Inorganic Polymers for Sustainable Civil Infrastructure

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Inorganic polymers, also called geopolymers, present a unique opportunity to make concrete binders almost entirely from waste-stream materials. However, there are many challenges that must be overcome in order to see implementation of these materials in civil infrastructure. One major stumbling block is that the waste materials used to make inorganic polymers are inherently highly variable, heterogeneous, and difficult to comprehensively characterize. The purpose of this investigation is to clarify the relationship between material composition and performance in inorganic polymer binders in order to facilitate production of inorganic polymer concrete from underutilized waste-stream sources. Selected wastes, primarily those from coal burning, will be fully characterized for phase composition and reactivity using newly refined analysis methods specifically adapted for this purpose. The characteristics for optimum performance in inorganic polymer concrete will be determined, and this knowledge will be used to identify promising waste materials from sources that are currently landfilled. Portland cement concrete is the dominant building material. However, portland cement production accounts for 2% of primary energy consumption and 5% of global CO2 emissions resulting from human activity. The successful replacement of portland cement concrete with inorganic polymer concrete in infrastructure and repair applications could greatly reduce CO2 emissions and energy use. Furthermore, targeting underutilized waste materials for inorganic polymer concrete will reduce landfilling. While the field of civil engineering is increasingly emphasizing sustainable development, classroom emphasis on these concepts is lagging. Research, teaching and outreach efforts performed during the proposed project will begin to address this gap.