Materials and Processes for a Sustainable Future
Rapidly increasing urbanisation, growth in infrastructure and energy industries (which contribute over 10% of UK GDP), and the overwhelming need to mitigate climate change, have created tremendous demand for sustainable materials and processing technologies.
In particular, new materials for sustainable infrastructure, environmental remediation and energy production and storage are required to support a global society and ensure a safe and sustainable future. Scientists and engineers are uniquely placed to drive revolutionary change towards sustainability in these areas.
Our research group has developed new materials and processes for sustainable ‘low-carbon’ cements, environmental remediation, and safe disposal of nuclear waste and heavy metal pollutants.
Broadly speaking, our research focus is centred on investigation of composition-structure-property relationships, reaction mechanisms and kinetics, and surface chemistry in cements, glasses, ceramics, and nanomaterials using advanced spectroscopic and microstructural techniques.
Current projects focus on:
Development of low-CO2 cements for sustainable infrastructure
Understanding durability and degradation phenomena in low-CO2 cements
Understanding and controlling radionuclide-mineral interactions in cement matrices used for immobilisation of radioactive waste
Understanding mass transport processes in cements for applications in both construction and nuclear sectors
Controlling reaction mechanisms, kinetics and retention in cement wasteforms for safe disposal of heavy metal pollutants
Understanding cement-superplasticiser interactions for applications in both construction and nuclear energy sectors
Life cycle assessment of cements and related materials
Find out more about our research themes below!
Development of low-CO2 cements for sustainable infrastructure
Global Portland cement (PC) production generates ~8% of human-driven CO2 emissions, and this is predicted to rise to ~24% by 2050. A reduction in associated CO2 emissions by >80% is achievable by replacing PC with low-CO2 cement, however limited ability to control the structure and performance of these materials has impeded their widespread uptake.
Our research creates innovative ways to design engineered low-CO2 cements for infrastructure, energy and industrial waste processing industries. Working closely with industry, we use cutting-edge characterisation and modelling approaches to understand the fundamental interactions and dynamics occurring during cement production, processing and use. In particular we focus on alkali-activated materials, geopolymers, Portland cement blended with supplementary cementitious materials, calcium aluminate and calcium sulfoaluminate cements, and magnesia-based cements.
Recovery and solidification of radioactive/toxic waste
In the UK alone, approximately 150,000m3 of radioactive waste (enough to fill 60 Olympic size swimming pools) has been produced as of 2016 and 75% will require processing and storing securely to ensure the safety of society and the environment.
Our research focuses on understanding and controlling processes for recovery and solidification of radioactive and toxic waste. Key interests include radionuclide-mineral interactions and mass transport processes in solid wasteforms for immobilisation of radioactive/toxic waste, including geopolymer and alkali-activated cements, ceramics and glasses.
