Development of a new class of alkali activated binders for producing low-carbon concrete

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The cement and concrete industry accounts for ~ 8% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions every year. That is mainly due to the reliance on the consumption of Portland cement to form the binder. A practical solution to cut such large emissions is to use alternative binders. Alkali activated binders (AABs) are among alternative binders that have received a lot of attention recently. They have been commercially used in various construction projects in several countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia. In their classic form, AABs are formed by adding an alkaline material such as sodium hydroxide to an aluminosilicate powder such as metakaolin. Industrial by-products such as fly ash and slag have also been successfully used at a commercial scale as precursors for the production of the AABs with lower cost and carbon footprint. Although AABs have great potentials to reduce the GHG emissions associated with the concrete industry, there have been limited research and development activities on such binders for Canadian construction applications. Moreover, typical precursors, such as fly ash and slag, are now in limited supply, particularly in Western Canada. Here, we propose to use a natural pozzolan, which is rich in zeolites and basalts and is largely available in British Columbia (BC), as the precursor for developing a new class of AABs. Moreover, we will tailor the properties of these new binders by adding to them relatively small amounts of our in-house prepared naturally-derived nanoparticles. By conducting performance-based comparative life cycle assessments, we will also quantify the effects of the new binders on the GHG emission reduction. We have partnered with ZMM® Canada Minerals Corporation, a BC-based zeolite mining company. This partnership, in addition to the collaboration with a team of members from academia and Innovate Calgary, the university's technology transfer office, will promote the impact of our proposed research program and support the translation activities and commercialization of this new technology. This research program will also train a diverse group of HQP in applications of materials engineering and nanotechnology for the concrete industry.