The geopolymer projects engage students in interdisciplinary research to assess and develop locally-sourced, sustainable and low-complexity geopolymer technology as a sustainable building material.

Infrastructure development is currently dominated by the Portland cement industry, which is environmentally damaging and characterized by closed processes that require expensive machinery and intensive energy consumption.

Given these pressing issues, there is a need to develop and implement environmentally friendly materials that can compete with the efficiency and scalability of traditional concrete while opening and standardizing the processes.

“Geopolymers are chains or networks of mineral molecules linked with co-valent bonds”, they offer a promising alternative to traditional Portland cement.

They provide several advantages, including lower CO2 emissions during production, high durability and potential for lower energy consumption during manufacturing.

Despite their potential, geopolymers remain relatively unknown and under-researched. There is a significant opportunity to explore and optimize geopolymer technology, standardize its production and create a more sustainable and open-source infrastructure.

In the context of the OKA Lab, geopolymer technology represents a promising solution for building the campus’ infrastructure. OKA aims to research and validate the viability of geopolymers for infrastructure development, including whether geopolymers can be sourced locally, if the processes can be simplified for DIY use and evaluating if geopolymers truly are the future of sustainable construction.

While geopolymers present many advantages, their adoption is hindered by several issues:

• Lack of Standardization: Unlike traditional cements, geopolymers lack standardized production processes and quality control measures.
• Knowledge Gaps: There is limited widespread understanding of the benefits and methods of producing and using geopolymers.
• Access to Information: Current research and development in geopolymer technology are not always freely accessible, restricting broader adoption.
• Access to Tools and Manufacturing Processes: The tools and manufacturing processes required for geopolymers are expensive and largely inaccessible to the general public.

The geopolymer projects at OKA Lab aim to engage students in interdependent and interdisciplinary research and development, involving various domains and disciplines working together to implement and integrate geopolymer technology effectively.

The primary goal of this research is to determine if geopolymer is a suitable and adaptable solution for the infrastructure needs. Key questions include:

• Can geopolymers be sourced locally?
• Are they accessible for DIY use by the general public?
• Are they physically efficient and sustainable?

To address these questions, the projects will focus on developing local manufacturing capabilities, from researching and optimizing different geopolymer recipes tailored to local geological conditions, to designing and constructing machines for calcining raw materials and extracting essential components. The projects will also explore innovative building processes using geopolymers. Each project will contribute to a larger initiative: creating and developing a viable solution for providing high-quality geopolymer technology to a broad user base. This includes devising open manufacturing solutions to ensure that geopolymer technology is accessible, sustainable and scalable.

By working together on these interconnected projects, participants will help advance the field of geopolymers and contribute to create open manufacturing solutions that empower communities to produce and utilize geopolymer technology sustainably and efficiently.

Research on geopolymer:

1. Open-Source Geopolymer Recipe Development

   • Objective: Develop and document open-source recipes for geopolymer production using various locally sourced materials.
   • Disciplines: Chemistry, Engineering, Open Source Development.

2. Extraction and Processing of Raw Materials

   • Objective: Develop methods to extract and process raw materials for geopolymers from local sources.
   • Disciplines: Geology, Chemical Engineering, Environmental Science.

3. Calcination Process Development

   • Objective: Design and build a low-cost, efficient kiln for calcining clay and other materials needed for geopolymer production.
   • Disciplines: Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Material Science.

4. Binder Production

   • Objective: Develop sustainable methods for producing binder from local resources.
   • Disciplines: Chemistry, Environmental Engineering, Industrial Engineering.

5. Durability Testing of Geopolymer Concretes

   • Objective: Conduct long-term durability tests on geopolymers to evaluate their performance under different environmental conditions.
   • Disciplines: Civil Engineering, Environmental Science, Materials Science.

6. Geopolymer Applications in Sustainable Infrastructure

   • Objective: Design and implement sustainable infrastructure projects using geopolymer materials.
   • Disciplines: Civil Engineering, Architecture, Urban Planning.

Application of Geopolymer:

8. Geopolymer Mixer Design

   • Objective: Design and construct a low-cost, open-source mixer for small-scale geopolymer production.
   • Disciplines: Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Design, Open Source Development.

9. Portable Geopolymer Testing Lab

   • Objective: Create a portable testing lab for analyzing the properties of geopolymer mixes in the field.
   • Disciplines: Engineering, Material Science, Chemistry.

- Geopolymer institute