(February 20, 2012) Drexel University engineers have found a way
to improve upon ordinary Portland cement (OPC), the glue that’s bonded much of
the world’s construction since the late 1800s. In research recently published
in Cement and Concrete Composites the group served up a recipe for cement that
is more energy efficient and cost effective to produce than masonry’s most
prevalent bonding compound.
Drexel’s “green” variety is a
form of alkali-activated cement that utilizes an industrial byproduct, called
slag, and a common mineral, limestone, and does not require heating to
produce. According to Dr. Michel W.
Barsoum, A.W. Grosvenor professor in Drexel’s Department of Materials Science and
Engineering, this alternative production method and the ubiquity of the mix
ingredients, lessens the cost of materials for Drexel’s cement by about 40
percent versus Portland cement and reduces energy consumption and carbon
dioxide production by 97 percent.