review · Environmental Advances
Conventional Ordinary Portland Cement production generates substantial carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming. Geopolymer materials synthesised from aluminosilicates offer an alternative by recycling industrial solid waste by-products to replace traditional cement. These inorganic polymers reduce greenhouse gas emissions during manufacture while demonstrating superior mechanical, thermal, chemical, and electrical performance compared to standard concrete. Beyond construction applications, geopolymers feature surface properties that make them effective for environmental remediation. Their specific surface area allows for the adsorption, photodegradation, and encapsulation of diverse organic and inorganic pollutants in wastewater treatment. A broad assessment of research between 2010 and 2023 demonstrates that geopolymer composites provide dual utility as structural building materials and functional agents for pollutant removal, supporting sustainable industrial waste management.
Cement production is a major driver of global greenhouse gas emissions and environmental harm. Replacing standard cement with geopolymers derived from industrial by-products can lower the construction sector's carbon footprint. Furthermore, the ability of these materials to treat wastewater by capturing or breaking down pollutants offers a practical, multi-purpose tool for cleaner industrial processes and pollution control.
The findings point to commercial opportunities in the construction sector for low-carbon concrete and in the environmental sector for wastewater remediation. Target users include building material manufacturers and industrial wastewater facility operators seeking waste-derived adsorbents or catalysts. Because the underlying evidence is drawn from a broad review of literature published between 2010 and 2023, the technology reflects applied and tested research with clear pathways towards industrial adoption.
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The increase in the cement industry's production, especially the production of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), increases the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere, one of the main greenhouse gases responsible for global warming, with harmful effects on the environment and human health. Against this background, geopolymer concrete is a new type of inorganic polymer material that has attracted the attention of researchers in the building area, due to recycling waste by-products to replace OPC and reducing greenhouse gas (CO2) emissions during its manufacture. It also exhibits better mechanical, thermal, chemical, and electrical properties than OPC-based concrete. In the same environmental context, this material has also attracted the attention of researchers in the wastewater treatment area, because of its specific surface area and the capability of adsorption, photodegradation, and encapsulation of organic and inorganic pollutants. The principal focus of this paper is to provide an in-depth overview of the works that have been undertaken to explore geopolymer-type materials. The paper will attempt to develop a comprehensive database, based on the last research works published between 2010 and 2023 with about 247 references, which explains the elaboration, characterization, and application of these materials in several fields. Therefore, it is estimated that geopolymer composites are promising future candidates for recycling industrial solid waste, the partial or total replacement of OPCs in the construction industry, and the development of adsorbents and catalysts for wastewater treatment.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.envadv.2024.100524
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