Application of Alkali-Activated Sustainable Materials: A Step towards Net Zero Binder

Abstract

Economic growth and rapid urbanization have resulted in the increase in demand for infrastructure development. To meet this ever increasing demand, conventional construction materials such as concrete are used, which requires an energy intensive process that in turn impacts the environment adversely. Ordinary Portland Cement, being the dominant binder in the industry, contributes around 8% of worldwide annual carbon emissions, and this is expected to reach around 20% by 2050. Population growth has resulted in the significant increase in agro-industrial waste generation during recent years. Inadequate waste management raises a number of environmental concerns. With the growing economy and rising living standards, global raw material consumption is expected to double by 2060. The reutilization of waste materials will aid in their management, while conserving the available resources. Alkali-activated materials (AAM) have recently been introduced as an eco-friendly alternative to conventional binders with fewer environmental impacts. AAM reduce the need for Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) by substituting it with supplementary cementitious materials (SCM), and therefore, reducing the amount of subsequent carbon emissions. Alkali activation is a complex chemical process between the precursors (alumino-silicate materials) and their dissolution in the activators. Different materials react to alkali activators in different ways depending on their properties. The current study aims to provide a critical review of potential agro-industrial wastes on the fresh and hardened properties of alkali-activated concrete (AAC). To understand the design and development of AAC, influencing the parameters such as the molarity of NaOH, alkali activators, and the ratio of the activators have been discussed in detail. The curing regime and its effect on the behavior of alkali-activated concrete are mentioned. The different admixtures used to regulate the properties of AAC are highlighted. AAC exhibited optimized embodied energy, operational energy, life cycle cost, CO2 emission, and raw material consumption rates than the conventional concrete did. However, these results varied based on the precursors used in them. This paper focuses on the design and development of AAC, and it should be viewed as an important contribution towards the adoption of AAC in practical applications. The study presents the potential of AAM as a net zero binder in the making of sustainable concrete with enhanced properties.