Decarbonisation opportunities as a new SCM

Last May the Concrete Institute Australia Technical Talk was held in Perth, with a theme of sustainability. Topics at the talk included the mentioning of delithiated beta spodumene (DBS) as a material that holds sustainability benefits, with an excellent presentation on decarbonisation opportunities as a new supplementary cementitious material (SCM) By Tianqi Lithium Energy Australia (TLEA).  

Dr. Hazel Lim, the R&D Team Lead of TLEA, presented and introduced their work on testing Tianqi’s aluminosilicate (TAS), which generated lots of interest from members of the audience, including representatives from both government and private organisations wishing to discuss how to get access to this material in cement/concrete and other products.

Some key details from the presentation include that, samples of TAS have been evaluated to determine compliance with the new AS2582.4 & shown to meet all requirements.

Data from the concrete testing program indicate that TAS concretes meet and often exceed expectations compared to other SCMs. Dr. Lim explained that the TAS concrete develops lower early age strength, performs better than fly ash but is relatively inferior to slag, and the 30-day strength exceeds GP control at 25% replacement.

To gather more information suggested reading from Tianqi Lithium Energy Australia's presentation include Bob Munn’s conference paper on CIA Conferences, available here.