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• Obonyo, E
• Kamseu, E
• Melo, UC.
• Leonelli, C
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• Obonyo, E
• Kamseu, E
• Melo, UC.
• Leonelli, C
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• Kamseu, E
• Melo, UC.
• Leonelli, C

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Sustainability 2011, 3(2), 410-423; doi:10.3390/su3020410

Review

Advancing the Use of Secondary Inputs in Geopolymer Binders for Sustainable Cementitious Composites: A Review

Esther Obonyo ¹ , Elie Kamseu ^2,3,* , Uphie C. Melo ³  and Cristina Leonelli ²

¹ M.E. Rinker School of Building Construction, University of Florida, P.O. Box 115703, Gainesville, FL 32601, USA ² Department of Materials and Environmental Engineering, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Vignolese 905, A 41125 Modena, Italy ³ Laboratory of Materials, Locals Materials Promotion Authority, MINRESI-MIPROMALO, 2396 Yaounde, Cameroon

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received: 9 January 2011 / Accepted: 9 February 2011 / Published: 16 February 2011

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Engineering Sustainable Building Materials: Advancing the Structural Performance of Earth-based Technologies)

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Abstract: Because of concerns over the construction industry‘s heavy use of cement and the general dissatisfaction with the performance of building envelopes with respect to durability, there is a growing demand for a novel class of ―green‖ binders. Geopolymer binders have re-emerged as binders that can be used as a replacement for Portland cement given their numerous advantages over the latter including lower carbon dioxide emissions, greater chemical and thermal resistance, combined with enhanced mechanical properties at both normal and extreme exposure conditions. The paper focuses on the use of geopolymer binders in building applications. It discusses the various options for starting materials and describes key engineering properties associated with geopolymer compositions that are ideal for structural applications. Specific properties, such as compressive strength, density, pore size distribution, cumulative water absorption, and acid resistance, are comparable to the specifications for structures incorporating conventional binders. This paper presents geopolymer binders, with their three dimensional microstructure, as material for structural elements that can be used to advance the realization of sustainable building systems.

Keywords: geopolymer; sustainable materials; building construction; environment

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