High volume limestone alkali-activated cement developed by design of experiment

Herein, we report on the development of a cement comprising ground granulated blast furnace slag, soda ash (sodium carbonate), and up to 68 wt.% granular limestone. Mixture Design of Experiment (DOE) was utilized, with analysis of compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, hydraulic properties, cost, CO2 production, and energy consumption. Models were derived to understand the impact of mix design on performance and for optimization. Successful formulations are hydraulic and cure at room temperature, with strengths as high as 41 MPa at 3 d and 65 MPa at 28 d. These formulations, compared to OPC, are competitive in cost and performance and can reduce both CO2 production and energy consumption by up to 97%.