Smart Geopolymers

Description

The project aims at the development,production, and demonstration of light weight, fire resistantcomponentsfortheconstructionindustry.Industrialresidueswillbevalorised andviageopolymerizationturnedintofireresistantmaterials.Thewasteenvisionedis 'bauxite residue (or red mud)', bricks and tiles from construction and demolishing waste, and fly ash from biomass incineration. Today, these wastes are orlandfilled, or downcycled.Inthisproject,thedifferentwastestreamswillbecombinedintheright proportions,afterphysico-chemicalpre-treatment.Thismixtureisthenmoltenand quenchedasakindofslag.Theresultisagoodprecursorforgeopolymers(oralkali activatedcements).Theblendingensurestheconstantcompositionandqualityofthe precursor. As such a new value chain/business model will be developed for the demolishing/constructionbusiness.Forasuccessfulcontinuationaftertheproject,this valuechainwillbestudiedindetail.Toallowtheproductionofcomplexshapes,afire-resistant paste for 3Dprintingof objects will be developed. The final application envisagedinthisprojectwillbeinsulatingpanels.Thepanelscanbeusedasnon-flammableinsulatingmaterialforbuildingsorforconcreteprotectionintunnels.The technologyiscurrentlyataTRLof4andwillberaisedtowards8.Astheslagproduced hasaveryconstantquality,itwillalsobeavaluableprecursorforotherhigh-end applications, like a dry repair concrete or for the matrix of textile reinforced cements.AnovelhighLightReflectanceValue(LRV)photocatalyticpaintwillbeappliedasa surfacecoatingonthefire-resistantcomponenttoenhancethefiresafetyandtoactas aircleaningagent(oxidizingpollutants).Thephotocatalyticpaintcanalsoworkina tunnel, where the panels could be used to protect the concrete structure. A demonstration about the fire resistance will be performed on real scale.

Main Local Researcher

Rui Miguel Novais

Coordination

Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Partners

University of Aveiro(Portugal); MNLT Innovations GP(Greece); Cracow University of Technology(Poland); Przedsiębiorstwo Budowlano-Produkcyjne Łęgprzem Sp. z o.o(Poland); IESL/FORTH(Greece); ResourceFull(Belgium); Mytilineos S.A.(Greece)

Sponsors

Sponsors
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