Report touts geopolymer binders’ potential as portland cement substitute

Source: Technavio, London; CP staff

The authors of a global geopolymer market profile project compounded annual growth rate of more than 30 percent from 2015–2019, attributing among drivers increasing geopolymer cement acceptance in concrete for offshore and transportation structures.

“Geopolymer cement has high tensile strength and less brittleness than ordinary cement and can withstand earth tectonic plate movements, which makes it the most viable substitute to portland cement,” contends Technavio Vice President Faisal Ghaus. The report also emphasizes the increased prominence of European Union emissions trading scheme (EU ETS), he adds, noting: “Construction and power generating companies, which are among the largest producers of greenhouse gases, are actively seeking to reduce their carbon footprint to take advantage of the ETS. The increase in [scheme] prominence is expected to significantly contribute to the geopolymer market growth.”

The report defines a geopolymer as a chemical compound or a mixture of compounds that consist of repeating units of silico-aluminate (-Si-O-Al-O-), silico-oxide (-Si-O-Si-O-), alumino-phosphate (-Al-O-P-O-), or ferro-silico-aluminate (-Fe-O-Si-O-Al-O-). Prepared through geopolymerization, the mineral compounds are typically derived at room temperature from industrial waste or with the help of by-products of other compounds. To calculate the market size over the next five years, the report considers revenue generated through the sale of geopolymers in various applications by such producers as BASF, Corning, Dow Chemical, Nu-core, Schlumberger and Wagners. It can be ordered here.

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