPa obtained.
Geopolymers and alkali-activated materials have emerged as a complement, and partly as an alternative, to traditional materials in various applications, such as traditional ceramics, energy saving, waste management, building construction, and filtration. These new materials can play an important role in mitigating climate change and promoting a circular economy, which is one of the reasons why they are being actively researched in many laboratories around the world.
Open Ceramics, the official, peer-reviewed, Open Access journal of the European Ceramic Society, is dedicated to foster this research and is compiling a Special Issue with the title “Alkali-activated and geopolymer materials in ceramics and various applications”. The aim of this Special Issue is to promote new applications, the use of previously underused raw materials, and in particular a better understanding of the chemical and mechanical behavior of these materials.
The scope of the Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, research on the following topics:
- valorization of previously underused raw materials
- a better understanding of established raw materials
- detailed spectroscopic characterization of alkali-activated materials and geopolymers to elucidate their phase assemblage
- the mechanism of formation of the phase(s) that comprise these binders
- control of their mechanical properties
- the effect of fillers/aggregates on their mechanical properties
- their durability under various conditions and the underlying deterioration mechanisms
- special applications and recycling-related considerations.