Abstract
The growing environmental and safety issues posed by human activities have underlined the importance of Ordinary Portland Cement production, which is a major contributor to carbon dioxide emissions that impede Net Zero goals. The urgent need to produce cement substitutes with reduced carbon footprints has prompted research on geopolymers formed from industrial mineral wastes. These materials provide promising sustainable development solutions, but the selection of appropriate activation methods remains a significant constraint to their widespread industrial and economical application. A systematic review using the PRISMA protocol included 302 recent and relevant papers, identifying four principal activation strategies and their combinations across four major feedstocks. The study investigated energy requirements, compressive strength, and industrial applications. Hybrid activation, particularly when combined with mechanical activation, emerged as the most successful method for creating geopolymers with high compressive strength. Among the methods investigated, mechanochemical activation of slag produced the maximum compressive strength, while microwave-assisted treatment (MAT) activation of clay and ultrasonic activation of fly ash mixed with slag provided the most energy-efficient curing procedure. Hybrid activation represents the most recent innovation in geopolymer research, offering increased efficiency and industrial viability. Future advancements are projected to improve the integration of hybrid approaches with mechanical activation, increasing performance while reducing the impact on the environment.
Keywords
geopolymers, feedstock activation, cement alternative, industrial residue, industry decarbonisation methods.
DOI
10.5703/1288284318151
Recommended Citation
Kehinde, Oluyemi; Hughes, David J.; Amalu, Emeka H.; and Bondar, Dali, "Recent Advances in Geopolymer Feedstocks Activation for Sustainable Cement Production" (2025). International Conference on Durability of Concrete Structures. 6.
https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/icdcs/2025/act/6
Recent Advances in Geopolymer Feedstocks Activation for Sustainable Cement Production
The growing environmental and safety issues posed by human activities have underlined the importance of Ordinary Portland Cement production, which is a major contributor to carbon dioxide emissions that impede Net Zero goals. The urgent need to produce cement substitutes with reduced carbon footprints has prompted research on geopolymers formed from industrial mineral wastes. These materials provide promising sustainable development solutions, but the selection of appropriate activation methods remains a significant constraint to their widespread industrial and economical application. A systematic review using the PRISMA protocol included 302 recent and relevant papers, identifying four principal activation strategies and their combinations across four major feedstocks. The study investigated energy requirements, compressive strength, and industrial applications. Hybrid activation, particularly when combined with mechanical activation, emerged as the most successful method for creating geopolymers with high compressive strength. Among the methods investigated, mechanochemical activation of slag produced the maximum compressive strength, while microwave-assisted treatment (MAT) activation of clay and ultrasonic activation of fly ash mixed with slag provided the most energy-efficient curing procedure. Hybrid activation represents the most recent innovation in geopolymer research, offering increased efficiency and industrial viability. Future advancements are projected to improve the integration of hybrid approaches with mechanical activation, increasing performance while reducing the impact on the environment.
