SiONASilicates by Ordered and Non-ordered Assembly

Silicate based inorganic polymers - known by few, but serving everyone. In their crystalline, microporous form (zeolite) they are invaluable for industrial production. In their amorphous form (alkali activated material or geopolymer) they enable construction of durable and CO2-lean roads, bridges, etc. Using a transparent synthesis system allowing thorough in situ characterisation of the complex sequence of chemical processes during aluminosilicate nucleation and growth, SiONA will show ways to control the synthesis of advanced amorphous (geopolymers) and crystalline (zeolites). Understanding of aluminosilicate polymerisation from molecular oligomer to macroscopic functional materials, will create new fundamental insight, as well as opportunities to innovate industrially highly relevant silicate materials.

Keywords:silicate chemistry, solid / liquid state physical chemistry, mineralogy, NMR crystallography, SEM/TEM, structure solution from powders/liquids, Electric Impedance Spectroscopy

Disciplines:Theory and design of materials