Alkali Activation of Clay-Based Materials
A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Clays and Engineered Mineral Materials".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2024
Special Issue Editors
Interests: alkali activation; clay-based materials; nanomaterials; waste materials; circular economy; electron microscopy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: clay-based materials; nanomaterials; waste materials; circular economy; TG-DTA; sintering; electron microscopy; microstructure
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Alkali-activated materials (AAMs) can be made from any material containing enough silica and alumina in amorphous content, i.e., from natural resources or secondary raw materials. For the construction industry, AAMs represent a sustainable and resource-efficient alternative to conventional cement-based materials, offering potential environmental benefits.
Just as AAMs can be used to safely store different hazardous substances, so can clay, which is an abundant material that represents waste for different types of mining industries. AAMs can be synthesized using various types of clay but have to be optimized regarding the performance of these materials in terms of strength, durability, sustainability and their impact on the environment.
Alkali activation is also a useful approach for improving the geomechanical properties of clay-rich materials in geotechnical embankments (e.g., flood embankments). Moreover, alkali activators can improve the mechanical properties of rammed earth construction.
In the scope of these considerations, authors are invited to contribute original research articles as well as review articles focused on the synthesis and characterization of alkali-activated clays, used as a sole precursor or as an additive, calcined or raw, aiming for sustainability in the building industry sector. Papers dealing with investigating the environmental impact of such AAMs focusing on soil contamination, i.e., immobilization of pollutants, are particularly welcome.
Dr. Barbara Horvat
Dr. Sara Tominc
Dr. Lea Žibret
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
