Winsted, CT April 15, 2010; Geotek Environmental announces that it is going to license its process for making geopolymers. Unlike concrete our process uses no Portland cement greatly lowering its carbon footprint. It can be made for the most part from recycled materials that normally are landfilled. The geopolymer process is capable of using virtually any material, organic or inorganic embedded in the geopolymer matrix to meet special challanges.
Different users of geopolymers may require different formulations of the process tailored to their particular needs, this will be included as a condition of the licensing process. The license will contain not only the basic formula for geopolymers, but we will use our lab to create a custom mixture specific to your needs.
A Geopolymer is a special mix of materials specifically designed to create a product that can be used just like concrete, using the same equipment and processes.
Unlike normal concrete, Geopolymers do not contain Portland cement.
Geopolymers when set are actually more like granite then concrete because the bond is based upon silicon and aluminum oxides rather than on hydrated lime as it is in concrete containing Portland cement. A geologist examining the results of a set Geopolymer “stone” or product would be hard pressed to distinguish it from natural stone.
Geopolymers can be used to facilitate the constructive environmentally safe use of waste materials normally stockpiled , discarded or landfilled so they are quickly converted into economical, innovative and usable products. Some examples may be made of fly ash, cinder, rock dust, crushed brick and similar materials.
In actual use, Geopolymers are handled using the same methods as wet concrete, but Geopolymers set much faster and reach full strength in one day unlike conventional concrete that takes about two weeks to develop full strength. This feature will allow you to turn product lines around faster. Your products can be shipped more quickly and be used sooner.
In most uses a geopolymer sets fast enough so that you can walk on it in an hour, drive a car on it in four hours or land a 747 on it in eight hours.
Geopolymers are also much more durable than concrete. There are examples of geopolymers lasting for thousands of years, dating to the time of building of the pyramids of ancient Egypt.
In use Geopolymers are less expensive to make then conventional concrete, so not only are you improving your product, but a product made from Geopolymers will save you money.
For further information please contact us at geotekllc@gmail.com
Showing posts with label construction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label construction. Show all posts
Friday, April 16, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
How the Romans made Cement
One of the oldest professions in the world is that of a lime burner, he converted limestone by fire into a product called “quicklime” that would react vigorously with water to make a new product called “hydrated lime” that makes a slurry used to coat rammed earth walls to protect them from the weather.
Rammed earth construction has been used in arid regions since the beginning of time, and is probably one of the oldest construction techniques used in the world. It is still in use in many parts of the world including the Southwestern United States and throughout the Middle East. It was from the early use of hydrated lime that the early use of primitive concrete grew.
Although the technique was well known in the Mid-East it wasn't until the days of the Romans that it was perfected. The development of Roman Concrete no doubt came about by chance. In Italy there are several areas that are volcanic that are covered by volcanic ash. This ash to the naked eye looks like sand, in fact the Romans called it “pit sand.”
The ash in fact has several unique properties, one of them is the ability to combine with hydrated lime to form a cement that is capable of setting underwater. The Romans took advantage of this to build harbor works at the town of Pozzuoli a Roman harbor just north of present day Naples. It was from the volcanic ash found near this town that the Romans made the discovery of their concrete when they mixed hydrated lime with the ash.
It is probable that this discovery was made by accident because the ash found at Pozzuoli looked like sand. At the time the Romans knew when you mixed hydrated lime with sand you produced a plaster that was used to plaster walls. The mixture they made turned hard, and would even harden under water.
They called this pozzolan in reality it contained amorphous silica that reacted with the hydrated lime to make a new kind of cement. It was with this cement that the Romans were able to produce some of their greatest architectural works.
The real secret was in the pozzolan material itself, this was an alumino-silicate rock that had been subjected to the high heat of an exploding volcano. Other pozzolan materials are man made including ceramics, glass, slag, fly ash and silica fume. They can all be mixed with hydrated lime to produce a superior cement like the Romans used.
Rammed earth construction has been used in arid regions since the beginning of time, and is probably one of the oldest construction techniques used in the world. It is still in use in many parts of the world including the Southwestern United States and throughout the Middle East. It was from the early use of hydrated lime that the early use of primitive concrete grew.
Although the technique was well known in the Mid-East it wasn't until the days of the Romans that it was perfected. The development of Roman Concrete no doubt came about by chance. In Italy there are several areas that are volcanic that are covered by volcanic ash. This ash to the naked eye looks like sand, in fact the Romans called it “pit sand.”
The ash in fact has several unique properties, one of them is the ability to combine with hydrated lime to form a cement that is capable of setting underwater. The Romans took advantage of this to build harbor works at the town of Pozzuoli a Roman harbor just north of present day Naples. It was from the volcanic ash found near this town that the Romans made the discovery of their concrete when they mixed hydrated lime with the ash.
It is probable that this discovery was made by accident because the ash found at Pozzuoli looked like sand. At the time the Romans knew when you mixed hydrated lime with sand you produced a plaster that was used to plaster walls. The mixture they made turned hard, and would even harden under water.
They called this pozzolan in reality it contained amorphous silica that reacted with the hydrated lime to make a new kind of cement. It was with this cement that the Romans were able to produce some of their greatest architectural works.
The real secret was in the pozzolan material itself, this was an alumino-silicate rock that had been subjected to the high heat of an exploding volcano. Other pozzolan materials are man made including ceramics, glass, slag, fly ash and silica fume. They can all be mixed with hydrated lime to produce a superior cement like the Romans used.
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