Geopolymer as binder and copper slag as filler

Abstract

The development of acceptable sustainable materials is one of the challenges of modern materials science since the world is facing serious problems due to wide environmental degradation The industries are expected to reduce Carbon Dioxide CO2 emissions With increasing infrastructures in rapidly growing economies like India there is a need to synthesize innovative ecofriendly materials This is done by utilization of conventional and nonconventional wastes to produce synergetic composite materials and products of high value addition through novel techniques enabling thereby the gainful conversion of waste into wealth In recent years geopolymers as substitute for Portland cements have emerged as greener cementitious materials They have unique and highly desirable yet easily attainable chemical and mechanical properties Recent scarcity in river sand RS across India has forced people to look for alternatives One of the materials that have been successfully utilized at field level in real time projects is Copper Slag CS a waste generated during the extraction of copper from its ore. The need for alternate binders and newlineaggregates in concrete have been globally acknowledged for two main reasons namely acute shortage of traditional concrete making ingredients due to exponential growth in the demand for concrete to fulfill the infrastructure development and secondly the environmental impact caused by these traditional ingredients newline newline