GEOpolymeric Cements for Innocuous
Stabilisation of Toxic EleMents
Geosynthesis was the objective of the European multidisciplinary BriteEuram industrial research project GEOCISTEM. The project titled cost effective GEOpolymeric Cements for Innocuous Stabilization of Toxic EleMents, in short GEOCISTEM, started on Jan. 1994 and has been completed on June 1997.
The project seek to manufacture economical geopolymeric cements primarily for the long-term containment of hazardous and toxic wastes and for restoring sites highly contaminated with uranium mining waste (the WISMUT sites in former East Germany). The patented GEOPOLYTECH® process is currently undergoing industrial testing on various sites. In the recently updated book Geopolymer Chemistry & Applications this application is outlined in Chapter 26. You may also go to the Geopolymer Library and download several papers.
Geopolymeric cements are manufactured in a different manner than Portland cement. Geopolymeric cements do not require high temperature kilns, or large expenditures of fuel, nor do they require such a large capital investment for the plant and equipment. Thermal processing of naturally occurring alkali-silico-aluminates and alumino-silicates (geological resources available on all continents) provides suitable geopolymeric raw-materials.
In addition, the GEOCISTEM technology reduces the energy consumption of manufacturing cement. The global introduction of these low-CO2 geopolymeric cements, for civil engineering, infrastructure and general construction purposes will reduce the CO2 emissions created by the cement concrete industry by 80%. This can mitigate overall Global Warming .
Partners:
- European Commission, Brussels
- B.R.G.M. Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (France)
- CORDI-GEOPOLYMERE SA (France)
- LAVIOSA CHIMICA MINERARIA SPA (Italy)
- CAGLIARI UNIVERSITY, Dpt Scienze della Terra (Italy)
- BARCELONA UNIVERSITY, Facultat de Geologia (Spain)
Sub-contrators for Cordi-Geopolymere SA, Saint-Quentin:
- WISMUT GmbH, Chemnitz (Germany)
- HEIDELBERGER ZEMENT AG, Heidelberg (Germany)
- NAMUR University, Namur (Belgium)
CEMENTI BUZZI, Torino (Italy) - CAEN UNIVERSITY, Centre Etude et Recherche sur l’Antiquité (France)
- Project leader: Prof. Dr. Joseph Davidovits, Cordi-Geopolymere SA
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