HPD Consultancy is the H2020 Representative of one of the biggest companies in Turkey operating in the decorative paints and ETICS sector. Our client is interested in initiating a project on geopolymers which is to be further developed with the potential partners.

PROJECT CONCEPT FOR GEOPOLYMERS

Title: Development of industrial-scale nonflammable inorganic alternative insulation material by the conversion of stone wool production wastes into geopolymers

Project Concept:

It is found in the literature that geopolymers can be used in different industries such as filter, anti-corrosive sealant, coating, and moulding. Geopolymers are good candidates to replace cement. Cement is the most common product in the construction industry but the production of cement causes CO2 emission to the atmosphere. It is around 5% of the total CO2 emission.

In this content, geopolymer based and ecological products can be developed as an alternative to cement based products, for example, geopolymer-based concrete, base coat, repairing mortar, thermal insulation boards, and bricks. Moreover, geopolymers are good materials to use waste materials in the system. There are some studies which focus on using fly ash, tire, paper, wood dust, and marble powder wastes. Another good waste material is mineral wood fibers which occur during the production. These fibers can be used after being grounded. Illikanen’s group worked on waste mineral wools and succeeded MPa compressive strength with geopolymerization.

State of the art:

The critical point here is to produce high porosity geopolymer foams for thermal insulation function. More of the work in literature or patent databases is related to geopolymer concrete or mortar, where the expansion process is not needed.

The Company:

In the decorative paints sector, the company is a major producer and one of the leaders in the production of water-based and solvent-based paints. The company has been a pioneer not only in paint industry but also a key player in the Turkish industry becoming one of the top 100 companies. In the ETICS sector, the company is the only company in the world that produces stone wool and EPS together and it is one of the biggest producers of Europe in EPS production. The product range of the company is not limited to decorative paints and ETICS only, the company is engaged also in the production of wood/furniture paints, industrial coatings and construction chemicals (water insulation products, ready mortars, mortar additives, tile adhesives, and joint fillers).

The company continually invests in R&D activities, aims to be at the forefront of technology in the sector and to introduce innovative products in the world market. New product lines, high technology, trained staff, the satisfaction of consumer needs and quality standards are their main criteria. The company is well-established in Mediterranean areas with factories set up in Turkey and Egypt.

Background of Interest:

• Our client will take its new stone wool production plant in 2019, therefore, the valorisation of stone wool production wastes into valuable products is an important short-term strategy for our client.
• Geopolymers are very promising green materials that can be an alternative to various products, among which are thermal insulation products for the buildings.

The expertise of the Company on Geopolymers:

Mineral wool fiber and fly ash wastes can be used as silicon and aluminum source for alkali-activated materials. Furthermore, foaming agents decrease the density of the samples to have further thermal insulation properties. The company investigated the effect of Si and Al ratios as using different materials such as metakaolin, pumice, perlite, fly ash etc. As alkali sources sodium silicate/hydroxide, potassium silicate/hydroxide were studied to optimize the binder effect and pH values. The effect of foaming agent was also studied to have stable foams in the ; The samples were tested for compressive strength, water vapor permeability, water absorption, and thermal conductivity coefficient.

Targeted Call Topics:

• CE-SPIRE-07-2020: Recovery of industrial water, thermal energy and substances contained therein (IA)
• CE-SC5-07-2018-2019-2020: Raw materials innovation for the circular economy: sustainable processing, reuse, recycling, and recovery schemes
• ERA-MIN 2 JOINT CALL 2018

Partners Sought (not limited to):

• Groups work on wastes

• Groups work on foaming
• Groups having the devices – XRD, XRF, solid state NMR, FT-IR, SEM, Hg-porosimetry

 Construction Industry

 Low-Carbon Economy

 Raw Materials

 Energy Efficiency

 Eco-Innovation

 Construction Technology

 Horizon Europe