Geopolymer Concrete: One of the Keys to Sustainable DEVELOPMENT
Beginning to use other composites such as a Geopolymer Concrete and foregoing traditional concrete that utilizes Portland Cement is one of the necessary changes we must make across the planet to curb global warming.
Construction is one of the biggest industries worldwide and concrete is the foundation of our civilations, it's ease of use and structural integrity has led us to new heights (Just look at any skyscraper). As humans we consume concrete more than any thing else, with the exception of water, ranking it the second most used substance in the world.
Cement is the binder in most Concrete used today, Geopolymer will be the binder of tomorrow
Currently around 4,100,000,000 Tons of Cement is manufactured every year worldwide. Projections show this will be increased by 25% within a span of another 10 years.
Concrete made with Geopolymer has minimal processing to natural materials or the industrial byproducts we use, which significantly reduces the carbon footprint.
Geopolymer concrete produces about 9 times less carbon dioxide (CO2) during it's production than it's competitors.
Say no to portland cement
The cement industry is one of the two largest producers of carbon dioxide (CO2), creating up to 8% of worldwide emissions. For perspective when you produce one ton of Portland cement, approximately one ton of carbon dioxide (CO2) will be released. 60% of the emissions come from the chemical process itself and 40% from fuel burnt to transport and mix materials. Even if your energy comes from renewable sources, the chemical reaction is releasing a large amount of CO2. This is not an example of sustainable development for a number of reasons
- Lime stone is the main material used in Portland cement and it is easy to see a shortage of limestone may be on the horizon.
- It is a caustic solution and could cause chemical burns if not washed or shortly after
- The cement dry particles can cause lung cancer with extreme exposure and any contact with mucous membrane is irritating
On top of those Portland cement is quite limited when it comes to curing methods and strength characteristics. It is susceptible to corrosion, heat damage and degrades heavily with age.
Consider making the change to geopolymer concrete
Geopolymer Concrete has a number of other advantages
- It is stronger and more lightweight then traditional concrete
- The operator has full versatility and control over cure time and can adjust the mix to the job
- Geopolymer makes an amazing insulator and withstands heat like you would not believe
- On top of this it does great with old age
T see what others are doing with Geopolymer Concrete visit Geopolymertech.com
The video above showcases one of NanoForge's first flame tests on a Geopolymer concrete sample. As you can see our demonstrator held the torch close to this half inch piece of Geopolymer concrete and then places their finger on the back, directly behind the flame.
so what is geopolymer concrete you may ask
Geopolymer concrete is essentially synthetic stone and is mainly formed by amorphous natural geological materials. Some of the common ones include pumice stone and basalt rocks. On the other hand some Geopolymers can be formed with industrial waste, such as fly ash and silica fume.
From a chemical perspective Geopolymer is a reaction between an Alkali Silicate and an amorphous Aluminum Silicate. When combined this forms long strings of Al-O-Si as seen above. The binder type Geopolymers typically lie between a Silicate to Aluminum ratio of 2-5. The Silicate ratio along with how it is processed dictates a lot of the structural characteristics of the Geopolymer being formed. Which allows plenty of room for adjustments and adds to the applications as to which concrete can be used for. One application that I am truly excited for is the implementation of geopolymer concrete with 3D printing and 3D printed molds filled with Geopolymer.