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Research on Alkali-Activated Materials (Third Edition)
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Research on Alkali-Activated Materials (Third Edition)

A Special Issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944) belonging to the section "Construction and Building Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 October 2026 | Viewed by 840

Editors

Prof. Dr. Feng Rao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Zijin Mining, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
Interests: geopolymer; alkali-activated materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Hui Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Urban Construction, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
Interests: waste recycling; recycled concrete; alkali-activated materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Alkali-activated materials are cementitious materials generated by the reaction of solid silicate waste (slag, fly ash, kaolinite, etc.)—which possess pozzolanic activity or potential hydraulic properties—and an alkaline activator, such as alkali-aluminosilicate vitreous materials, alkali-fired clay, alkali-ore tailings, and alkali-calcium carbonate. Their advantages include simple preparation, low costs, easy access to raw materials, low energy consumption, environmental friendliness, high strength, and high durability, making them an ideal substitute for Portland cement. As low-carbon materials, they have become a research focus around the world. However, due to the complexity of sourcing raw materials, the high content of alkali activators, and the lack of applicable additives, the use of alkali-activated materials is still limited in practical engineering.

Following the success of the first two editions of this Special Issue, and to promote the application of alkali-activated materials, for this third edition, we are pleased to invite researchers from around the world to submit original research articles, reports, and reviews that highlight original findings on alkali-activated materials, alongside potential perspectives for future investigations. The first and second editions can be viewed by clicking the links below:

First Edition: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/materials/special_issues/64XQPNV10E
Second Edition: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/materials/special_issues/3448OWHUT6

Prof. Dr. Feng Rao
Dr. Hui Liu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • alkali-activated materials
  • alkali activators
  • mixing-proportion design
  • mechanical performance and durability
  • reaction mechanism
  • modification
  • additives
  • carbon analysis

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 4720 KB  
Article
Dynamic Compressive Behavior and Internal Damage Evolution of Polypropylene Fiber-Reinforced Alkali-Activated Slag Geopolymer Mortar
by Binghui Cui, Yanzhu Liu and Liang Wang
Materials 2026, 19(20), 4263; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19204263 - 9 Oct 2026
Abstract
Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) production is energy- and carbon-intensive, which has motivated the development of more sustainable alternatives such as alkali-activated materials, including granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS) geopolymer mortar. Geopolymer mortar, however, is brittle, has low tensile strength and poor crack resistance, [...] Read more.
Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) production is energy- and carbon-intensive, which has motivated the development of more sustainable alternatives such as alkali-activated materials, including granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS) geopolymer mortar. Geopolymer mortar, however, is brittle, has low tensile strength and poor crack resistance, and its damage evolution under dynamic impact remains insufficiently understood. Here we show that polypropylene fiber (PPF) reinforcement substantially improves the dynamic impact resistance of GBFS-based geopolymer mortar with only a limited effect on static compressive strength. Mortars with PPF volume contents of 0%, 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8%, and 1.0% were prepared at a water-to-binder ratio of 0.55. Flowability, static compressive strength, and dynamic mechanical properties were evaluated using a split Hopkinson pressure bar at strain rates of 50 s−1–130 s−1, and failure morphology was examined through SEM and CT analysis. Increasing PPF content reduced flowability from 253 mm to 224 mm at 1.0% but had little effect on static strength. Dynamic compressive strength, dynamic increase factor (DIF), and ultimate toughness increased with both strain rate and fiber content. The 1.0% PPF mortar reached a maximum DIF of 2.129 and a 99.3% increase in impact toughness. CT analysis further showed that PPF suppressed the formation of large internal voids: approximately 31, 2, and 5 voids larger than 4 mm3 were detected in the 0.6%, 0.8%, and 1.0% PPF specimens, respectively. The improvement is attributed to fiber bridging and pull-out, which consume impact energy and inhibit crack initiation and propagation. These results indicate that, within the tested range, a PPF content of 1.0% is effective for impact-resistant geopolymer mortar. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Alkali-Activated Materials (Third Edition))
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19 pages, 25597 KB  
Article
Effect of Steam Curing Regimes on Mechanical Performance, Shrinkage and Microstructure of Fly Ash-Slag-Desulfurization Gypsum Cementitious Materials
by Xiaoming Wei, Liang Wang, Jinghua Yan, Xiaolong Zhou, Yaning Wu and Meinan Wang
Materials 2026, 19(12), 2551; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19122551 - 12 Jun 2026
Viewed by 446
Abstract
In this study, three types of industrial solid waste—granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS), fly ash, and desulfurization gypsum (DG)—are utilized to collaboratively prepare low-carbon cementitious materials. The effects of steam curing temperature, constant temperature time, and fly ash content on the mechanical properties [...] Read more.
In this study, three types of industrial solid waste—granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS), fly ash, and desulfurization gypsum (DG)—are utilized to collaboratively prepare low-carbon cementitious materials. The effects of steam curing temperature, constant temperature time, and fly ash content on the mechanical properties of multi-source solid waste cementitious materials are systematically investigated, and the optimal mix proportion ratio for low-carbon cementitious materials is determined. The results indicate that as steam curing temperature and constant temperature time increase, the compressive strength of the ternary cementitious material generally shows an upward trend, while the fly ash content exhibits a negative correlation. When the steam curing temperature is 70 °C, the constant temperature time is 10 h, the fly ash content is 20%, and the strength can reach 24 MPa, with both its engineering performance and economic benefits meeting the requirements of practical applications. Meanwhile, the steam curing temperature shows a tendency of first decreasing and then increasing shrinkage rate after 28 d, with the lowest shrinkage rate at 70 °C. Extending the constant temperature time can slightly reduce shrinkage, and the addition of 20–30% fly ash can optimize shrinkage performance. Moreover, the TG/DTG and SEM-EDS microscopic testing demonstrates that the ternary system achieves synergistic activation by accelerated mineral dissolution, ion release and enhanced alkalinity under steam curing, which jointly promotes the formation of AFt and C-A-S-H gel to refine microstructure and improve compactness. This study can not only reduce the consumption of cement, but also facilitate the recycling of industrial waste, providing theoretical support for the application of multi-source solid waste low-carbon materials in practical engineering. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Alkali-Activated Materials (Third Edition))
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