Geopolymer : Cement for low carbon economy

Abstract

Geopolymer is emerging as future cement as it not only meets the critical properties of cement, but also falls under the category of sustainability. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the immense potential of geopolymer. It begins with a short introduction defining geopolymer and mechanism of geopolymerisation. It is followed with an account of its potential and commercial applicability. The flexibility of geopolymer in using waste and by-products has been discussed. A comparison between properties of Portland and geopolymer cement has been made. The products developed at CSIR-National Metallurgical Laboratory, Jamshedpur both at lab and pilot scale has been touched upon. Finally some of the challenges associated with geopolymer have been highlighted.