Geopolymers Based on Local Rocks as a Future Alternative to Portland Cement

Abstract

In the world scientific community, especially in the construction industry, in recent years, more and more attention has been paid to geopolymer binders, since it a future alternative to ordinary Portland cement (OPC). This is primarily due to the high-energy intensity of cement production and, consequently, to the problem of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. Therefore, the development of alternative materials to OPC is intensively ongoing, which, according to many scientists, are geopolymer binders. Obtaining of the high-quality geopolymers is possible mainly on the basis of metakaolin, which, in turn, is produced by heat treatment of kaolin or kaolin clays. The world reserves of these rocks are strictly limited, so the use of widespread polymineral clays for producing metakaolin is very important. The aim of this work is to study clayey rocks of Georgia (shale, argillite, and low-melting clay) for the synthesis of geopolymer binders. A regime of thermal modification of clay rocks has been developed and geopolymer binders of various composition and mechanical strength have been obtained, which opens up the prospects for their further production on local raw materials.