Geopolymeric binders, used either with rock aggregates to produce rock-concretes or with carbon fibers to produce non-flammable composites, have a variety of important industrial uses.
The same geosynthesis that produces geopolymeric rock-cements is used industrially for making binders for advanced composite materials and ceramics. Updated research is presented in Davidovits’ book, Geopolymer Chemistry & Applications, Chapters 8, 20, 21, 23. They were also discussed in previous papers presented at the Geopolymer 2005 Congress and published in the Proceedings of Geopolymer 2005; see also in the Library .
Several decades ago, ceramicists tried to manufacture ceramic tiles at temperatures lower than 450°C, without firing. Geopolymer science masters the transformation of kaolinite, the major component of ceramic clays, into geopolymers of the poly(sialate) and poly(sialate-siloxo) types. Application of this chemistry yielded several technological breakthroughs pertaining to LTGS, Low-Temperature-Geopolymeric-Setting and geopolymerized modern ceramic processing. See in Chapter 23 of Davidovits’ book Geopolymer Chemistry & Applications .
Geopolymer composites have three main properties that make them superior to ceramic-matrix composites, plastics, and organic composite materials.
First:
Geopolymers are very easy to make, as they handle easily and do not require high heat.
Second:
Geopolymeric composites have a higher heat tolerance than organic composites. Tests conducted on Geopolymer carbon-composites showed that they will not burn at all, no matter how many times ignition might be attempted.
Third:
The mechanical properties of Geopolymer composites are as good as those of organic composites. In addition, Geopolymers resist all organic solvents (and are only affected by strong hydrochloric acid).
Before the discovery of geopolymerization, these three critical properties had not been incorporated into any one material. More information are available in applications called GEO-COMPOSITE and GEO-STRUCTURE and in Davidovits’ book Geopolymer Chemistry & Applications , Chapter 21.
