FP6 priority

1.1.6   Sustainable Development, Global Change and Ecosystems

1.6.1

Title of the proposal

Environmentally acceptable low-energy cements that are relatively cheap in production and technically similar in use compared to Portland cement

Institute

Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Construction and Architecture
Dubravska cesta 9, 842 20 Bratislava, Slovak Republic

Contact

Research subject for a potential FP6 project

- to investigate relatively cheap cements of low – energy character that are environmentally acceptable in their production and use.
- to reduce the level of carbon dioxide emitted by the cement industry from both the burning of fossil fuel and the decarbonation of limestone.
- to use natural and artificial products to enable production of good quality low – energy cements with utility properties similar to Portland cement.
- to determine basic physical and physico-chemical characteristics of such cements on concrete specimens compared to those made from high – energy Portland cement, manufacture of which contributes markedly to ” greenhouse ” effect development on the Earth.

Basic characterisation of cements: specific surface area, initial and final set, strength, chemical and mineralogical composition.
Basic characterisation of concrete ( mortars ): strength, elasticity modulus ( dynamic, Young ´s ),shrinkage, creep, stress – strain diagram, chemical resistance and durability tests such as freeze – thaw testing study of the hydrate phase formation ( XRD and thermal analysis, scanning electron microscopy, chemical analysis ) and pore structure development ( high – resolution mercury intrusion porosimetry, total porosity calculated from values of specific and volume densities ) as well as permeability coefficient estimations of the specimens. Qualified evaluations of the results and technical assistance at the production of developed cements and concrete applications.

Recent international cooperation of the research team

University of Technology, Faculty of Science, Sydney, Australia

Proposer´s relevant publications related to the research subject

1. Janotka, I., Krajci, L.: An experimental study on the upgrade of sulfoaluminate – belite cement systems by blending with Portland cement, Advances in Cement Research, Vol. 11, 1999, No. 1, pp. 35 – 41

2. Janotka, Ivan.: The influence of zeolitic cement and sand on resistance of mortar subjected to hydrochloric acid solution attack, CERAMICS – Silikaty, Vol. 43, 1999, No. 2, pp. 61 – 66

3. Janotka, I., Krajci, L.: Resistance to freezing and thawing of mortar specimens made from sulphoaluminate – belite cement, Bulletin of Materials Science, Vol. 23, 2000, No. 6., pp. 521 - 527