Alkali-activated cement materials using sodium and calcium reagents for alkali activation

Abstract

Alkali-activated cement binders that include one or more mineral precursor components and particular combinations of sodium and calcium containing reagents and methods for producing the same. The reagent combinations are specified so as to deliver enhanced alkali activation of mineral precursors. These reagents provide for effective alkali activation, improved mechanical characteristics of resulting cementitious products, simpler mix designs, lower material handling risks, improved environmental performance, and improved cost effectiveness. Relevant sodium and calcium containing reagents include, but are not limited to sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, calcium oxide and calcium hydroxide.

Description

ALKALI-ACTIVATED CEMENT MATERIALS USING SODIUM AND CALCIUM REAGENTS FOR ALKALI ACTIVATIONInventorsJanies RhodesKiran RhodesAshwin RhodesBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of cementitious materials, specifically to mineral binders for alkali-activated cement (“AAC”) products. AAC may be used in a variety of applications. Most commonly, AAC is applied in the context of the construction industry and in the manufacture of products for the construction industry, although there are also a variety of applications for AAC outside of the construction industry. In the construction industry, AACs are often considered to provide an alternative or supplement to “ordinary Portland cement” (“OPC”).

[0002] The instant disclosure also relates to the field of cementitious materials, specifically to alkali activated cementitious materials (“AACM”), mineral binders for alkali activated cements (“AAC”) and related products. AACMs and AACs may be used in a variety of applications. Most commonly, AAC is applied in the context of the construction industry and in the manufacture of products for the construction industry, although there are also a variety of applications for AAC outside of the construction industry. In the construction industry, AACs are often considered to provide an alternative or supplement to “ordinary Portland cement” (“OPC”).

[0003] The instant disclosure also relates to the field of cementitious materials, including but not limited to mineral, pozzolanic, alkali-activated, geopolymer, and hybrid binders that are used to produce various cementitious materials and products. Such cementitious materials may be used in a variety of applications. Most commonly, cementitious materials are applied in the context of the construction industry and in the manufacture of products for the construction industry, although there are also a variety of applications for cementitious materials outside of the construction industry. In the construction industry, cementitious materials are often used to produce or otherwise comprise concretes, mortars, binders, engineered fill, flowable fill, block fill, insulation materials, insulation blocks, insulation panels, walls, wall panels, concrete masonry units (“CMUs”), blocks, retaining walls, retaining wall blocks, pavers, barriers, road barriers, foundations, sidewalks, roadways, underground infrastructure, various infrastructure components or elements, precast products or components, tilt-up products or components, and pour-in-pace products and components, for example. Cementitious materials and products may be provided ina variety of forms, including but not limited to individual or blended material inputs for cementitious material or product manufacturing, manufactured cementitious materials or products, dry mixes for manufacturing and / or ready -mix applications, and wet-mixes for pour-in-place / in situ placements, among others. In general, the invention provides novel alternatives to, supplements for, and admixes for conventional cementitious materials used in these and other applications (including, for example, alternatives, supplements, and admixes for so called ordinary Portland cement materials).

[0004] The instant disclosure also relates to the field of cementitious materials, specifically to mineral binders for alkali-activated cement (“AAC”) products. AAC may be used in a variety of applications. Most commonly, AAC is applied in the context of the construction industry and in the manufacture of products for the construction industry, although there are also a variety of applications for AAC outside of the construction industry. In the construction industry, AACs are often considered to provide an alternative or supplement to “ordinary Portland cement” (“OPC”).DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

[0005] FIRST GROUP OF RELATED ART

[0006] AAC materials represent, among other things, an alternative to conventional cement and mineral binders, such as OPC. As such they can be useful in producing concrete, mortars, and a wide range of other cementitious products. AACs are generally produced by applying one or more strong alkali substances to a mineral precursor material in order to activate binding properties of the precursor and produce a cementing matrix with various useful mechanical properties (e.g., unconfined compressive strength, flexural strength, etc.). AACs are of particular interest because they offer opportunities for enhanced environmental performance relative to OPC (e.g., lower lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions), are available at potentially lower cost than other alternative binders, and have improved compatibility with certain potential aggregates, other materials, or particular applications.

[0007] While AACs have been studied for many years, several practical challenges have limited their widespread application. One of these challenges stems from the strong alkali substances used for activation. For example, sodium hydroxide (“NaOH”) is a commonly used alkali for activation of AACs; however, NaOH is relatively expensive, has a relatively high carbon footprint, and is a hazardous material, requiring a variety of mitigation measures to ensure safe handling by workers. All of these present challenges for widespread use in the cement and concrete industries.

[0008] A variety of strategies have been developed to reduce the reliance of AACs on strong alkalisubstances, like NaOH. Some of these strategies involve the use of co-activators to reduce the relative quantity of NaOH required. Some involve the use of alternate activators, used alone or in combination with various co-activators. In this context, co-activators are often conceptualized as acting independently & / or in parallel to modify the efficacy or performance characteristics of a primary activator. For example, strategies have focused on partial substitution of a strong alkali, like NaOH, with a mix of co-activators. Others have focused on using magnesium-based activators alone or in combination with one or more co-activators. As another example, others have focused on using metal sulfates, such as aluminum sulfate, in combination with one or more co-activators. While potentially effective at reducing or eliminating the need for strong alkali substances, like NaOH, these previously developed strategies each has certain drawbacks, such as increasing the complexity of AAC mix designs, increasing the number of material inputs required to produce an effective AAC product, and / or requiring material inputs that are relatively costly or difficult to source for industrial-scale applications.

[0009] SECOND GROUP OF RELATED ART

[0010] AACMs represent, among other things, an alternative to conventional cement and mineral binders, such as OPC. As such they can be useful in producing concrete, mortars, and a wide range of other cementitious products. AACs are generally produced by applying one or more strong alkali substances to a mineral precursor material in order to activate binding properties of the precursor and produce a cementing matrix with various useful mechanical properties (e.g., unconfined compressive strength, flexural strength, etc.). AACs are of particular interest because they offer opportunities for enhanced environmental performance relative to OPC (e.g., lower lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions), are available at potentially lower cost than other alternative binders, and have improved compatibility with certain potential aggregates, other materials, or particular applications.

[0011] While AACs have been studied for many years, several practical challenges have limited their widespread application. One of these challenges stems from the strong alkali substances used for activation. For example, sodium hydroxide (“NaOH”) is a commonly used alkali for activation of AACs; however, NaOH is relatively expensive, has a relatively high carbon footprint, and is a hazardous material, requiring a variety of mitigation measures to ensure safe handling by workers. All of these present challenges for widespread use in the cement and concrete industries.

[0012] A variety of strategies have been developed to reduce the reliance of AACs on strong alkali substances, like NaOH. Some of these strategies involve the use of co-activators to reducethe relative quantity of NaOH required. Some involve the use of alternate activators, used alone or in combination with various co-activators. In this context, co-activators are often conceptualized as acting independently & / or in parallel to modify the efficacy or performance characteristics of a primary activator. For example, strategies have focused on partial substitution of a strong alkali, like NaOH, with a mix of co-activators. Others have focused on using magnesium-based activators alone or in combination with one or more co-activators. As another example, others have focused on using metal sulfates, such as aluminum sulfate, in combination with one or more co-activators. While potentially effective at reducing or eliminating the need for strong alkali substances, like NaOH, these previously developed strategies each has certain drawbacks, such as increasing the complexity of AAC mix designs, increasing the number of material inputs required to produce an effective AAC product, and / or requiring material inputs that are relatively costly or difficult to source for industrial-scale applications.

[0013] THIRD GROUP OF RELATED ART

[0014] AAC materials represent, among other things, an alternative to conventional cement and mineral binders, including but not limited to traditional OPC and traditional lime-based binders. As such they can be useful in producing concrete, mortars, and a wide range of other cementitious products. AACs are generally produced by applying one or more strong alkali substances to a mineral precursor material in order to activate binding properties of the precursor and produce a cementing matrix with various useful mechanical properties (e.g., unconfined compressive strength, flexural strength, etc.). AACs are of particular interest because they offer opportunities for enhanced environmental performance relative to OPC (e.g., lower lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions), are available at potentially lower cost than other alternative binders, and have improved compatibility with certain potential aggregates, other materials, or particular applications.

[0015] Lime-based binders are also used in a variety of specialty applications. Some of these include the production of materials and products that include biomass material inputs or inputs derived from biomass materials. Some of the various available examples include so-called “biocrete” materials including but not limited to hempcrete, woodcrete, and various other biomass composite materials, for example. Lime-based binders are of particular interest because they are variously viewed as comprising lower costs, lower environmental impacts, and lower health risks than other types of mineral binders. Lime-based binders tend to have lower strengths than other types of mineral binders, and so their application is often limited to insulation type products, forexample, which may variously include products that provide thermal and / or acoustic insulating properties. In some cases, lime-based binders used in such applications may be comprised exclusively of lime inputs (e.g., calcium hydroxide), which may be blended with biomass derived materials; in other cases, the lime-based binders used in such applications may be comprised of mixtures of lime inputs with various other pozzolanic materials. Such pozzolanic materials can actively contribute to the strength of the lime-based binder. Such pozzolanic materials may also be suitable as mineral precursors in AACs.

[0016] While AACs have been studied for many years, several practical challenges have limited their widespread application. One of these challenges stems from the strong alkali substances used for activation. For example, sodium hydroxide (“NaOH”) is a commonly used alkali for activation of AACs; however, NaOH is relatively expensive, has a relatively high carbon footprint, and is a hazardous material, requiring a variety of mitigation measures to ensure safe handling by workers. All of these present challenges for widespread use in the cement and concrete industries.

[0017] A variety of strategies have been developed to reduce the reliance of AACs on strong alkali substances, like NaOH. Some of these strategies involve the use of co-activators to reduce the relative quantity of NaOH required. Some involve the use of alternate activators, used alone or in combination with various co-activators. In this context, co-activators are often conceptualized as acting independently & / or in parallel to modify the efficacy or performance characteristics of a primary activator. For example, strategies have focused on partial substitution of a strong alkali, like NaOH, with a mix of co-activators. Others have focused on using magnesium-based activators alone or in combination with one or more co-activators. As another example, others have focused on using metal sulfates, such as aluminum sulfate, in combination with one or more co-activators. While potentially effective at reducing or eliminating the need for strong alkali substances, like NaOH, these previously developed strategies each has certain drawbacks, such as increasing the complexity of AAC mix designs, increasing the number of material inputs required to produce an effective AAC product, and / or requiring material inputs that are relatively costly or difficult to source for industrial-scale applications.

[0018] FOURTH GROUP OF RELATED ART

[0019] Cementitious materials rank among the most used engineered materials in the world. Most cementitious materials are comprised of ordinary Portland cement (“OPC”); however various alternative binder systems and supplementary cementitious materials exist and are in common use. For example, so-called calcium sulfo-aluminate binders (“CSA”) also comprise cementitiousmaterials. CSA binder use chemistry that is distinct from the chemistry of OPC to produce cementitious materials with unique properties, including high strengths and fast set times. As another example, alkaline activated cements (“AACs”) utilize chemistries that are distinct from the chemistry of OPC to produce cementitious materials from so-called “precursor” materials and so-called “alkali activators”. These alkali activators leverage so called “alkali attack” of precursor materials to activate the precursors, which may involve dissolving ions on the surface of the precursor particles to able chemical reactions with and among these dissolved precursor ions to produce AAC binders for cementitious materials and products. Similar to AACs, so-called geopolymers also leverage alkali attack of silica and alumina containing precursors followed by condensation and polymerization reactions to create cementitious materials and products. Many other cement binder systems have been developed and have found use in various applications. In addition, multiple hybrid binder systems have been developed. For example, so-called “Portlandlimestone” cements (“PLC”) comprise blends of OPC, limestone, and potentially other inputs. PLCs are used to produce cementitious materials with various advantages, including reduced environmental impacts relative to conventional OPC cements. Similarly, so-called Portland Pozzolana Cements (“PPC”) are often produced as blends of OPC, pozzolanic materials, and potentially other inputs and are used to produce cementitious materials with various advantages; which also include reduced environmental impacts.

[0020] Separately, lime-based cementitious binders are also commonly used, albeit primarily in applications that don’t require the high strengths of OPC, AAC, CSA and other high strength binder systems. Lime-based binders are generally comprised primarily of lime inputs, including one or more of calcium hydroxide (also known as “slaked lime”), calcium hydroxide (also known as “quicklime”), or natural hydraulic lime. Common applications for lime-based cementitious materials include plasters, mortars, and insulation products (e.g., hempcrete), among others. Like the OPC hybrid systems noted above, lime-hybrid binders have also been developed to provide various advantages. For example, lime-pozzolan blends have been developed to provide additional strength in hempcrete and related insulation applications.

[0021] One of the challenges associated with cementitious materials and products in their environmental performance. Among other issues, Portland cement is responsible for nearly 8% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. This is largely a function of calcining processes used to produce OPC from limestone and other mineral inputs. As a result, reducing the impact of producing cements, cementitious materials, and cementitious products - particularly reducing the greenhouse gas emissions associated with such products - is of high interest has become asignificant area of innovation.

[0022] The primary compound providing strength to cementitious materials comprising OPC are generally referred to as calcium silica hydrates, often abbreviated as “C-S-H”. The compounds providing strength to cementitious materials comprising AACs and geopolymers are generally referred to as calcium aluminum silica hydrates (often abbreviated as C-A-S-H) and sodium aluminum silica hydrates (often abbreviated “N-A-S-H”).

[0023] Interestingly, the chemistry of OPC is not the only route for producing C-S-H; so-called pozzolans also produce C-S-H when they react with calcium hydroxide in water. In this context, it is useful to note that the terms “pozzolan” and “pozzolanic” refer to materials that participate in these so-called pozzolanic reactions with calcium hydroxide in water. These reactions can produce C-S-H, thereby strengthening associated cementitious materials. Unlike the primary chemical reactions of OPC, pozzolanic reactions are often viewed as occurring slowly over long periods of time. Even so, pozzolans may still provide an effective binder agent or be used to enhance the cementitious properties of other binders. For example, PPCs leverage pozzolanic reactions between pozzolanic inputs and free calcium ions (which originate from the primary OPC components) to increase C-S-H production and help control destructive alkali-silica reactions (“ASR”). ASR generally results from reactions between available calcium hydroxide and silicic acid or alkali-dissolved silicates. ASR also forms C-S-H products; however, in this case, C-S-H production is intermediated by sodium silicates & / or potassium silicates. These silicates are strongly hygroscopic and create gels from ambient moisture that can expand within the cementitious material. This swelling causes fractures that compromise the material’s structural integrity over time. ASR reactions generally occur until all of the free calcium ions are consumed by the reactions. In this context, while the pozzolanic reactions between free calcium ions and the pozzolanic inputs are relatively slow, they can preferentially consume available calcium ions and mitigate long-term deleterious effects of ASR. These systems make intuitive sense in that calcium from the lime is available to participate in pozzolanic reactions to produce C-S-H, among other possible reaction products. As another example, lime-based binders with pozzolan additives also leverage pozzolanic reactions to enhance the strength of these otherwise low strength binder systems.

[0024] One of the challenges with producing AACs and geopolymers is that the alkaline inputs used to activate the reactions with and among so-called precursor materials are hazardous and difficult to work with in industrial settings. These activating reactions are often referred to as“alkaline attack” of the precursor materials because the hydroxide ions in the alkaline solution “attack” and effectively dissolve ions on the exterior surfaces of precursor particles so that these particles can participate in reactions producing C-S-H, C-A-S-H, and / or N-A-S-H complexes, which provide strength for the AAC and geopolymer materials. For example, sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate, both commonly used in such applications, are both hydroscopic strong bases. As a result, dry forms of these inputs must be kept out of contact with ambient air to avoid them pulling that moisture from the air to create liquids or gels with extremely high molarities and pH. These and other similar challenges with such inputs has substantially limited the industrial applications of AACs and geopolymers.

[0025] Many other types of cement have been developed to leverage various other types of chemistry. Some of these involve similar reaction inputs and / or outputs and some involve wholly different inputs and outputs.

[0026] Despite the very long histories of these types of binder systems, which dates to ancient civilizations, and despite the broad understanding of generalized chemical reactions that occur within the various binder systems, thorough understandings of the detailed reaction mechanisms for even the simplest of cement mix designs has proven elusive.

[0027] For at least the limitations described above there is a need for alkali-activated cement materials using sodium and calcium reagents for alkali activation, and in addition, alkali activation using strong bases produced from one or multiple reagents, and in addition, alkali-activated cement materials using Sodium and Calcium reagents for alkali activation and in addition, cementitious materials with mineral and biogenic inputs.BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0028] FIRST OBJECTIVE

[0029] The invention provides a way to completely avoid material handling issues associated with strong alkali inputs to the AAC production system, like NaOH, while also simplifying the mix design and reducing the number of AAC ingredients relative to previously developed strategies. The invention has additional advantages in that it leverages material inputs that are both widely available and relatively cost effective.

[0030] While the reagents used to implement the invention have been used as ingredients for other AACs, the invention is distinguished by: (i) the specific pairing and combinations of reagents used; (ii) the exclusion of any other activators or co-activators, including but not limited to metalsulfates, magnesium compounds, or other strong alkali substances like NaOH, enabling relatively simplified AAC mix formulations; (iii) the quantities of reagents relative to one another; and (iv) the quantities of the reagents relative to precursor materials used.

[0031] SECOND OBJECTIVE

[0032] The invention relates to alkali activated cementitious materials (“AACM”), which generally comprise one or more mineral precursors that are activated using one or more alkaline materials, or activators. Alkali activators often comprise strong bases, which are typically hazardous and pose a variety of risks, including health and safety risks. The risks associated with alkali activators present serious challenges for widespread application of AACMs. The invention overcomes these challenges by providing alkali activation with strong bases that are produced through chemical reactions of two or more relatively safer reagents.

[0033] The invention provides a way to avoid material handling issues associated with hazardous strong alkaline inputs to the AACM production system, like NaOH, while also potentially simplifying the mix design and reducing the number of AACM ingredients relative to previously developed strategies. The invention has additional advantages in that it leverages material inputs that are both widely available and relatively cost effective.

[0034] Note that within the field of the invention, items referred to “reagents” may also be referred to as reactants, inputs, ingredients, or various other similar terms.

[0035] THIRD OBJECTIVE

[0036] The invention provides a way to completely avoid material handling issues associated with strong alkali inputs to the AAC production system, like NaOH, while also simplifying the mix design and reducing the number of AAC ingredients relative to previously developed strategies. The invention has additional advantages in that it leverages material inputs that are both widely available and relatively cost effective.

[0037] While the reagents used to implement the invention have been used as ingredients for other AACs, the invention is distinguished by: (i) the specific pairing and combinations of reagents used; (ii) the exclusion of any other activators or co-activators, including but not limited to metal sulfates, magnesium compounds, or other strong alkali substances like NaOH, enabling relatively simplified AAC mix formulations; (iii) the quantities of reagents relative to one another; and (iv) the quantities of the reagents relative to precursor materials used.

[0038] FOURTH OBJECTIVE

[0039] According to the invention, an effective cementitious binder system is produced by blending one or more primary mineral inputs, one or more carbonaceous, biomass-derived, and / or biomass-derivable (collectively “biogenic”) inputs, and optionally one or more other inputs, which may be mineral, biogenic, synthetic, or any other type of input deemed to convey useful properties to the binder system, resulting material, or one or more material-containing products. When mixed with water, this binder system forms a paste that can be mixed with various aggregates (e.g., sand, gravel, or potentially other inputs) to produce structural strength concretes. Alternatively, the binder system may be mixed with other inputs to form a wide variety of other types of cementitious materials and products.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the invention will be more apparent from the following more particular description thereof, presented in conjunction with the following drawings wherein:

[0041] Figure 1 provides an illustration of one process for producing a cementitious material and / or product according to the invention and shows process inputs, process steps, and process controls to illustrate relevant aspects of the production process.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0042] FIRST OBJECTIVE

[0043] The invention provides novel AAC materials, along with methods and processes for producing the same. The subject AAC materials are comprised of four fundamental inputs: (i) one or more mineral precursor materials (periodically referred to herein as precursor(s)); (ii) one or more sodium containing reagents, including sodium bicarbonate and sodium carbonate; (iii) one or more calcium containing reagents including calcium oxide and calcium hydroxide; and (iv) water. When water is added to the other three inputs, the dissolution of sodium containing and calcium containing reagents combined with chemical reactions between and among these reagents provide for effective alkali activation of the mineral precursor(s) and contribute substantially to the mineral composition of the AAC products. In particular, the reactions among these reagents produce calcium ions and carbonate ions, which are capable of producing calcium carbonate solids, among other potential mineral solids. These reaction products can effectively supplement the minerals provided by the mineral precursor(s) and enhance the mechanical properties of resulting AAC products.

[0044] In some embodiments the invention comprises a one-part mix or formulation of the dry inputs, to which water may be added and mixed in order to activate the precursor and enable use as a cementitious binder. In other embodiments, the invention comprises a multi-part mix of the dry inputs, which may be mixed together prior to adding water for precursor activation. Alternatively, in other embodiments the invention comprises a multi-part mix of the dry ingredients, in which water may be added to one or more parts prior to combining with the other part or parts for precursor activation.

[0045] In some embodiments the invention comprises a process and method of combining the specified inputs in particular ratios of quantities required to produce an AAC product. In other embodiments the invention comprises AAC products produced using specified inputs combined in particular ratios of quantities.

[0046] Without being bound by theory, it is understood that the sodium and calcium reagents may be capable of reacting with one another in solution to produce NaOH and calcium carbonate within the mixture of specified AAC inputs. For example, Equation 1 provides a balanced chemical equation for producing NaOH, calcium carbonate, and water from sodium bicarbonate and calcium hydroxide. Equation 2 provides a balanced chemical equation for producing NaOH and calcium carbonate from sodium carbonate and calcium hydroxide. Equation 3 provides a balanced chemical equation for producing calcium hydroxide from calcium oxide and water. Equation 4 provides a balanced chemical equation for producing NaOH and calcium carbonate from sodium carbonate, calcium oxide, and water. Equation 5 reflects the integration of Equation 1 and Equation 3 to provide a balanced chemical equation for producing NaOH, calcium carbonate, and water from sodium bicarbonate, calcium oxide, and water.

[0047] Equation 1. NaHCO3+ Ca(OH)2CaCO3+ H20 + NaOH

[0048] Equation 2.

[0049] Equation 3.

[0050] Equation 4.

[0051] Equation 5.

[0052] It is understood that the chemical reactions of these sodium and calcium containing reagents within an AAC mix formulation specified according to the invention are far more varied and complex that those described in Equations 1 - 5. Ions produced from the dissolution of thesereagents in the water provided for within the mix formulations will be reacting with each other and with other compounds present in the mix formulation, including compounds originating from the mineral precursor(s), for example. Even so, and without being bound by theory or otherwise limiting the scope of the invention, these equations provide a theoretical foundation for conveying certain aspects of the invention, its implications, and its various applications.

[0053] Without being bound by theory, these and other related chemical equations can be used to specify proportions of sodium and calcium containing reagents so that all of the reagents may be expected to be reacted in producing NaOH. Notwithstanding the recognition that (as noted above) the actual chemical reactions may not specifically proceed according to the chemical equations indicated above, formulations with reagent proportions that reflect the balanced chemical equations above may be referred to as being “stoichiometrically balanced”. For example, Equation 1 suggests that a stoichiometrically balanced formulation may comprise a 1:1 molar ratio of sodium bicarbonate to calcium hydroxide. This is equivalent to a mass ratio of sodium bicarbonate to calcium hydroxide of -1.135 to 1, given the approximate molar masses of 84 and 74, respectively.

[0054] Reagent mass ratios for stoichiometrically balanced reagent formulations can be similarly defined for each of the chemical reactions described in Equations 1 - 5, as illustrated in Table 1.

[0055] Table 1. Example Dry Reagent Mass Ratios for Stoichiometrically balanced NaOH production

[0056] Without being bound by theory or limiting the generality of the invention, in some embodiments the proportions of calcium and sodium containing reagents in an AAC mix formulation comprising the invention may be defined according to the mass ratios indicated in Table 1 so that chemical reactions may be expected to be stoichiometrically balanced with respect to NaOH production. Specifying formulations that are stoichiometrically balanced in this way mayhave advantages, for example, by limiting the quantities of excess unreacted sodium and calcium ions included in the mix formulation.

[0057] In other embodiments, again without being bound by theory or limiting the generality of the invention, the proportions of calcium and sodium containing reagents in an AAC mix formulation comprising the invention may be defined so that there is excess of either sodium or calcium containing reagents relative to the stoichiometrically balanced ratios indicated in Table 1. This may have advantages, for example, by enabling the overall mineral composition of the AAC materials to be shifted so as to affect properties of either the AAC mix (e.g., workability, flowability, self-consolidating characteristics, and / or set times, for example) or of the resulting AAC materials and products. For example, varying the reagent ratios to supply excess ions from the sodium and calcium reagents may enable additional reactions with ions and other compounds that originate from the precursor materials in the mix formulation, or may otherwise alter the mineral composition of resulting AAC materials and products. The use of alternate reagent ratios may be adopted based on other factors, as well, including for example to reflect economic factors and / or the relative availability of various materials in the market, for example.

[0058] In general, the mass ratio of sodium reagents to calcium containing reagents within the scope of the invention may be plus or minus 90% of the values indicated in Table 1 or any linear combinations thereof. These ratios may also be plus or minus 80% of the values indicated in Table 1, or any linear combinations thereof. These ratios may also be plus or minus 70% of the values indicated in Table 1, or any linear combinations thereof. These ratios may also be plus or minus 60% of the values indicated in Table 1, or any linear combinations thereof. These ratios may also be plus or minus 50% of the values indicated in Table 1, or any linear combinations thereof. These ratios may also be plus or minus 40% of the values indicated in Table 1, or any linear combinations thereof. These ratios may also be plus or minus 30% of the values indicated in Table 1, or any linear combinations thereof. These ratios may also be plus or minus 25% of the values indicated in Table 1, or any linear combinations thereof. These ratios may also be plus or minus 15% of the values indicated in Table 1, or any linear combinations thereof. These ratios may also be plus or minus 10% of the values indicated in Table 1, or any linear combinations thereof. These ratios may also be plus or minus 5% of the values indicated in Table 1, or any linear combinations thereof.

[0059] In this context, and again without being bound by theory or limiting the generality of the invention, Equations 1 - 5 can be used in defining mix formulations that are expected to bestoichiometrically balanced with respect to NaOH production from ions supplied in the reagents. Accomplishing this requires integrating several additional mix design parameters. An example of such mix design parameters is provided in Table 2. The parameters and parameter values indicated in Table 2 are provided for illustration only. Other values for the parameters provided in Table 2 are within the scope of the invention. Alternate values for these parameters may be advantageous to achieve particular mix performance targets (e.g., particular workability or slump targets including production of zero slump concrete or self-consolidating concrete) or product characteristics, for example. Moreover, other parameterizations of relevant mix design variables and / or factors are conceivable and may be helpful in optimizing various attributes of potential mix formulations; formulations developed using such other parameterizations of mix design variables are also within the scope of the invention.

[0060] The example mix design parameters specified in Table 2 are applied in Table 3, Table 4, Table 5, and Table 6 to illustrate four example mix formulations that are expected to be stoichiometrically balanced with respect to NaOH production from ions supplied by the sodium and calcium containing reagents. Within these tables, the example mix formulations are defined in the section labeled “Stoichiometrically Balanced Mix Formulation”, where the example mix formulation reflects the masses (on an absolute or relative basis) of each dry ingredient (i.e., the precursor(s), sodium containing reagents, and calcium containing reagents) and the “mix water”. These examples are based on the chemical reactions described in Equation 1, Equation 2, Equation 4, and Equation 5, respectively.

[0061] As noted above, the example mix formulations reflect the theoretical basis of specifying various potential mix formulations that are stoichiometrically balanced with respect to NaOH production from the reagent inputs; however, actual mix formulations used to implement the invention may deviate substantially from the examples provided in these tables, as such actual mix formulations are not bound by the academic theories discussed herein. Various practical considerations may motivate deviations from the theoretical example mix formulations provided in these tables. Such potential deviations and considerations may include but are not limited to: alternate molarity targets for potential NaOH production, which may be adopted to affect product set times, to accommodate various potential characteristics of specific mineral precursor(s)utilized, or to affect various characteristics of the resulting AAC products, for example; alternate water-to-solids ratios, which may be adopted to affect mix workability, slump behavior, and / or self-consolidating characteristics, for example; alternate ratios of material inputs, which may be adopted to accommodate economic realities of material supplies, for example; and alternate reagent ratios, which may be adopted to supply excess ions from the reagents to support additional reactions with ions and other compounds originating from the mineral precursor(s) and / or to otherwise affect the mineral composition of AAC products, for example.

[0062] Further, AAC mix formulations within the scope of the invention may reflect various combinations of the sodium and calcium containing reagents indicated in Table 1. Such alternate reagent combinations can be conceptualized as supporting reactions that comprise linear combinations of the chemical reactions indicated in Equations 1 - 5. Use of such combinations of reagents might be motivated by a variety of practical considerations, including but not limited to: economic considerations; material availability; the chemical composition of one or more mineral precursor(s) utilized; relative reactivities and / or reaction kinetics of the mix formulation; properties of the mix (e.g., workability and slump characteristics, set times, etc.); and properties of the AAC product materials. For example, some reagents have different levels of reactivity than others. It is understood, for example, that calcium oxide (“CaO”) is highly reactive when combined with water and that this reaction is significantly exothermic. This high reactivity may accelerate chemical reactions with both the sodium containing reagents and with the mineral precursor(s) within AAC mix formulations that use CaO instead of calcium hydroxide (“Ca(OH)2”), for example. These accelerated reactions may cause AAC mix formulations using CaO to have faster set times than AAC mix formulations using Ca(OH)2, for example. At the same time, the exothermic nature of reactions between CaO and water may cause a number of potential problems associated with excess heat generation and heat accumulation during mix activation, setting, and / or curing stages of AAC production. As a result, the calcium containing reagents used in AAC mix formulations within the scope of the invention may comprise a combination of CaO and Ca(OH)2 in order to balance reactivity, set times, and material heating, for example. The proportions of these calcium containing reagents may be varied to balance these characteristics in the context of particular precursor chemistries, water inputs to mix formulations, manufacturing environments, manufacturing processes, and product requirements, for example. Similarly, AAC mix formulations within the scope of the invention may reflect various combinations and ratios of sodium containing reagents to optimize or address various other characteristics or properties of the AAC mix and / or finished product.

[0063] The specific reagents and combinations of reagents used to comprise the sodium and / or calcium containing reagents of this invention may be varied to balance a number of different and potentially competing objectives. Some combinations may prove beneficial for improving particular mix characteristics, or for improving particular AAC material and product properties, or for improving the economics of AAC production, for example. Nothing included in this disclosure should be interpreted as limiting which reagents or combinations of reagents may be used to comprise the sodium containing reagents of this invention or as limiting which reagents or combinations of reagents may be used to comprise the calcium containing reagents of this invention. Put a different way, the specific reagents and combinations of reagents comprising the sodium containing reagents of this invention and the specific reagents and combinations of reagents comprising the calcium containing reagents of this invention may be varied substantially for a number of reasons while still falling within the scope of the invention.>>>>>>Table 6. Example Mix Formulation Using Equation 5>>

[0064] It is noteworthy that the mass of mineral precursors is less than 75% of the total mass of dry mix inputs for all of the example AAC mix formulations indicated in Tables 2 - 5. This is fundamentally different than AAC mix formulations proposed elsewhere, in which precursors typically contribute over 90% of the dry inputs by weight. In some cases, precursor contributions to AAC mix formulations described elsewhere may approach 80% of the dry mix inputs by weight; however these lower precursor formulations typically include specialized inputs (such as magnesium oxide, metal silicates, or aluminum sulfate, for example) or are used with specialized manufacturing methods (such as high temperature sintering processes, for example) (see US12012361B2, US11692122B2, WO2024213526A1, and US20220033307A1, for example).

[0065] In contrast to conventional AAC mix formulations, the precursor contribution to AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention is often lower than 90% of the dry mix inputs by weight. The precursor contribution to AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention may also be lower than 85% of the dry mix inputs by weight. The precursor contribution to AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention may also be lower than 80% of the dry mix inputs by weight. The precursor contribution to AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention may also be lower than 75% of the dry mix inputs by weight. The precursor contribution to AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention may also belower than 70% of the dry mix inputs by weight. The precursor contribution to AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention may also be lower than 65% of the dry mix inputs by weight. The precursor contribution to AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention may also be lower than 60% of the dry mix inputs of the dry mix inputs by weight. The precursor contribution to AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention may also be lower than 55% of the dry mix inputs by weight. The precursor contribution to AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention may also be lower than 50% of the dry mix inputs by weight. The precursor contribution to AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention may also be lower than 45% of the dry mix inputs by weight. The precursor contribution to AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention may also be lower than 40% of the dry mix inputs by weight. The precursor contribution to AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention may also be lower than 35% of the dry mix inputs by weight. The precursor contribution to AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention may also be lower than 30% of the dry mix inputs by weight.

[0066] Note that it is sensible for conventional AAC mix formulations to have relatively high contributions of mineral precursor(s) to the dry mix inputs. That is because the mental model generally used to design AACs reflects the notions that: (i) mineral precursors represent the core input for AAC production and their contribution should therefore be maximized; and (ii) that the other inputs used for precursor activation should generally be minimized due to their high costs, high environmental impacts, and high risks for worker safety and material handling. As a result, it is natural that conventional AAC mix formulations would tend to maximize the contributions of mineral precursors within the dry mix inputs and minimize the contributions of other inputs, such as alkali activators.

[0067] In this context it may seem counterintuitive for the invention to specify AAC mix formulations with mineral precursor contributions as low as those indicated here. These mix formulations certainly run counter to the mental model generally used to design other AAC mix formulations (as described above); however, the potential disadvantages implied by that mental model do not reflect the practical advantages of the invention.

[0068] First, as noted above, the sodium and calcium reagents contribute more than alkali activation to the AAC mix formulations described herein, they also contribute calcium and carbonate ions to complement the minerals that originate from the mineral precursor(s). These calcium and carbonate ions can precipitate calcium carbonate solids and / or react with compoundsthat originate from the mineral precursor(s) during AAC mixing, setting, and curing. As a result, beyond alkali activation, these reagents can also contribute significantly to the mineral content and physical characteristics of resulting AAC materials and products.

[0069] To appreciate the implications of this dynamic, it may be useful to consider the mass of calcium carbonate potentially formed from ions supplied by the sodium and calcium containing reagents as supplementing the mineral mass originating from the precursor. From this perspective, the total mineral mass may be viewed as being equivalent to the mass of the mineral precursor(s) plus the mass of calcium carbonate that could be produced from the sodium and calcium containing reagents. Applying this approach to the masses of inputs and reaction products indicated in Tables 3 - 6, it becomes clear that the mineral constituents (counting both the mineral precursor and potential calcium carbonate from the sodium and calcium containing reagents) represents 79% to 89% of the total dry inputs by weight. This calculation is illustrated in Equations 6 and 7 based on the masses indicated in the “Stoichiometrically Balanced Mix Formulation” section of Table 3, for example.

[0070] Equation 6. [Massp recursor + Masscacos] / [Massp recursor + MaSSNaHCO3 + MaSSCa(OH)2] / 100 %Mineral Inputs

[0071] Equation 7. [431.2 + 360] / [431.2 + 302.4 + 266.4] - 79%

[0072] For the avoidance of doubt, it is counterintuitive and non-obvious to think that an AAC mix formulation with mineral precursors that represent only -43% of the dry mix inputs by weight would have an effective mineral input of -79%; however, this precisely the implication of the mass ratios indicated in the “Stoichiometrically Balanced Mix Formulation” section of Table 3. This is a unique feature of the invention’s use of such high quantities of sodium and calcium reagents relative to the quantity of mineral precursor(s).

[0073] A second distinction of the invention relative to the mental models typically used for AAC mix design is that the sodium and calcium containing reagents utilized in implementing the invention have important practical advantages relative to the alkali activators and other components of conventional AAC mix formulations. For example, the sodium and calcium reagents are generally inexpensive relative to the strong alkalis typically used to activate AAC materials. In fact, the costs of reagents used in the invention are often similar to or even lower than the costs of some mineral precursors. The reagents used to implement the invention also tend to have environmental footprints and risk profiles (e.g., for worker safety) that are much lower thanthe alkali activators used in more conventional AAC mix formulations. In fact, the environmental impacts and risk profiles of reagents used to implement the invention are generally similar to better than those of mineral precursors and / or other material inputs commonly used in the cement industry.

[0074] Further, AAC mix formulations and / or manufacturing methods used to implement the invention are substantially simpler and more flexible than those specified for other AAC mix formulations, particularly those that aim to reduce the use of strong alkali activators. The invention can be implemented using three widely available dry inputs, and without requiring use of any individual input - multiple options exist for each of the mineral precursor, the sodium containing reagent, the calcium containing reagent, and even the water, which may comprise water, a water containing mixture, and / or another fluid in which the other inputs may be dissolved and react. This contrasts with AAC mix formulations described elsewhere, which generally require at least one specialty input (e.g., a strong alkali like NaOH, a magnesium compound, a metal silicate, or a metal sulfate). The invention also does not require any specialized product treatment process, such as sintering, for example.

[0075] The feature sets described above contribute directly to the flexibility with which AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention may be supplied. For example, AAC mix formulations defined according to the invention may be produced and supplied as 1-part mixes and delivered in bags suitable for distribution via home improvement retailers. Alternatively, they may be produced and supplied as either 1-part mixes or multi-part mixes and delivered via bulk industrial containers, including but not limited to so-called super sacks. Alternatively, such 1-part or multi-part mixes may be delivered via shipping containers or as un-containerized bulk materials via truck, rail, or ship. The 1-part or multi-part mixes may be supplied with other material inputs, either premixed or supplied via parallel deliveries. Examples of such other material inputs include but are not limited to: mineral aggregates (e.g., sand and gravel); other types of aggregates; fibers for material reinforcement; and various admixtures to enhance relevant aspects or characteristics of the AAC formulation (e.g., set times and workability) or of the produced AAC materials and products, for example. These options for supplying AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention (e.g., supplying as a 1-part dry mix, to which specified amounts of water are added and mixed-in) are similar to the options widely used to supply conventional cement and concrete products. No specialized equipment or material handling protocols are required. This is a significant advantage of the current invention.

[0076] The feature sets described above also contribute directly to the flexibility of manufacturing processes in which AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention may be applied. These include virtually all manufacturing processes currently applied in the cement and concrete industries. Fundamentally, the mix formulations only require for all inputs to be mixed and the mix to be transferred to an in-place placement, to a mold or form, or to another environment where the cementitious product will be used. Examples include but are not limited to: hand mixing the formulation with aggregates and hand placing resulting concrete (e.g., in a home improvement setting); mixing the AAC formulation with aggregates and / or other minerals or admixtures in a batch plant for delivery to a job site (e.g., via a concrete truck) where the AAC concrete may be poured into engineered placements, molds, or forms; mixing the AAC formulation with aggregates and / or other minerals or admixtures in a mobile batch plant for placement into forms for manufacturing tilt-up buildings; mixing the AAC formulation with aggregates and / or other minerals or admixtures and / or preformed foams in a batch plant, mobile batch plant, and / or similar mixing equipment and transferring the mix for placement in flowable fill and / or controlled strength material applications; mixing the AAC formulation with aggregates and / or potentially other minerals or admixtures and transferring the mix into molds for manufacturing concrete masonry units using automated or semi-automated equipment and machinery; mixing the AAC formulation with aggregates and / or other minerals or admixtures and transferring the resulting mix to machinery and equipment designed to produce wallboard-type products; mixing the AAC formulation with aggregates and or other minerals and / or admixtures and transferring the resulting mix to forms for producing precast product or elements, including precast products for constructing buildings, above-ground infrastructure, below-ground infrastructure, and / or other precast products or elements.

[0077] As implied by the discussion above, the feature sets described above contribute directly to flexibility and utility of the invention with respect to manufacturing processes used for various cementitious materials and products. The options for utilizing AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention to manufacture cementitious and concrete products are similar to the options widely used to supply conventional cement and concrete products. No specialized manufacturing processes or protocols are required. This is a significant advantage of the current invention. Moreover, the cost effectiveness, wide availability, low environmental footprint, and low handling risks associated with material inputs to the AAC mix formulations produced according to the invention combined with the simplicity of both the mix formulations and the associated AAC production / manufacturing processes makes AACs produced according to the invention suitable for a wide variety of practical applications. These span virtually all applicationsof conventional cement and concrete. Example applications include, but are not limited to: so-called readymix cement; bagged cement and concrete; pour-in-place concrete; precast concrete; tilt-up concrete; concrete blocks and concrete masonry units; architectural concrete; specialty products such as sinks, countertops, and fixtures; wallboard products; sound-insulating products; thermally insulating products; fiber cement products; modular and / or other prefabricated buildings; flowable fill and controlled strength applications; etc. The suitability of AAC mix formulations produced according to the invention to such a wide range of applications is an advantage of the invention.

[0078] Further, each of these feature sets distinguishes the invention from AAC mix formulations that have been described elsewhere. Importantly, these feature sets are not hypothetical or conceptual; they are specifically manifest in AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention (e.g., in the simplicity, cost effectiveness, and risk profiles of mix inputs and mix formulations), in the manufacturing methods and production processes used to utilize such AAC mix formulations in industrial applications (e.g., in the compatibility of manufacturing processes and production methods with those already in widespread industrial application), and in the AAC products that may be manufactured using AAC mix formulations.

[0079] Moreover, AAC mix formulations within the scope of the invention are highly flexible with respect to available types of mineral precursors. Precursor types that may be used alone or in any combination within the scope of the invention include but are not limited to: fly ash of various types (e.g., type C fly ash, type F fly ash, and other types of fly ash derived from various fuel sources, including both fossil fuels and renewable or biogenic fuels); bottom ash of various types and from various fuel sources; slags of various types (e.g., ground granulated blast furnace slag, gasifier slag, boiler slag originating from both fossil fuels and biogenic fuels, non-ferrous slags of various types, etc.); natural clays (e.g., kaolinitic clays, iron-rich clays, etc.); calcined or partially calcined clays (e.g., metakaolin); silica fume; mineral or natural aluminosilicate; synthetic aluminosilicates (e.g., aluminosilicate glass powders); glass industry wastes; aluminum industry wastes (e.g., red mud, brown mud, anodization mud, alumina wastes, aluminum slag, etc.) bauxite; laterite; zeolite; bentonite; pumice; natural or synthetic pozzolanic materials; and scoria.

[0080] EXAMPLES

[0081] See Figure 2 for strength test results for 10 different batches. The table in the figures shows total water, which is very high compared with what is generally used in such applications. It is unknown in the art to use waterbinder ratios this high, because increasing water reducesstrength. The invention contrarily uses this much water because a lot of water gets used up in the reactions with the sodium and calcium containing reagents. Typical waterbinder ratios known in the art are less than 0.5, generally between 0.4 and 0.45 for alkali activated cements, which are extraordinarily sensitive to water content. The invention detailed herein are nearly always above 0.55, and typically closer to 0.65. The advantage of this ratio is the mix design, and specifically the combinations of reagents used to activate the binder. Among other things, it reflects the water demand associated with producing key reaction intermediaries (like Ca(OH)2 from CaO), and it improves workability attributes of the wet mix, while still enabling development of a relatively high strength cement matrix. In one example, we mix the binder for 10 minutes with only -85% of the total water and then add the rest of the water at the end. This gives the reagents time to react while they are in a higher molar concentration before adding extra water to improve workability of the mix when the binder is mixed with aggregates (sand and gravel) to make the actual concrete / cementitious material.

[0082] SECOND OBJECTIVE - Alkali activation using strong bases produced from one or multiple reagents

[0083] The invention provides novel materials, methods, and processes for alkali activation of mineral precursor materials to produce AACs and AACMs. The subject alkali activators are produced by mixing one or more reagents in water wherein at least one of the reaction products is a strong base and / or wherein the reagents otherwise serve to produce a strong basic solution. In many relevant embodiments at least one other of the reaction products is a relatively insoluble precipitate. Generally speaking, the strong base resulting from these reactions provides alkali activation of the AAC mineral precursor, while the precipitate can serve multiple functions: by removing reagent ions from solution, it can drive the reactions toward production of strong base reaction products; it contributes to the mineral composition of resulting AACMs and related; and it binds otherwise unreacted ions to limit efflorescence of resulting AACMs and related products. Generally speaking the one or more reagents used to produce the alkali activators are associated with lower risks than the strong bases they produce. As a result, alkali activation using these relatively lower risk reagents provides significant advantages over alkali activation using strong bases directly in applied environments.

[0084] In some embodiments the invention comprises a one-part mix or formulation of the dry inputs of the AAC / AACM, to which water may be added and mixed in order to activate the precursor and enable use as a cementitious binder. In such embodiments, the one-part mix maycomprise two or more alkali activator reagents, one or more mineral precursor materials, and optionally various other dry ingredients, which may include any of various aggregates, fillers, fibers, biomass materials, or any other suitable material for the AAC / AACM or interest. In other embodiments, the invention comprises a multi-part mix of the dry inputs, including activator reagents, which may be mixed together prior to adding water for precursor activation. Alternatively, in other embodiments the invention comprises a multi-part mix of the dry ingredients, including activator reagents, in which water may be added to one or more parts prior to combining with the other part or parts for precursor activation.

[0085] In some embodiments the invention comprises a process and / or method of combining the specified inputs in particular ratios of quantities required to produce an AAC product. In other embodiments the invention comprises AAC products produced using specified inputs combined in particular ratios of quantities.

[0086] In some embodiments at least one reagent comprises a hydroxide anion. Virtually any reagent that comprises a hydroxide ion and that is either soluble or somewhat soluble may be applied in such embodiments. Calcium hydroxide is one of various examples that are known to those skilled in the art. In some embodiments at least one reagent reacts with water to provide a free hydroxide anion or to form a compound comprising a hydroxide anion. Calcium oxide, which reacts with water to form calcium hydroxide, is one of many examples known to those skilled in the art. So-called Arrhenius bases, so-called Lewis bases and so-called superbases, which react with free hydronium cations available in water to form a free hydroxide anion, comprise some of the many possible examples known to those skilled in the art.

[0087] In some embodiments at least one reagent comprises one or more cations. Examples include ammonium, cesium, hydrogen, lead, lithium, potassium, silver, sodium, copper, barium, beryllium, cadmium, calcium, cobalt, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, nickel, strontium, zinc, and tin among others. In some embodiments such cations of such reagents provide a free hydroxide anion when dissolved in water or when reacting with another compound in the solution. In some embodiments the reactions of such cation of such reagent may form a relatively insoluble compound that may precipitate out of solution. Such precipitation may drive chemical reactions in the solution toward increasing production of free hydroxide anions. Some of the many examples of such insoluble compounds that may precipitate out of solution and that will be known to those skilled in the art include calcium carbonates, calcium phosphates, calcium fluorides, calcium borates, calcium sulfates. Each of these examples comprises calcium cations. Similar exampleswill be known to those skilled in the art that comprise other cations, including those listed in the examples above.

[0088] In some embodiments the reagents react to form sodium hydroxide as a strong base. In other embodiments the strong base formed by the reagents is potassium hydroxide. Many other examples of similarly useful strong bases that may be provided by the one or more reagents will be well known to those skilled in the art.

[0089] In some embodiments at least one reagent comprises one or more anions other than a hydroxide anion, which may be referred to as a non-hydroxide anion. Examples of such nonhydroxide anions include acetate, amide, bicarbonate, bisulfate, bisulfide, bisulfide, bromate, bromide, borate, chlorate, chlorite, chloride, fluoride, hydride, hypochlorite, iodate, iodide, nitrate, nitrite, perchlorate, permanganate, carbonate, chromate, cyanide, thiocyanate, dichromate, oxide, oxalate, silicate, sulfate, sulfide, sulfite, tartrate, tetraborate, thiosulfate, citrate, nitride, phosphate, phosphide, and phosphite, among others. In some embodiments an anion of one such reagent reacts with hydronium cations in water to provide a free hydroxide anion. In some embodiments an anion of one such reagent reacts with a cation from another compound in the solution to provide a free hydroxide anion. Note that the other compound in the solution may comprise another reagent or may comprise a compound originating in the mineral precursor material. In some embodiments the reaction between the anion of one such reagent with the cation in solution provides a relatively insoluble compound that may precipitate out of solution. The precipitation of such compounds out of solution can drive chemical reactions in the solution toward increasing production of free hydroxide anions by effectively removing the corresponding cations (either hydronium cations or cations from the other compound in solution) from the solution.

[0090] For example, trisodium phosphate dissociates into phosphate anions and sodium cations when dissolved in water. As such, trisodium phosphate is a reagent that comprises a non-hydroxide phosphate anion and also comprises a sodium cation. Phosphate anions of the trisodium phosphate reagent may react with various cations in the solution to form a relatively insoluble product, which may precipitate out of the solution. Two of many examples known to those skilled in the art include calcium cations, which may react with phosphate anions to form the relatively insoluble compound tricalcium phosphate, and aluminum cations, which may react with phosphate anions to form the relatively insoluble compound aluminum phosphate. Note that in these and other similar examples, the calcium and / or aluminum cations may originate from either another reagent (in these examples “another reagent” refers to a reagent other than the trisodium phosphate), from themineral precursor material, or potentially from some other source that, particularly those that provide free hydroxide anions when the calcium and / or aluminum cations react with the phosphate anion. In such examples, the precipitation of tricalcium phosphate and / or aluminum phosphate may drive chemical reactions in the solution toward increasing production of free hydroxide anions. Such free hydroxide anions may form a strong base in the solution with the sodium cations of the trisodium phosphate reagent. Further, the tricalcium phosphate & / or aluminum phosphate that may precipitate out of solution may contribute to the mineral content of the AACMs activated with trisodium phosphate as a reagent. It may enhance the mechanical characteristics of the AACMs activated with trisodium phosphate as a reagent, and / or may enhance the binding properties of alkali activated binders activated with trisodium phosphate as a reagent.

[0091] As another example, sodium borate, commonly referred to as “Borax”, dissociates into borate anions and sodium cations when dissolved in water. As such, sodium borate is a reagent that comprises a non-hydroxide borate anion and a sodium cation. Borate anions of the sodium borate reagent may react with various cations in the solution to form a relatively insoluble product, which may precipitate out of the solution. Two of many examples known to those skilled in the art include calcium cations, which may react with borate anions to form relatively insoluble calcium borate compounds, and aluminum cations, which may react with borate anions to form relatively insoluble aluminum borate compounds. In such examples, the precipitation of calcium borates and / or aluminum borates may drive chemical reactions in the solution toward increasing production of free hydroxide anions. Such free hydroxide anions may form a strong base in the solution with the sodium cations of the sodium borate reagent. Further, the calcium borate and / or aluminum borate that may precipitate out of solution may contribute to the mineral content of the AACMs activated with sodium borate as a reagent. It may enhance mechanical characteristics of the AACMs activated with sodium borate as a reagent, and / or enhance binding properties of alkali activated binders activated with sodium borate as a reagent

[0092] Examples of reagents and reaction products associated with several of these embodiments using calcium hydroxide or calcium oxide as a first reagents are summarized in Table 1. It is understood by those skilled in the art that the reagents, base products, and precipitate products listed may comprise one or more variants of the formulas listed, including but not limited to various hydrates of each, for example.

[0093] Table 1 (of this section). Example reagents and reaction products for several example embodiments which may use Calcium Hydroxide, Calcium Oxide, or combinations thereof assecond reagent.

[0094] In various embodiments using the reagents comprising non-hydroxide anions listed inTable 1, the relative quantities of reagents can be specified in various ways. One approach is to specify the relative quantities of regents according to the number of moles of the strong base product required to effectively activate the mineral precursor materials. This, in turn, may be specified based on two relevant factors, for example: a ratio of the volume of activator liquids to precursor masses; and a target activator molarity or concentration. For example, one might specify the activator liquids to precursor mass ratio as being 0.5 liters of activator liquid per kilogram of precursor and also specify a target molarity of 10 for the strong base in the activator liquid. In this case, each 0.5 liters of activator solution used to activate each 1 kilogram of mineral precursor could be specified to comprise 5 moles of the strong base. To accomplish this using one of the example reagents selected from the reagents comprising a non-hydroxide anion listed in Table 1, the mass of the reagent utilized in grams reagent per kilogram of mineral precursor may be specified by multiplying the value provided in the third column of Table 1 that corresponds to the selected reagent by 5. Those skilled in the art will understand how to utilize these teachings to scale the quantities of reagents according to alternate strong base molarity targets and / or alternate ratios of activator liquid volumes to mineral precursor masses. Further, those skilled in the art will understand how to apply these teachings to scale the quantities of reagents according to other parameterizations of the mix formulation (e.g., using different formulation mix design parameters that are different from the ratio of activator liquids to precursor mass and activator liquid molarity target parameters that are used in this example).

[0095] In embodiments that include calcium hydroxide as a reagent comprising a hydroxide anion, including especially embodiments in which the calcium hydroxide reagent is combined with a reagent comprising a non-hydroxide anion listed in Table 1, a quantity of calcium hydroxide that may be included in an AACM mix formulation may be specified as ~37 grams calcium hydroxide per mole of strong base desired. This reflects the molar mass of calcium hydroxide, which is approximately 74 grams per mole, and the contribution of two hydroxide ions per mole of calcium hydroxide. Continuing the example above, where 5 moles of strong base are desired per kilogram of mineral precursor, a quantity of calcium hydroxide reagent may be specified as the product of 37 and 5, or 185 grams calcium hydroxide per kilogram of mineral precursor. Those skilled in the art will understand how to utilize these teachings to scale the quantities of reagents according to alternate molarity targets for the strong base and / or alternate ratios of activator liquid volumes to mineral precursor masses. Further, those skilled in the art will understand how to apply these teachings to scale the quantities of reagents according to other parameterizations of the mix formulation (e.g., using different formulation mix design parameters that are different from the ratio of activator liquids to precursor mass and activator liquid molarity target parameters that areused in this example).

[0096] In embodiments that include calcium oxide as a reagent comprising a hydroxide anion, including especially embodiments in which the calcium oxide reagent is combined with a reagent comprising a non-hydroxide anion listed in Table 1, a quantity of calcium oxide that may be included in an AACM mix formulation may be specified as ~28 grams calcium oxide per mole of strong base desired. This reflects the molar mass of calcium oxide, which is approximately 56 grams per mole, and the contribution of two hydroxide ions per mole of calcium oxide once the calcium oxide has reacted with water to form calcium hydroxide. Continuing the example above, where 5 moles of strong base are desired per kilogram of mineral precursor, a quantity of calcium oxide reagent may be specified as the product of 28 and 5, or 140 grams calcium oxide per kilogram of mineral precursor. Those skilled in the art will understand how to utilize these teachings to scale the quantities of reagents according to alternate molarity targets for the strong base and / or alternate ratios of activator liquid volumes to mineral precursor masses. Further, those skilled in the art will understand how to apply these teachings to scale the quantities of reagents according to other parameterizations of the mix formulation (e.g., using different formulation mix design parameters that are different from the ratio of activator liquids to precursor mass and activator liquid molarity target parameters that are used in this example).

[0097] Note that the example embodiments described above - including examples embodying particular ratios or values provided in Table 1 and / or otherwise derived from the values provided in Table 1 and the examples embodying particular ratios or values provided or derived from values provided calcium oxide and / or calcium hydroxide - are provided as examples only. They are described according to particular scientific theories (e.g., from the field of chemistry) in terms of using one or more reagents to generate strong base solutions for alkali activation. These theories provide a theoretical basis for the invention; however, the invention is not bound by such theories, and the discussions above should not be interpreted as limiting or constraining the breadth of potential applications or scope of the invention.

[0098] Various practical considerations not reflected in the theories described above (including but not limited to considerations other than generating strong base solutions for alkali activation) may impact the ratios and / or relative quantities of the reagents used in any particular embodiment. For example, as noted earlier, ions from the reagents may serve additional purposes in the alkali activation process, including but not limited to reacting with other free ions from the mineral precursor(s) or other inputs to limit subsequent efflorescence in produced AACMs and AACproducts. In addition, the ratios and / or relative quantities of inputs may be varied in order to affect fresh mix characteristics of the formulations (e.g., workability and set times, among others). In addition, the ratios and / or relative quantities of the inputs may be varied as a result of using other mix design parameters (e.g., activator solution molarity targets other than 10 and / or ratios of activator solution volume to precursor mass other than 50%) or as a result of implementing the invention with entirely different sets of mix design parameterizations (e.g., defining the activator solution to account for total dry solids, relative saturation levels of the precursor(s), and / or other relevant factors, for example). As such, in various embodiments the ratios and relative quantities of reagents and other inputs may vary by at least plus or minus 90% from those indicated in the examples described herein or from those derivable from the values indicated in the examples described herein. Further, the examples described herein generally reflect embodiments that primarily rely on generating strong base solutions for alkali activation using only one, two, or three reagents (e.g., one of the reagents comprising a non-hydroxide anion and / or one or both of calcium oxide and calcium hydroxide); in other embodiments the teachings herein may be used to generate strong bases for alkali activation using more reagents, including various combinations of the reagents specified in Table 1, among others. Those skilled in the art will understand the generalized nature of the teachings herein and be capable of devising embodiments that appropriately apply these teachings to implement the invention using other related reagents.

[0099] For example, in various embodiments barium oxide, barium hydroxide, and / or combinations of these and / or other barium compounds, may be utilized as reagents comprising a hydroxide anion and / or utilized as reagents comprising a barium cation. Barium oxide and barium hydroxide both form strong base solutions in water, which in some embodiments may be utilized individually or in various combinations (e.g., with each other and / or with other barium compounds) as alkali activating reagent(s) within the scope of the invention. In various other embodiments, these and potentially other barium compounds (again individually or in various combinations) may be applied with other reagents to provide enhanced activation and / or enhance chemical, physical, and / or mechanical aspects of produced AAC mixes, produced AACMs and / or AAC products produced according to the invention. For example, in some embodiments barium oxide may be applied with a reagent comprising a phosphate anion (trisodium phosphate, among others, for example) to produce a strong base solution for alkali activation and relatively insoluble barium phosphates that may precipitate out of solution within the AAC mix. As another example, in some embodiments barium hydroxide may be applied with a reagent comprising a sulfate anion (potassium sulfate, among others, for example) to produce a strong base solution for alkali activation and relatively insoluble barium sulphates that may precipitate out of solution within theAAC mix. These various embodiments reflect the teachings provided herein and are within the scope of the invention even though these barium containing reagents are not specified in Table 1. In various embodiments, many reagents comprising a non-hydroxide anion may be applied with barium compounds, including but not limited to barium oxide and barium hydroxide. All of these variations an permutations are within the scope of the invention.

[0100] In some embodiments, one or more reagents comprising a non-hydroxide anion, including those listed in Table 1, may be used in combination with one or more other reagents comprising a non-hydroxide anion, including but not limited to those listed in Table 1. In various of these embodiments, the one or more reagents and combinations of reagents comprising non-hydroxide anions may be used in combination with reagents comprising a hydroxide anion. The reagents comprising a hydroxide anion include but are not limited to calcium hydroxide, calcium oxide, barium oxide, and barium hydroxide, as described in the examples above, among others that will be known to those skilled in the art. Other reagents comprising a hydroxide anion are also possible. Those skilled in the art will understand how to apply the teachings presented herein to specify appropriate quantities of such other reagents comprising a hydroxide anion to implement the invention.

[0101] It is noteworthy that the mass contribution of mineral precursor materials to an AACM binder mix formulated according to the invention may be relatively low. From the example above, in which 5 moles of strong base may be desirable per kilogram of mineral precursor being activated, and considering again the examples non-hydroxide reagents listed in Table 1, the quantities of reagents comprising a non-hydroxide anion in an AACM binder mix formulated according to the invention may range from -210 to -680 grams reagent per kilogram mineral precursor. This is equivalent to mineral precursor contributions to total dry inputs of the AACM mix formulation ranging from -60% to -83%. These values are calculated as 1000 / (1000+680) -0.60 and 1000 / (1000+210) - 0.83. These contributions are noteworthy because mineral precursors typically comprise -90% or more of total dry inputs within conventional AACM binder mix formulations. Note that in this context the term “AACM binder mix” can generally be construed as comprising the mineral precursor and activator / activator reagent inputs to AACMs (excluding aggregate inputs to an AAC concrete, for example).

[0102] Consistent with the examples provided above, in various embodiments the precursor contribution to total dry inputs for AACM binder mix formulations specified according to the invention may be lower than 90% of the dry mix inputs by weight. The precursor contribution tototal dry inputs for AACM binder mix formulations specified according to the invention may also be lower than 85% of the dry mix inputs by weight. The precursor contribution to total dry inputs for AACM binder mix formulations specified according to the invention may also be lower than 80% of the dry mix inputs by weight. The precursor contribution to total dry inputs for AACM binder mix formulations specified according to the invention may also be lower than 75% of the dry mix inputs by weight. The precursor contribution to total dry inputs for AACM binder mix formulations specified according to the invention may also be lower than 70% of the dry binder mix inputs by weight. The precursor contribution to total dry inputs for AAC binder mix formulations specified according to the invention may also be lower than 65% of the dry mix inputs by weight. The precursor contribution to total dry inputs for AACM binder mix formulations specified according to the invention may also be lower than 60% of the dry binder mix inputs of the dry mix inputs by weight. The precursor contribution to total dry inputs for AACM binder mix formulations specified according to the invention may also be lower than 55% of the dry mix inputs by weight. The precursor contribution to total dry inputs for AACM binder mix formulations specified according to the invention may also be lower than 50% of the dry mix inputs by weight. The precursor contribution to total dry inputs for AACM binder mix formulations specified according to the invention may also be lower than 45% of the dry mix inputs by weight. The precursor contribution to total dry inputs for AACM binder mix formulations specified according to the invention may also be lower than 40% of the dry mix inputs by weight. The precursor contribution to total dry inputs for AACM binder mix formulations specified according to the invention may also be lower than 35% of the dry mix inputs by weight. The precursor contribution to total dry inputs for AACM binder mix formulations specified according to the invention may also be lower than 30% of the dry mix inputs by weight.

[0103] Note that it is sensible for conventional AACM binder mix formulations to have relatively high contributions of mineral precursor(s) to the dry mix inputs. That is because the mental model generally used to design AACMs reflects the notions that: (i) mineral precursors represent the core input for AACM production and their contribution should therefore be maximized; and (ii) that the other inputs used for precursor activation should generally be minimized due to their high costs, high environmental impacts, and high risks for worker safety and material handling. As a result, it is natural that conventional AACM mix formulations would tend to maximize the contributions of mineral precursors within the dry mix inputs and minimize the contributions of other inputs, such as alkali activators.

[0104] In this context it may seem counterintuitive for the invention to specify AACM binder mix formulations with mineral precursor contributions as low as those indicated here. These mix formulations certainly run counter to the mental model generally used to design other AACM binder mix formulations (as described above); however, the potential disadvantages implied by that mental model do not reflect the practical advantages of the invention.

[0105] First, in many embodiments the one or more reagents contribute more to the AACM binder system than only alkali activation of the mineral precursor materials; they also provide cations and / or anions capable of complementing ions that originate from the mineral precursor(s) or that originate in one or more other reagents. As discussed above, these various ions may precipitate out of solution and contribute to solid structures within the binder system. Among other things, these solid precipitates may interact with each other and with other solids in the binder system during AACM mixing, setting, and curing. As a result, beyond alkali activation, these one or more reagents can also contribute significantly to the mineral content and / or physical characteristics of resulting AACMs and AAC products.

[0106] To appreciate the implications of this aspect of the invention, it can be useful to consider, as an example, the relative mass of calcium carbonate precipitate products that may be formed from calcium cations supplied by a calcium hydroxide reagent and carbonate anions supplied by a sodium carbonate reagent, which can be used according to the invention to activate a mineral precursor for producing AACMs and AAC products. A reaction among these reagents in water that can be used for alkali activation is described in Equation 1.

[0107] Equation 1. Example reaction equation for sodium carbonate and calcium hydroxide reagents

[0108] Na2CO-i(aq) + G4(O#)2(aq) -> CnCO3(s) + 2NaOH(aq)

[0109] According to this equation, one mole of aqueous sodium carbonate reacts with one mole aqueous calcium hydroxide to form one mole of solid calcium carbonate precipitate and two moles of aqueous sodium hydroxide. In this embodiment, sodium hydroxide is a strong base capable of activating mineral precursors in AACM production and calcium carbonate is a relatively insoluble precipitate, which can contribute to the mineral content and structural characteristics of the AACMs and AAC products. The relative masses of these compounds and the precursor to be activated may be specified, for example purposes only, based on molar masses for these compounds of 106, 74, 100, and 40, respectively, using mix design parameters of (a) an effectiveactivator solution to precursor ratio of 0.5, (b) and an effective molarity target for the sodium hydroxide in the activator solution of 8. According to these various factors, an example AAC mix formulation can be specified according to Table 2. While not stated in Table 2, the reagent quantities listed may be used to achieve the intended activator solution volume and molarity by adding roughly 368 grams of water to the mix.

[0110] Table 2. Example mix formulation with calcium hydroxide and sodium carbonate reagents>>

[0111]

[0112] In this example, it is apparent that the mineral precursor comprises only 74% of the total dry mix inputs, with the balance comprised of sodium carbonate and calcium hydroxide reagents. However, calcium carbonate precipitate products provided by these reagents also contribute significantly to the solids of the AACM binder system. As indicated in Table 2, this contribution of calcium carbonate is equivalent to -15% of the total dry mix inputs [147 / (735+156+109) -15%]. Put another way, the calcium carbonate provided by the alkali activating reagents effectively increases the mineral content of the binder system by -20% relative to the minerals provided by the mineral precursor materials [147 / 735 - 20%]. This mineral contribution of the reagents used for alkali activation is an important aspect of the invention, which enables efficient AACM production with relatively lower mineral precursor contributions to total dry mix inputs.

[0113] For the avoidance of doubt, it is counterintuitive and non-obvious to think that an AAC mix formulation with mineral precursors that represent only -74% of the dry mix inputs by weight would have an effective mineral input (counting mineral contributions of the alkali activating reagents) of -99% (74% from the mineral precursor plus 15% from the calcium carbonate originating in the alkali activating reagents); however, this precisely the implication of the mass ratios indicated in the “Stoichiometrically Balanced Mix Formulation” section of Table 3. This is a particular feature of the invention’s use of such high quantities of reagents to achieve the intended alkali activation of mineral precursor(s).

[0114] A second distinction of AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention relative to conventional AAC mix formulations is that the alkali activating reagents that may be utilized in implementing the invention have important practical advantages relative to the alkali activators and other components of conventional AAC mix formulations. For example, the reagents may be relatively less expensive than the strong alkalis typically used to activate AAC materials. In many case the costs of reagents used in the invention are similar to or even lower than the costs of some mineral precursor materials. The reagents used to implement the invention also tend to have environmental footprints and risk profiles (e.g., for worker safety) that are much lower than the those of alkali activators used in more conventional AAC mix formulations. In fact, the environmental impacts and risk profiles of reagents used to implement the invention are often similar to those of mineral precursor materials and / or other material inputs commonly used in the cement industry. This is a significant advantage of the invention. Providing AACM formulations, mix inputs, AACMs, and AAC products with reduced risk profiles (including reduced property and worker health and safety risks) and with reduced environmental footprints (including lifecycle greenhouse gas emission profiles) is specifically within the scope of the invention.

[0115] Further, AAC mix formulations and / or manufacturing methods that may be used to implement the invention may be substantially simpler and / or more flexible than those specified and / or required to implement other AAC mix formulations. In some embodiments the invention can be implemented using as few as two widely available dry inputs (e.g., trisodium phosphate and a mineral precursor that contains significant quantities of calcium and / or aluminum, for example). Moreover, the invention is sufficiently flexible to avoid requiring use of any single input - multiple options exist for each of the mineral precursor, the alkali activating reagent(s), and even the water, which may comprise water, a water containing mixture, and / or another fluid in which the other inputs may be dissolved and react. This means that the invention can be implemented in ways that effectively avoid any single material input becoming bottleneck for efficient supply chain development and scale. This contrasts with AAC mix formulations described elsewhere, which generally require at least one specialty input (e.g., a strong alkali like NaOH, a magnesium compound, a metal silicate, a metal sulfate, or a specific mineral precursor material, for example). The invention also does not require any specialized treatment process during AACM production, such as sintering, for example. As a result, providing AACM formulations, mix inputs, AACMs, and AAC products using diverse combinations of binder inputs - including inputs in any combination of those specified herein - is specifically within the scope of the invention.

[0116] The feature sets described above contribute directly to the flexibility with which AACmix formulations specified according to the invention may be supplied. For example, AAC mix formulations defined according to the invention may be produced and supplied as 1-part dry mixes and delivered in bags suitable for distribution via home improvement retailers. Alternatively, they may be produced and supplied as either 1-part mixes or multi-part mixes and delivered via bulk industrial containers, including but not limited to so-called super sacks. Alternatively, such 1-part or multi-part mixes may be supplied via shipping containers or as un-containerized bulk materials via truck, rail, or ship. The 1-part or multi-part mixes may be supplied with other material inputs, either premixed (as noted above) or supplied via parallel deliveries of segregated material inputs to be added at the time of mixing. Examples of such other material inputs that may be supplied together with or separately from the binder mix inputs (e.g., precursor, alkali activating reagents, and / or other binder inputs) include but are not limited to: mineral aggregates (e.g., sand and gravel); biomass aggregates and biomass derived aggregates; other types of aggregates; fibers for material reinforcement; various admixtures to enhance relevant aspects or characteristics of the AAC formulation, such as set times and / or workability (e.g., superplasticizers, retarders, etc.) or of the produced AAC materials and products, for example; and foaming agents & / or premixed foams. These options for supplying AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention (e.g., supplying as a 1-part dry mix or multi-part mix, to which specified amounts of water are added and mixed-in) are similar to the options widely used to supply conventional cement and concrete products. No specialized equipment or material handling protocols are required, although various processes may be tailored to provide particular efficiencies and / or other benefits with respect to particular supply chains, manufacturing systems, AACMs and AAC products. This broad compatibility with existing supply systems and supply chain structures is a significant advantage of the current invention. As such, supplying inputs for AACM production according to each of these options, and any combination thereof, is specifically within the scope of the invention.

[0117] The feature sets described above also contribute directly to the flexibility of manufacturing processes in which AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention may be applied. These include virtually all manufacturing processes currently applied in the cement and concrete industries. Fundamentally, the mix formulations only require that all inputs (e.g., including dry mix inputs to the binder system, water, aggregates, and other inputs, as may be appropriate for specific applications) be well mixed and that the mix to be transferred to an in-place placement, to a mold or form, or to another environment where the cementitious product will be used. Examples include but are not limited to: hand mixing the formulation with aggregates and hand placing resulting concrete (e.g., in a home improvement setting); mixing the AACformulation with aggregates and / or other minerals or admixtures in a batch plant for delivery to a job site (e.g., via a concrete truck) where the AAC concrete may be poured into engineered placements, molds, or forms; mixing the AAC formulation with aggregates and / or other minerals or admixtures in a mobile batch plant for placement into forms for manufacturing (e.g., for tilt-up building applications); mixing the AAC formulation with aggregates and / or other minerals or admixtures and / or preformed foams in a batch plant, mobile batch plant, and / or similar mixing equipment and transferring the mix for placement in flowable fill and / or controlled strength material applications; mixing the AAC formulation with aggregates and / or potentially other minerals or admixtures and transferring the mix into molds for manufacturing concrete masonry units using automated or semi-automated equipment and machinery; mixing the AAC formulation with aggregates and / or other minerals or admixtures and transferring the resulting mix to machinery and equipment designed to produce wallboard-type products; mixing the AAC formulation with aggregates and or other minerals and / or admixtures and transferring the resulting mix to forms for producing precast products or elements, including precast products for constructing buildings, thermal insulation products, acoustic insulation products, above-ground infrastructure, below-ground infrastructure, combinations of these and potentially other precast products, and / or potentially other types of precast products or elements. As such, providing AACM formulations, including providing AACM mixes and / or AACM mix inputs, for use in any of these and related manufacturing and production systems is specifically within the scope of the invention. Moreover, producing AACMs and AAC products using any of the inputs specified herein - along or in any combination - according to each of the manufacturing and or production processes, systems, and / or equipment described herein is specifically within the scope of the invention.

[0118] As implied by the discussion above, the feature sets described above contribute directly to flexibility and utility of the invention with respect to manufacturing processes used for various cementitious materials and products. The options for utilizing AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention to manufacture cementitious and concrete products are similar to the options widely used to supply conventional cementitious and concrete products. No specialized manufacturing processes or protocols are required. This is a significant advantage of the current invention. Moreover, the cost effectiveness, wide availability, low environmental footprint, and low handling risks associated with material inputs to the AAC mix formulations produced according to the invention combined with the simplicity of both the mix formulations and the associated AAC production / manufacturing processes makes AACs produced according to the invention suitable for a wide variety of practical applications. These span virtually all applicationsof conventional cement and concrete. Example applications include, but are not limited to: so-called readymix cement; bagged cement and concrete; pour-in-place concrete; precast concrete; tilt-up concrete; concrete blocks and concrete masonry units; architectural concrete; specialty products such as sinks, countertops, and fixtures; wallboard products; sound-insulating products; thermally insulating products; fiber cement products; modular and / or other prefabricated buildings; flowable fill and controlled strength applications; foamed cement and concrete products; biomass cement composite materials and products; other cementitious products; etc. The suitability of AAC mix formulations produced according to the invention to such a wide range of applications is an advantage of the invention. As such, and as noted above, providing AACM formulations, including providing AACM mixes and / or AACM mix inputs, for use in any of these and related manufacturing and production systems is specifically within the scope of the invention. Moreover, producing AACMs and AAC products using any of the inputs specified herein - along or in any combination - according to each of the manufacturing and or production processes, systems, and / or equipment described herein is specifically within the scope of the invention.

[0119] Further, each of these feature sets distinguishes the invention from AAC mix formulations that have been described elsewhere. Importantly, these feature sets are not hypothetical or conceptual. They are specifically manifest in AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention (e.g., in the simplicity, cost effectiveness, risk profiles of mix inputs, variety of compatible mix formulations, and particular inputs and input ratios for specific mix formulations), in the manufacturing methods and production processes used to utilize such AAC mix formulations in industrial applications (e.g., in the compatibility of manufacturing processes and production methods with those already in widespread industrial application), and in the AAC products that may be manufactured using AAC mix formulations.

[0120] Moreover, AAC mix formulations within the scope of the invention are highly flexible with respect to available types of mineral precursors. Precursor types that may be used alone or in any combination within the scope of the invention include but are not limited to: fly ash of various types (e.g., type C fly ash, type F fly ash, and other types of fly ash derived from various fuel sources, including both fossil fuels and renewable or biogenic fuels); bottom ash of various types and from various fuel sources; slags of various types (e.g., ground granulated blast furnace slag, gasifier slag, boiler slag originating from both fossil fuels and biogenic fuels, non-ferrous slags of various types, etc.); natural clays (e.g., kaolinitic clays, iron-rich clays, etc.); calcined or partially calcined clays (e.g., metakaolin, calcined common clay, and other calcined clays); silica fume;mineral or natural aluminosilicate; synthetic aluminosilicates (e.g., aluminosilicate glass powders); glass industry wastes; aluminum industry wastes (e.g., red mud, brown mud, anodization mud, alumina wastes, aluminum slag, etc.) bauxite; laterite; zeolite; bentonite; pumice; natural or synthetic pozzolanic materials; and scoria.

[0121] The wide range of precursor materials, potential admixtures, and / or potential aggregates used to create concrete or other cementitious products can introduce variability and affect the factors underlying the mix design parameters, including those specified in Table 1. Such variability can motivate adoption of alternate mix design parameters, as noted above. For example, the water absorption characteristics and quantities of water required to achieve saturation can vary considerably across materials that may be included in any particular AAC mix formulation. Water absorption (e.g., into cracks in the materials, particle pore spaces, & / or into the cellular structures of biomass admixes or biomass based aggregates) can effectively reduce the amount of water available to dissolve the alkali activating reagents, to distribute the resulting ions through the mixture, and to facilitate reactions among the various ions, the precursor materials, and potentially other components in the mix formulation. This can significantly impact both the chemical reactions associated with alkali activation, characteristics of the mix (e.g., workability, set times, etc.), and the chemical and physical properties of the resulting cementitious materials and products.

[0122] One way to mitigate these effects is to pre-wet the mix components in order to limit the amount of water that may otherwise be absorbed during alkali activation and effectively removed from the alkali activation process. Another way to mitigate these effects is to increase the quantity of water added to the mix in order to offset or compensate for the quantity of water that will be absorbed into the mix components. If the rates of water absorption are significantly faster than the rates of dissolution and reaction rates of the reagents, than increasing the amounts of water added to dry ingredient mixes to offset the water that will be absorbed into the materials may have a minimal impact on the amounts of water available to dissolve the reagents and otherwise participate in the alkali activation process.

[0123] These approaches can be implemented in multiple ways. For example, the mix designs specified in the examples above, and those that may be otherwise specified according to the teachings above, can be modified with respect to the amounts of water added to achieve the target consistency of the wet mix slurry. In other words, mix formulations can be specified as described above, with additional water added to compensate for the water absorption characteristics of theprecursor materials, aggregates, and / or other admixes. This can be done in an ad hoc manner based on the slurry consistency, or in a systematic way by measuring the water absorption capacity of the formulation inputs and the saturation level of specific inputs in order to specify additional water inputs required to compensation for additional water absorption that can be expected to achieve particle saturation.

[0124] As noted above, AACMs produced within the scope of the invention may include various biomass aggregates or otherwise comprise biomass cement composite materials. Among other reasons, this may be relevant because biomass cement composite materials are increasingly viewed as means for removing biogenic carbon from the natural carbon cycle and storing that carbon away from the atmosphere for timescales relevant for mitigating anthropogenic climate change. Such application may comprise atmospheric carbon removals. It may also be relevant because AACMs, including AACMs within the scope of the invention, are often substantially more compatible with biomass aggregates and / or other biomass derived inputs than more conventional types of cements, including Portland cements, calcium sulfoaluminate cements, magnesium-based cements, and other types of cement. As a result a particular advantage of the invention is the biomass compatibility of AACMs provided according to the invention and the associated ability to produce cementitious materials that have very low or even substantially negative carbon emissions when measured on a lifecycle basis, for example. As such, the production of AACMs and AAC products that include biomass aggregates and / or other biomass derived inputs and thereby achieve or otherwise comprise low carbon emission or negative carbon emission materials and products are within the scope of the invention. Further, the avoided carbon emissions resulting from the use of AACMs and AAC products produced according to the invention instead of other cementitious materials and products with higher embodied emissions, alone or in combination with the atmospheric carbon removals resulting from the inclusion of biomass aggregates and / or other biomass derived inputs may be applied to generate carbon emissions offsets, emissions credits, carbon credits, regulatory benefits, and / or qualify certain products to use “low carbon”, “carbon negative”, and / or other simlar labels, which various benefits may be monetized together with or independently from the AACMs and AAC products themselves. Moreover, such avoided emissions and / or atmospheric carbon removals may be applied to lower, offset, or otherwise benefit the emissions profiles of other products that are produced independently from the AACM supply chains or of products that are directly associated with the AACM supply chain. For example, other products and / or coproducts of the supply chain providing biomass inputs to the AACMs and AAC products may benefit from the avoided emissions and / or atmospheric carbon removals resulting from the AACMs and AAC products.These benefits may be captured as emissions offsets, as emissions credits (including but not limited to carbon credits), regulatory credits, “low carbon” or “carbon negative” or other similar labels or identifiers, and / or other benefits. The generation of these various benefits via these various mechanisms through the production of AACMs and AAC products provided according to the teachings provided herein are also within the scope of the invention.

[0125] SECOND ASPECT

[0126] A mix for producing alkali activated cementitious materials that comprises the following inputs: (i) a mineral precursor; (ii) alkali activating reagents comprising (a) trisodium phosphate and (b) calcium hydroxide; and (iii) water.

[0127] A manufacturing process for cementitious products in which material inputs are used that comprise: (i) a mineral precursor; (ii) alkali activating reagents comprising (a) potassium phosphate and (b) calcium oxide; and (iii) water.

[0128] Concrete masonry units produced using a mixture comprising the following inputs: (i) a mineral precursor; (ii) alkali activating reagents comprising (a) trisodium phosphate and (b) barium oxide; and (iii) water.

[0129] A binder system for alkali activation of a mineral precursor comprising: (a) a first reagent comprising a non-hydroxide sodium salt; (b) a second reagent comprising a calcium-containing compound selected from calcium oxide and calcium hydroxide; and (c) water added at the time of activation, wherein the first reagent and the second reagent react in situ to generate sodium hydroxide and a calcium-containing precipitate.

[0130] The binder system as described above, wherein the first reagent comprises sodium carbonate.

[0131] The binder system as described above, wherein the calcium-containing precipitate comprises calcium carbonate.

[0132] The binder system as described above, wherein the reagents are present in quantities approximating stoichiometric conversion to sodium hydroxide.

[0133] A method of activating a mineral precursor comprising mixing the binder system as described above with a mineral precursor and water to generate hydroxide ions in situ.

[0134] A cementitious material produced by the method above.

[0135] THIRD OBJECTIVE

[0136] The invention provides novel AAC materials, along with methods and processes for producing the same. The subject AAC materials are comprised of four fundamental inputs: (i) one or more mineral precursor materials (periodically referred to herein as precursor(s)); (ii) one or more sodium containing reagents, including sodium bicarbonate and sodium carbonate; (iii) one or more calcium containing reagents including calcium oxide and calcium hydroxide; and (iv) water. When water is added to the other three inputs, the dissolution of sodium containing and calcium containing reagents combined with chemical reactions between and among these reagents provide for effective alkali activation of the mineral precursor(s) and contribute substantially to the mineral composition of the AAC products. In particular, the reactions among these reagents produce calcium ions and carbonate ions, which are capable of producing calcium carbonate solids, among other potential mineral solids. These reaction products can effectively supplement the minerals provided by the mineral precursor(s) and enhance the mechanical properties of resulting AAC products.

[0137] In some embodiments the invention comprises a one-part mix or formulation of the dry inputs, to which water may be added and mixed in order to activate the precursor and enable use as a cementitious binder. In other embodiments, the invention comprises a multi-part mix of the dry inputs, which may be mixed together prior to adding water for precursor activation. Alternatively, in other embodiments the invention comprises a multi-part mix of the dry ingredients, in which water may be added to one or more parts prior to combining with the other part or parts for precursor activation.

[0138] In some embodiments the invention comprises a process and method of combining the specified inputs in particular ratios of quantities required to produce an AAC product. In other embodiments the invention comprises AAC products produced using specified inputs combined in particular ratios of quantities.

[0139] In some embodiments the invention comprises a mix or formulation of dry inputs that may be added to another binder formulation in order to improve the performance of that other binder formulation. For example, in some embodiments the invention comprises a mix of dry inputs that comprises one or more sodium reagents that may be added to a binder mix formulation comprising calcium reagents, including but not limited to lime-based binders, to enhance theperformance of the binder mix formulation comprising calcium reagents. For example, in some embodiments the invention comprises one or more of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate that may be added to a lime-based binder containing pozzolans. In such embodiments, and other similar embodiments, the addition of the sodium carbonate & / or sodium bicarbonate may effectively convert the lime-based binder into an AAC binder or hybrid binder having enhanced properties relative to the lime-based binder used without the sodium-containing reagents. In some embodiments the invention comprises a binder comprising one or more sodium containing reagents, one or more calcium containing reagents, and one or more mineral precursor materials, including but not limited to pozzolanic materials, that may be mixed with biomass or biomass derived inputs and water to form a “biocrete” product, such as a hempcrete, a woodcrete, or other similar product. In some embodiments the invention comprises a biocrete material or poduct, such as a hempcrete, woodcrete, or other similar product that is produced using a binder formulation comprising one or more sodium containing reagents, one or more calcium containing reagents, one or more mineral precursor materials, and one or more biomass materials or biomass derived materials.

[0140] Without being bound by theory, it is understood that the sodium and calcium reagents may be capable of reacting with one another in solution to produce NaOH and calcium carbonate within the mixture of specified AAC inputs. For example, Equation 1 provides a balanced chemical equation for producing NaOH, calcium carbonate, and water from sodium bicarbonate and calcium hydroxide. Equation 2 provides a balanced chemical equation for producing NaOH and calcium carbonate from sodium carbonate and calcium hydroxide. Equation 3 provides a balanced chemical equation for producing calcium hydroxide from calcium oxide and water. Equation 4 provides a balanced chemical equation for producing NaOH and calcium carbonate from sodium carbonate, calcium oxide, and water. Equation 5 reflects the integration of Equation 1 and Equation 3 to provide a balanced chemical equation for producing NaOH, calcium carbonate, and water from sodium bicarbonate, calcium oxide, and water.

[0141] Equation 1. NaHCO3+ Ca(OH)2CaCO3+ H2O + NaOH

[0142] Equation 2.

[0143] Equation

[0144] Equation 4.

[0145] Equation 5. NaHCO3+ CaO + H2O CaCO3+ H2O + NaOH

[0146] It is understood that the chemical reactions of these sodium and calcium containing reagents within an AAC mix formulation specified according to the invention are far more varied and complex that those described in Equations 1 - 5. Ions produced from the dissolution of these reagents in the water provided for within the mix formulations will be reacting with each other and with other compounds present in the mix formulation, including compounds originating from the mineral precursor(s), for example. Even so, and without being bound by theory or otherwise limiting the scope of the invention, these equations provide a theoretical foundation for conveying certain aspects of the invention, its implications, and its various applications.

[0147] Without being bound by theory, these and other related chemical equations can be used to specify proportions of sodium and calcium containing reagents so that all of the reagents may be expected to be reacted in producing NaOH. Notwithstanding the recognition that (as noted above) the actual chemical reactions may not specifically proceed according to the chemical equations indicated above, formulations with reagent proportions that reflect the balanced chemical equations above may be referred to as being “stoichiometrically balanced”. For example, Equation 1 suggests that a stoichiometrically balanced formulation may comprise a 1 : 1 molar ratio of sodium bicarbonate to calcium hydroxide. This is equivalent to a mass ratio of sodium bicarbonate to calcium hydroxide of -1.135 to 1, given the approximate molar masses of 84 and 74, respectively.

[0148] Reagent mass ratios for stoichiometrically balanced reagent formulations can be similarly defined for each of the chemical reactions described in Equations 1 - 5, as illustrated in Table 1.

[0149] Table 1. Example Dry Reagent Mass Ratios for Stoichiometrically balanced NaOH production

[0150] Without being bound by theory or limiting the generality of the invention, in some embodiments the proportions of calcium and sodium containing reagents in an AAC mix formulation comprising the invention may be defined according to the mass ratios indicated inTable 1 so that chemical reactions may be expected to be stoichiometrically balanced with respect to NaOH production. Specifying formulations that are stoichiometrically balanced in this way may have advantages, for example, by limiting the quantities of excess unreacted sodium and calcium ions included in the mix formulation. This in turn may limit the occurrence of efflorescence in resulting AAC products, particularly such efflorescence that may otherwise result from unreacted ions originating from the sodium and calcium containing reagents.

[0151] In other embodiments, again without being bound by theory or limiting the generality of the invention, the proportions of calcium and sodium containing reagents in an AAC mix formulation comprising the invention may be defined so that there is excess of either sodium or calcium containing reagents relative to the stoichiometrically balanced ratios indicated in Table 1. This may have advantages, for example, by enabling the overall mineral composition of the AAC materials to be shifted so as to affect properties of either the AAC mix (e.g., workability, flowability, self-consolidating characteristics, and / or set times, for example) or of the resulting AAC materials and products. For example, varying the reagent ratios to supply excess ions from the sodium and calcium reagents may enable additional reactions with ions and other compounds that originate from the precursor materials in the mix formulation, or may otherwise alter the mineral composition of resulting AAC materials and products. This in turn may limit efflorescence that may otherwise result from potentially unreacted ions that originate from the precursor materials, for example. The use of alternate reagent ratios may be adopted based on other factors, as well, including for example to reflect economic factors and / or the relative availability of various materials in the market, for example.

[0152] In general, the mass ratio of sodium reagents to calcium containing reagents within the scope of the invention may be plus or minus 90% of the values indicated in Table 1 or any linear or non-linear combinations thereof. These ratios may also be plus or minus 80% of the values indicated in Table 1, or any linear or non-linear combinations thereof. These ratios may also be plus or minus 70% of the values indicated in Table 1, or any linear or non-linear combinations thereof. These ratios may also be plus or minus 60% of the values indicated in Table 1, or any linear or non-linear combinations thereof. These ratios may also be plus or minus 50% of the values indicated in Table 1, or any linear or non-linear combinations thereof. These ratios may also be plus or minus 40% of the values indicated in Table 1, or any linear or non-linear combinations thereof. These ratios may also be plus or minus 30% of the values indicated in Table 1, or any linear or non-linear combinations thereof. These ratios may also be plus or minus 25% of the values indicated in Table 1, or any linear or non-linear combinations thereof. These ratiosmay also be plus or minus 15% of the values indicated in Table 1, or any linear or non-linear combinations thereof. These ratios may also be plus or minus 10% of the values indicated in Table 1, or any linear or non-linear combinations thereof. These ratios may also be plus or minus 5% of the values indicated in Table 1, or any linear or non-linear combinations thereof.

[0153] In this context, and again without being bound by theory or limiting the generality of the invention, Equations 1 - 5 can be used in defining mix formulations that are expected to be stoichiometrically balanced with respect to NaOH production from ions supplied in the reagents. Accomplishing this requires integrating several additional mix design parameters. An example of such mix design parameters is provided in Table 2. The parameters and parameter values indicated in Table 2 are provided for illustration only. Other values for the parameters provided in Table 2 are within the scope of the invention. Alternate values for these parameters may be advantageous to achieve particular mix performance targets (e.g., particular workability or slump targets including production of zero slump concrete or self-consolidating concrete) or product characteristics, for example. Moreover, other parameterizations of relevant mix design variables and / or factors are conceivable and may be helpful in optimizing various attributes of potential mix formulations; formulations developed using such other parameterizations of mix design variables are also within the scope of the invention.

[0154] The example mix design parameters specified in Table 2 are applied in Table 3, Table 4, Table 5, and Table 6 to illustrate four example mix formulations that are expected to be stoichiometrically balanced with respect to NaOH production from ions supplied by the sodium and calcium containing reagents. Within these tables, the example mix formulations are defined in the section labeled “Stoichiometrically Balanced Mix Formulation”, where the example mix formulation reflects the masses (on an absolute or relative basis) of each dry ingredient (i.e., the precursor(s), sodium containing reagents, and calcium containing reagents) and the “mix water”. These examples are based on the chemical reactions described in Equation 1, Equation 2, Equation 4, and Equation 5, respectively.

[0155] As noted above, the example mix formulations reflect the theoretical basis of specifying various potential mix formulations that are stoichiometrically balanced with respect to NaOHproduction from the reagent inputs; however, actual mix formulations used to implement the invention may deviate substantially from the examples provided in these tables, as such actual mix formulations are not bound by the academic theories discussed herein. Various practical considerations may motivate deviations from the theoretical example mix formulations provided in these tables. Such potential deviations and considerations may include but are not limited to: alternate molarity targets for potential NaOH production, which may be adopted to affect product set times, to accommodate various potential characteristics of specific mineral precursor(s) utilized, or to affect various characteristics of the resulting AAC products, for example; alternate water-to-solids ratios, which may be adopted to affect mix workability, slump behavior, and / or self-consolidating characteristics, for example; alternate ratios of material inputs, which may be adopted to accommodate economic realities of material supplies, for example; and alternate reagent ratios, which may be adopted to supply excess ions from the reagents to support additional reactions with ions and other compounds originating from the mineral precursor(s) and / or to otherwise affect the mineral composition of AAC products, or to reduce efflorescence in AAC products, for example.

[0156] Further, AAC mix formulations within the scope of the invention may reflect various combinations of the sodium and calcium containing reagents indicated in Table 1. Such alternate reagent combinations can be conceptualized as supporting reactions that comprise linear combinations of the chemical reactions indicated in Equations 1 - 5. Use of such combinations of reagents might be motivated by a variety of practical considerations, including but not limited to: economic considerations; material availability; the chemical composition of one or more mineral precursor(s) utilized; relative reactivities and / or reaction kinetics of the mix formulation; properties of the mix (e.g., workability and slump characteristics, set times, etc.); and properties of the AAC product materials. For example, some reagents have different levels of reactivity than others. It is understood, for example, that calcium oxide (“CaO”) is highly reactive when combined with water and that this reaction is significantly exothermic. This high reactivity may accelerate chemical reactions with both the sodium containing reagents and with the mineral precursor(s) within AAC mix formulations that use CaO instead of calcium hydroxide (“Ca(OH)2”), for example. These accelerated reactions may cause AAC mix formulations using CaO to have faster set times than AAC mix formulations using Ca(OH)2, for example. At the same time, the exothermic nature of reactions between CaO and water may cause a number of potential problems associated with excess heat generation and heat accumulation during mix activation, setting, and / or curing stages of AAC production. As a result, the calcium containing reagents used in AAC mix formulations within the scope of the invention may comprise a combination of CaO andCa(0H)2 in order to balance reactivity, set times, and material heating, for example. The proportions of these calcium containing reagents may be varied to balance these characteristics in the context of particular precursor chemistries, water inputs to mix formulations, manufacturing environments, manufacturing processes, and product requirements, for example. Similarly, AAC mix formulations within the scope of the invention may reflect various combinations and ratios of sodium containing reagents to optimize or address various other characteristics or properties of the AAC mix and / or finished product.

[0157] The specific reagents and combinations of reagents used to comprise the sodium and / or calcium containing reagents of this invention may be varied to balance a number of different and potentially competing objectives. Some combinations may prove beneficial for improving particular mix characteristics, or for improving particular AAC material and product properties, or for mitigating efflorescence in the finished AAC products, or for improving the economics of AAC production, for example. Nothing included in this disclosure should be interpreted as limiting which reagents or combinations of reagents may be used to comprise the sodium containing reagents of this invention or as limiting which reagents or combinations of reagents may be used to comprise the calcium containing reagents of this invention. Put a different way, the specific reagents and combinations of reagents comprising the sodium containing reagents of this invention and the specific reagents and combinations of reagents comprising the calcium containing reagents of this invention may be varied substantially for a number of reasons while still falling within the scope of the invention.>>>>>>>>

[0158] It is noteworthy that the mass of mineral precursors is less than 75% of the total mass of dry mix inputs for all of the example AAC mix formulations indicated in Tables 2 - 5. This is fundamentally different than AAC mix formulations proposed elsewhere, in which precursors typically contribute over 90% of the dry inputs by weight. In some cases, precursor contributions to AAC mix formulations described elsewhere may approach 80% of the dry mix inputs by weight; however these lower precursor formulations typically include specialized inputs (such as magnesium oxide, metal silicates, or aluminum sulfate, for example) or are used with specialized manufacturing methods (such as high temperature sintering processes, for example) (seeUS12012361B2, US11692122B2, WO2024213526A1, and US20220033307A1, for example).

[0159] In contrast to conventional AAC mix formulations, the precursor contribution to AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention is often lower than 90% of the dry mix inputs by weight. The precursor contribution to AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention may also be lower than 85% of the dry mix inputs by weight. The precursor contribution to AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention may also be lower than 80% of the dry mix inputs by weight. The precursor contribution to AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention may also be lower than 75% of the dry mix inputs by weight. The precursor contribution to AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention may also be lower than 70% of the dry mix inputs by weight. The precursor contribution to AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention may also be lower than 65% of the dry mix inputs by weight. The precursor contribution to AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention may also be lower than 60% of the dry mix inputs of the dry mix inputs by weight. The precursor contribution to AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention may also be lower than 55% of the dry mix inputs by weight. The precursor contribution to AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention may also be lower than 50% of the dry mix inputs by weight. The precursor contribution to AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention may also be lower than 45% of the dry mix inputs by weight. The precursor contribution to AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention may also be lower than 40% of the dry mix inputs by weight. The precursor contribution to AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention may also be lower than 35% of the dry mix inputs by weight. The precursor contribution to AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention may also be lower than 30% of the dry mix inputs by weight.

[0160] Note that it is sensible for conventional AAC mix formulations to have relatively high contributions of mineral precursor(s) to the dry mix inputs. That is because the mental model generally used to design AACs reflects the notions that: (i) mineral precursors represent the core input for AAC production and their contribution should therefore be maximized; and (ii) that the other inputs used for precursor activation should generally be minimized due to their high costs, high environmental impacts, and high risks for worker safety and material handling. As a result, it is natural that conventional AAC mix formulations would tend to maximize the contributions of mineral precursors within the dry mix inputs and minimize the contributions of other inputs, such as alkali activators.

[0161] In this context it may seem counterintuitive for the invention to specify AAC mix formulations with mineral precursor contributions as low as those indicated here. These mix formulations certainly run counter to the mental model generally used to design other AAC mix formulations (as described above); however, the potential disadvantages implied by that mental model do not reflect the practical advantages of the invention.

[0162] First, as noted above, the sodium and calcium reagents contribute more than alkali activation to the AAC mix formulations described herein, they also contribute calcium and carbonate ions to complement the minerals that originate from the mineral precursor(s). These calcium and carbonate ions can precipitate calcium carbonate solids and / or react with compounds that originate from the mineral precursor(s) during AAC mixing, setting, and curing. As a result, beyond alkali activation, these reagents can also contribute significantly to the mineral content and physical characteristics of resulting AAC materials and products.

[0163] To appreciate the implications of this dynamic, it may be useful to consider the mass of calcium carbonate potentially formed from ions supplied by the sodium and calcium containing reagents as supplementing the mineral mass originating from the precursor. From this perspective, the total mineral mass may be viewed as being equivalent to the mass of the mineral precursor(s) plus the mass of calcium carbonate that could be produced from the sodium and calcium containing reagents. Applying this approach to the masses of inputs and reaction products indicated in Tables 3 - 6, it becomes clear that the mineral constituents (counting both the mineral precursor and potential calcium carbonate from the sodium and calcium containing reagents) represents 79% to 89% of the total dry inputs by weight. This calculation is illustrated in Equations 6 and 7 based on the masses indicated in the “Stoichiometrically Balanced Mix Formulation” section of Table 3, for example.

[0164] Equation 6. [Massp recursor + Masscacos] / [Massp recursor + MaSSNaHCO3 + MaSSCa(OH)2] / 100 %Mineral Inputs

[0165] Equation 7. [431.2 + 360] / [431.2 + 302.4 + 266.4] - 79%

[0166] For the avoidance of doubt, it is counterintuitive and non-obvious to think that an AAC mix formulation with mineral precursors that represent only -43% of the dry mix inputs by weight would have an effective mineral input of -79%; however, this precisely the implication of the mass ratios indicated in the “Stoichiometrically Balanced Mix Formulation” section of Table 3. This is a unique feature of the invention’s use of such high quantities of sodium and calciumreagents relative to the quantity of mineral precursor(s).

[0167] A second distinction of the invention relative to the mental models typically used for AAC mix design is that the sodium and calcium containing reagents utilized in implementing the invention have important practical advantages relative to the alkali activators and other components of conventional AAC mix formulations. For example, the sodium and calcium reagents are generally inexpensive relative to the strong alkalis typically used to activate AAC materials. In fact, the costs of reagents used in the invention are often similar to or even lower than the costs of some mineral precursors. The reagents used to implement the invention also tend to have environmental footprints and risk profiles (e.g., for worker safety) that are much lower than the alkali activators used in more conventional AAC mix formulations. In fact, the environmental impacts and risk profiles of reagents used to implement the invention are generally similar to better than those of mineral precursors and / or other material inputs commonly used in the cement industry.

[0168] Further, AAC mix formulations and / or manufacturing methods used to implement the invention are substantially simpler and more flexible than those specified for other AAC mix formulations, particularly those that aim to reduce the use of strong alkali activators. The invention can be implemented using three widely available dry inputs, and without requiring use of any individual input - multiple options exist for each of the mineral precursor, the sodium containing reagent, the calcium containing reagent, and even the water, which may comprise water, a water containing mixture, and / or another fluid in which the other inputs may be dissolved and react. This contrasts with AAC mix formulations described elsewhere, which generally require at least one specialty input (e.g., a strong alkali likeNaOH, a magnesium compound, a metal silicate, or a metal sulfate). The invention also does not require any specialized product treatment process, such as sintering, for example.

[0169] The feature sets described above contribute directly to the flexibility with which AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention may be supplied. For example, AAC mix formulations defined according to the invention may be produced and supplied as 1-part mixes and delivered in bags suitable for distribution via home improvement retailers. Alternatively, they may be produced and supplied as either 1-part mixes or multi-part mixes and delivered via bulk industrial containers, including but not limited to so-called super sacks. Alternatively, such 1-part or multi-part mixes may be delivered via shipping containers or as un-containerized bulk materials via truck, rail, or ship. The 1-part or multi-part mixes may be supplied with other material inputs,either premixed or supplied via parallel deliveries. Examples of such other material inputs include but are not limited to: mineral aggregates (e.g., sand and gravel); other types of aggregates, including but not limited to biomass aggregates, biomass derived aggregates, and / or other biomass derived inputs; fibers for material reinforcement; various potential co-activators; and various other admixtures to enhance relevant aspects or characteristics of the AAC formulation (e.g., set times and workability) or of the produced AAC materials and products, for example. These options for supplying AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention (e.g., supplying as a 1-part dry mix, to which specified amounts of water are added and mixed-in) are similar to the options widely used to supply conventional cement and concrete products. No specialized equipment or material handling protocols are required. This is a significant advantage of the current invention.

[0170] The feature sets described above also contribute directly to the flexibility of manufacturing processes in which AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention may be applied. These include virtually all manufacturing processes currently applied in the cement and concrete industries. Fundamentally, the mix formulations only require for all inputs to be mixed and the mix to be transferred to an in-place placement, to a mold or form, or to another environment where the cementitious product will be used. Examples include but are not limited to: hand mixing the formulation with aggregates and hand placing resulting concrete (e.g., in a home improvement setting); mixing the AAC formulation with aggregates and / or other minerals or admixtures in a batch plant for delivery to a job site (e.g., via a concrete truck) where the AAC concrete may be poured into engineered placements, molds, or forms; mixing the AAC formulation with aggregates and / or other minerals or admixtures in a mobile batch plant for placement into forms for manufacturing tilt-up buildings; mixing the AAC formulation with aggregates and / or other minerals or admixtures and / or preformed foams in a batch plant, mobile batch plant, and / or similar mixing equipment and transferring the mix for placement in flowable fill and / or controlled strength material applications; mixing the AAC formulation with aggregates and / or potentially other minerals or admixtures and transferring the mix into molds for manufacturing concrete masonry units using automated or semi-automated equipment and machinery; mixing the AAC formulation with aggregates and / or other minerals or admixtures and transferring the resulting mix to machinery and equipment designed to produce wallboardtype products; mixing the AAC formulation with aggregates and or other minerals and / or admixtures and transferring the resulting mix to forms for producing precast product or elements, including precast products for constructing buildings, above-ground infrastructure, below-ground infrastructure, and / or other precast products or elements.

[0171] As implied by the discussion above, the feature sets described above contribute directly to flexibility and utility of the invention with respect to manufacturing processes used for various cementitious materials and products. The options for utilizing AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention to manufacture cementitious and concrete products are similar to the options widely used to supply conventional cement and concrete products. No specialized manufacturing processes or protocols are required. This is a significant advantage of the current invention. Moreover, the cost effectiveness, wide availability, low environmental footprint, and low handling risks associated with material inputs to the AAC mix formulations produced according to the invention combined with the simplicity of both the mix formulations and the associated AAC production / manufacturing processes makes AACs produced according to the invention suitable for a wide variety of practical applications. These span virtually all applications of conventional cement and concrete. Example applications include, but are not limited to: so-called readymix cement; bagged cement and concrete; pour-in-place concrete; precast concrete; tilt-up concrete; concrete blocks and concrete masonry units; architectural concrete; specialty products such as sinks, countertops, and fixtures; wallboard products; sound-insulating products; thermally insulating products; fiber cement products; modular and / or other prefabricated buildings; flowable fill and controlled strength applications; etc. The suitability of AAC mix formulations produced according to the invention to such a wide range of applications is an advantage of the invention.

[0172] Further, each of these feature sets distinguishes the invention from AAC mix formulations that have been described elsewhere. Importantly, these feature sets are not hypothetical or conceptual; they are specifically manifest in AAC mix formulations specified according to the invention (e.g., in the simplicity, cost effectiveness, and risk profiles of mix inputs and mix formulations), in the manufacturing methods and production processes used to utilize such AAC mix formulations in industrial applications (e.g., in the compatibility of manufacturing processes and production methods with those already in widespread industrial application), and in the AAC products that may be manufactured using AAC mix formulations.

[0173] Moreover, AAC mix formulations within the scope of the invention are highly flexible with respect to available types of mineral precursors. Precursor types that may be used alone or in any combination within the scope of the invention include but are not limited to: fly ash of various types (e.g., type C fly ash, type F fly ash, and other types of fly ash derived from various fuel sources, including both fossil fuels and renewable or biogenic fuels); bottom ash of various types and from various fuel sources; slags of various types (e.g., ground granulated blast furnace slag,gasifier slag, boiler slag originating from both fossil fuels and biogenic fuels, non-ferrous slags of various types, etc.); natural clays (e.g., kaolinitic clays, iron-rich clays, etc.); calcined or partially calcined clays (e.g., metakaolin); silica fume; mineral or natural aluminosilicate; synthetic aluminosilicates (e.g., aluminosilicate glass powders); glass industry wastes; aluminum industry wastes (e.g., red mud, brown mud, anodization mud, alumina wastes, aluminum slag, etc.) bauxite; laterite; zeolite; bentonite; pumice; natural or synthetic pozzolanic materials; and scoria.

[0174] The wide range of precursor materials, potential admixtures, and / or potential aggregates used to create concrete or other cementitious products can introduce variability and affect the factors underlying the mix design parameters, including those specified in Table 1. Such variability can motivate adoption of alternate mix design parameters, as noted above. For example, the water absorption characteristics and amounts water required to achieve saturation of various potential AAC mix inputs can vary considerably across materials that may be included in any particular AAC mix formulation. Water absorption (e.g., into cracks in the materials, particle pore spaces, & / or into the cellular structures of biomass admixes or biomass based aggregates) can effectively reduce the amount of water available to dissolve the calcium and sodium containing reagents, to distribute the resulting ions through the mixture, and to facilitate reactions among the various ions, the precursor materials, and potentially other components in the mix formulation. This can significantly impact both the chemical reactions associated with alkali activation, characteristics of the mix (e.g., workability, set times, etc.), and the chemical and physical properties of the resulting cementitious materials and products.

[0175] One way to mitigate these effects is to pre-wet the mix components in order to limit the amount of water that may otherwise be absorbed during alkali activation and effectively removed from the alkali activation process. Another way to mitigate these effects is to increase the quantity of water added to the mix in order to offset or compensate for the quantity of water that will be absorbed into the mix components. If the rates of water absorption are significantly faster than the rates of dissolution and reaction rates of the reagents, than increasing the amounts of water added to dry ingredient mixes to offset the water that will be absorbed into the materials may have a minimal impact on the amounts of water available to dissolve the reagents and otherwise participate in the alkali activation process.

[0176] This approach can be implemented in multiple ways. For example, the mix designs specified in the examples above, and those that may be otherwise derived from the teachings above, can be modified only with respect to the amounts of water added to achieve the targetconsistency of the wet mix slurry. In other words, mix formulations can be specified as described above, with additional water added to compensate for the water absorption characteristics of the precursor materials, aggregates, and / or other admixes. This can be done in an ad hoc manner based on the slurry consistency, or in a systematic way by measuring the water absorption of the formulation inputs to specify additional water requirements.

[0177] Alternatively, different mix design parameters could be employed that reflect the teachings provided herein, and may be used to implement the invention. These alternate parameterizations are within the scope of the invention.

[0178] A benefit of AAC materials is their relative compatibility with biomass, biomass aggregates, and various other potential biomass-derived inputs to cementitious materials and products relative to other types of binders. In multiple embodiments, the AAC binders provided according to the invention may be used to produce AAC materials and products that comprise biomass cement composite materials or otherwise incorporate biomass and / or biomass-derived inputs. The ability to produce various materials and products using biomass and biomass-derived inputs is specifically within the scope of the invention.

[0179] Another benefit of the invention is the similarity of the inputs, and in some cases the overlap of inputs, with the inputs used to produce other more conventional cementitious materials and products. As such, in some embodiments the current invention comprises a calcium containing reagent that may be applied as an additive to an initial mix formulation for cementitious material or product (including more conventional cementitious materials or products) that comprises one or more sodium containing inputs and one or more other inputs that may serve as a mineral precursor material such that adding the calcium containing reagent improves one or more properties or characteristics of the resulting cementitious material or product. Such improved properties or characteristics may result, for example, by effectively transforming the binder of the initial mix formulation into an AAC binder & / or a hybrid binder system.

[0180] Alternatively, in some embodiments the current invention comprises a sodium containing reagent that may be applied as an additive to an initial mix formulation for cementitious material or product (including more conventional cementitious materials or products) that comprises one or more calcium containing inputs and one or more other inputs that may serve as a mineral precursor material such that adding the sodium containing reagent improves one or more properties or characteristics of the resulting cementitious material or product. Such improved properties or characteristics may result, for example, by effectively transforming the binder of theinitial mix formulation into an AAC binder & / or a hybrid binder system.

[0181] Hempcrete materials and products represent one of many possible examples. Hempcrete is generally produced by mixing biomass material from hemp with water and a calcium containing lime-based binder, where such calcium containing binder may also contain pozzolanic materials or other materials that may comprise mineral precursor materials. As such, in some embodiments the invention comprises a sodium containing input or additive that may be added to the lime-based binder of the hempcrete to enhance the properties or characteristics of the hempcrete. The sodium containing input or additive may comprise sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, or another sodium containing compound. Without being bound by theory, the enhanced properties or characteristics may be accomplished by effectively transforming the lime-based hempcrete binder into an AAC binder or into a hybrid binder system. Such transformation may enhance the properties or characteristics of the hempcrete material or product. It may, for example increase the strength of the hempcrete material or product. Alternatively, it may enable a similar strength hempcrete material to be produced using lower quantities or concentrations of key binder inputs. As a result, in some embodiments the current invention comprises a booster, extender, or enhancer for other binders, including lime-based binders often used to produce hempcrete.

[0182] In some embodiments the current invention comprises an alternative binder for producing biocrete materials, including but not limited to hempcrete materials, which comprises one or more sodium containing reagents, one or more calcium containing reagents, and one or more mineral precursor materials, which may include but are not limited to pozzolanic materials, to which hemp and / or other biomass materials or biomass derived materials may be added with water to produce a biocrete material, including a hempcrete material, a woodcrete material, or another similar biocrete type material.

[0183] In some embodiments the invention comprises a biocrete material or product, including but not limited to hempcrete, woodcrete, or other similar cementitious materials or products that comprise a biomass cement aggregate, where the biocrete is produced according to the teachings provided herein from one or more sodium containing reagents, one or more calcium containing reagents, one or more materials that comprise a mineral precursor material, one or more biomass materials or biomass derived materials, water, and optionally other admixes and / or material inputs.

[0184] The invention relates to alkali-activated cement binders that include one or more mineral precursor components and particular combinations of sodium and calcium containing reagents andmethods for producing the same. The reagent combinations are specified so as to deliver enhanced alkali activation of mineral precursors. These reagents provide for effective alkali activation, improved mechanical characteristics of resulting cementitious products, simpler mix designs, lower material handling risks, improved environmental performance, and improved cost effectiveness. Relevant sodium and calcium containing reagents include, but are not limited to sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, calcium oxide and calcium hydroxide.

[0185] THIRD ASPECT

[0186] A mix for producing alkali activated cementitious materials that comprises the following basic inputs: (i) a mineral precursor; (ii) a sodium containing reagent; (iii) a calcium containing reagent; and (iv) water.

[0187] A

[0188] B

[0189] C

[0190] A manufacturing process for cementitious products in which a binder is used that comprises the following basic inputs: (i) a mineral precursor; (ii) a sodium containing reagent; (iii) a calcium containing reagent; and (iv) water.

[0191] A

[0192] B

[0193] C

[0194] A cementitious product that is produced using a mixture comprising the following basic inputs: (i) a mineral precursor; (ii) a sodium containing reagent; (iii) a calcium containing reagent; and (iv) water.

[0195] A

[0196] B

[0197] C

[0198] A cementitious binder comprising: (a) one or more mineral precursor materials; (b) a sodium-containing reagent; and (c) a calcium-containing reagent, wherein the sodium-containing reagent and the calcium-containing reagent are configured to react upon addition of water to form an alkaline activating solution within the binder.

[0199] The cementitious binder as described above, wherein the sodium-containing reagentcomprises sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate.

[0200] The cementitious binder as described above, wherein the calcium-containing reagent comprises calcium oxide.

[0201] The cementitious binder as described above, wherein the mineral precursor comprises pumice, slag, or fly ash.

[0202] A method of producing a cementitious composition comprising adding water to the binder as described above and mixing to initiate alkali activation.

[0203] A cured cementitious product produced by the method above.

[0204] FOURTH OBJECTIVE - Cementitious Materials with Mineral and Biogenic Inputs

[0205] The invention relates to cementitious materials that comprise one or more mineral inputs, one or more biomass-derivable or carbonaceous (collectively “biogenic”) inputs, and optionally one or more other inputs. The invention further relates to production methods of said biogenic inputs for said cementitious materials, the various combinations of inputs used to produce said cementitious materials, production methods for said cementitious materials that comprise the one or more biogenic and one or more mineral inputs, and various products that may incorporate or otherwise comprise said cementitious materials, which may include both physical cementitious products and / or environmental attribute products that may be generated from or be otherwise associated with said physical cementitious products.

[0206] Suitable inputs comprising the primary mineral inputs include pozzolans of various origins and other chemically reactive materials containing minerals of natural or synthetic origins, including mixtures of such materials with each other and potentially with other materials. Examples include pumices, pumicites, volcanic tuffs, volcanic ashes, volcanic glasses, other deposits of volcanic origin, raw or calcined clays, fly ashes, bottom ashes, slags, clinkers, manufactured or recycled glasses, diatomaceous earth or diatomite, other natural or synthetic materials exhibiting pozzolanic characteristics and / or other types of reactivity, materials used as so-called “precursors” for AAC and geopolymer production, materials comprising silicas or silicates, materials comprising alumina or aluminosilicates, minerals containing reactive components, mineral components of other binder systems (e.g., comprising OPC, CSA, AAC, geopolymer, or other mineral binders), and blends of any of the materials identified here with each other, with potentially other chemically reactive mineral-containing materials, and / or with other materials.

[0207] Suitable biogenic inputs include: compounds that can be produced and / or extracted from biomass or biogenic materials, including from various types of biomass, fossil fuels, fossilized materials, or other carbonaceous or biogenic materials; combinations of such compounds with each other and / or with other materials; biogenic materials containing one or more of such compounds, including untreated (or “raw”) biomass materials and biomass materials subjected to one or more thermal, chemical, or biologic treatments; isolated compounds that may be produced from fossil or carbonaceous sources; combinations of such compounds; materials containing one or more of such compounds; and materials synthesized from other inputs, wherein the synthesized materials comprise compounds that might otherwise be produced from one or more types of biomass or carbonaceous materials.

[0208] In some embodiments the biogenic input may act as a plasticizer, superplasticizer, or water reducer (collectively referred to herein as a plasticizer) within the mix. Plasticizers can be conceptualized as increasing the fluidity, flowability, and / or workability of a wet cementitious mix relative to a similar mix having the same water-to-cement ratio but without the plasticizer. Alternatively, plasticizers can be conceptualized as reducing the water required to achieve a particular level of fluidity, flowability, and / or workability of a wet cementitious mix. Cementitious materials produced with lower water-to-cement ratios typically achieve higher compression strengths. As a result, a key benefit of adding plasticizers to cement mixes is to enable production of cementitious materials using reduced water-to-cement ratios in order to achieve finished materials and products with elevated compression strengths. As such, in various embodiments where the biognic input is acting as a plasticizer, superplasticizer, and / or water reducer, it may be useful for producing materials and products with relatively higher compression strengths than might be otherwise possible. Moreover, with this in mind, in various embodiments the biogenic input may comprise one or more synthesized, extracted, concentrated, or otherwise produced cement plasticizers, superplasticizers, and / or water reducers. Examples include lignosulfonates, sulfonated melamine formaldehyde, sulfonated naphthalene formaldehyde, polycarboxylate ethers, other materials exhibiting similar effects on cementitious mixes, other materials capable of delaying the setting of wet cementitious materials, and combinations thereof.

[0209] In multiple embodiments a cementitious binder is produced from: (1) a primary mineral input comprising pumice that has been ground or pulverized to a suitably fine particle size; (2) a biogenic material input comprising a thermally-treated woody biomass that has been ground to a suitably fine particle size; and (3) other inputs comprising calcium oxide and sodium carbonate. In various such embodiments the thermal treatment of the woody biomass is conducted in ambientconditions at temperatures at or below 240°C and results in a dry mass yield between 80% and 90%. (Note that the terms heat-treated and thermally-treated may be used interchangeably herein.) In various such embodiments the mass ratios of pumice to calcium oxide and pumice to sodium carbonate are greater than two and a half (2.5) and greater than five and a half (5.5), respectively, and the mass ratio of pumice to the thermally-treated biomass is greater than thirty-five (35).

[0210] Without being bound by theory, in various embodiments including the inputs specified in the example above, the calcium oxide may be conceptualized as a reagent for pozzolanic reactions with the pumice (a known pozzolan) to produce C-S-H compounds, which can contribute to the strength of the finished materials or products. Further, and again without being bound by theory, the calcium oxide may also be conceptualized as a reagent for reactions with the sodium carbonate input to produce sodium hydroxide, a strong base, which can participate in “alkaline attack” of the pumice to activate components of the pumice to participate in reactions that produce C-S-H, C-A-S-H, and / or N-A-S-H complexes, which can contribute to the strength of the finished materials or products. In this context, and again without being bound by theory, the sodium carbonate can be conceptualized as a reagent for reactions with the calcium oxide to produce sodium hydroxide, a strong base, to participate in the alkaline attack of the pumice and the subsequent production of C-S-H, C-A-S-H, and / or N-A-S-H complexes. In this context, and again without being bound by theory, the biogenic input may be conceptualized as activating or enhancing these reactions producing C-S-H, C-A-S-H, and / or N-A-S-H. Alternatively, and still without being bound by theory, the biogenic input may be conceptualized as acting as a plasticizer, thereby enabling production of cementitious materials using sufficiently low water: cement ratios to achieve sufficiently high strengths.

[0211] Within this context, and without being bound by theory, this example binder system may be conceptualized in a variety of ways. For example, it may be conceptualized primarily as a pozzolanic binder, in which pozzolanic reactions (e.g., between pumice and lime) are accelerated by (i) the high reactivity of quicklime (e.g., relative to slaked lime), (ii) interactions with and reactivity of the sodium carbonate, (iii) interactions with and reactivity of compounds present in the heat-treated biomass, and / or (iv) various combinations of these. Alternatively, it may be conceptualized primarily as an alkali-activated cement binder or a geopolymer binder, in which pumice comprises the precursor material, calcium oxide and sodium carbonate react in the mix to provide sufficiently high hydroxide ions to trigger effective alkaline attack on the precursor, and the heat-treated biomass (a) enhances the AAC and / or geopolymer forming reactions, (b) acts as a water reduced / plasticizer to enable production with lower water: cement ratios in order tomaintain high hydroxide ion molarities and / or support increased strength development, or (c) acts as both a reaction enhancer and a water reducer / plasticizer. As a result, in various embodiments, the calcium and sodium carbonate specified in this example may be replaced in whole or in part by other reagents that similarly increase the hydroxide ion concentration or molarity of the mix when water is added. Other conceptualizations may also be useful and appropriate.

[0212] None of the conceptualizations disclosed above or otherwise conceivable are limiting with respect to the scope of the invention. Instead, they are taught here to help clarify how and why the scope of the invention is as broad as it is: in various embodiments the fundamental characteristics of the mineral input(s) and biogenic input(s) may be leveraged in a variety of ways to produce a wide variety of cementitious binders, cementitious materials, and cementitious products. These include each of the following broad application areas:

[0213] Cementitious materials comprising existing, emerging, or other cementitious binder systems (e.g., OPC, PLC, PPC CSA, AACs, geopolymers, magnesium -based binders, lime-based binders, hybrid binders, and other cementitious binder systems) and biogenic inputs, in which heat-treated biomass, derivative compounds or compounds that may be derived from such heat-treated biomass, and / or other biogenic or carbonaceous compounds provide enhanced material properties (potentially by acting as a plasticizer or potentially by otherwise enhancing strength-providing chemical reactions) of the existing, emerging, or other cementitious binder system;

[0214] Cementitious materials comprising AAC and geopolymer systems using low risk and easily handled dry inputs (e.g., activation and alkali attack is achieved by hydroxide ions produced in the wet mix from inputs that may be safely mixed and handled in dry form) and biogenic inputs, in which heat-treated biomass, derivative compounds or compounds that may be derived from such heat-treated biomass, and / or other biogenic or carbonaceous compounds provide enhanced material properties (potentially by acting as a plasticizer or potentially by otherwise enhancing strength-providing chemical reactions) of the AAC and / or geopolymer;

[0215] Cementitious materials produced using pozzolan inputs, biogenic inputs, and potentially other inputs (including calcium oxide and sodium carbonate, among others), in which in which heat-treated biomass, derivative compounds or compounds that may be derived from such heat-treated biomass, and / or other biogenic or carbonaceous compounds, acting alone or in combination with various other inputs, provide enhanced material properties (potentially by acting as a plasticizer or potentially by otherwise enhancing strength-providing chemical reactions) ofthe pozzolan inputs;

[0216] Application area (1) comprises various embodiments in which heat-treated biomass, derivative compounds or compounds that may be derived from such heat-treated biomass, and / or other biogenic or carbonaceous compounds comprise a novel input or admix for otherwise established mineral binder systems to enhance production and / or finished characteristics of nearly every conceivable cementitious material and product. As noted above, these embodiments are expansive and applications within the scope of the invention include virtually all established cementitious binder systems, cementitious materials, and cementitious products.

[0217] Application area (2) comprises various embodiments in which novel AAC and geopolymer systems are activated with or otherwise comprise low risk and easily handled dry inputs and their efficacy is enhanced through the addition of heat-treated biomass, derivative biogenic compounds, and / or other biogenic or carbonaceous inputs. Note that this application area (2) may be viewed as overlapping in some respects with application area (1) where the heat-treated biomass, derivative biogenic compounds, and / or other biogenic or carbonaceous inputs are used as an input or admix for otherwise established AAC or geopolymer binder systems. This may be particularly valuable because AAC and geopolymer binder systems are highly sensitive to the water: cement ratio and many previously established plasticizers break down chemically and / or otherwise lose their efficacy in the highly alkaline environments required for AAC and geopolymer applications. As such, the novel heat-treated biomass, derivative compounds or compounds that may be derived from such heat-treated biomass, and / or other biogenic or carbonaceous compounds disclosed herein, which are capable of remaining active in highly alkaline environments, may provide particular value for AAC and geopolymer applications. This application area further comprises various embodiments in which the benefits of the biogenic inputs are not required, in which case the invention comprises various embodiments of binder systems comprising AAC and / or geopolymer precursors and low risk and / or easily handled dry inputs comprising lime (including calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide, other calcium-containing compounds, and various combinations of such compounds, potentially with other non-calcium containing compounds), sodium carbonate, or various other inputs, including other inputs that act as in-mix reagents whose reaction products serve to increase the alkalinity and / or hydroxide concentrations of the mixture, alone or in any combination.

[0218] Application area (3) comprises various embodiments in which binder systems comprising pozzolanic reactions are accelerated and / or otherwise enhanced through the use of heat-treatedbiomass, derivative compounds or compounds that may be derived from such heat-treated biomass, and / or other biogenic or carbonaceous compounds inputs, potentially in combination with additional inputs, which may include but are not limited to lime (including calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide, and other calcium-containing materials), sodium carbonate, and / or potentially other inputs. This application area further comprises various embodiments in which the benefits of the biogenic inputs are not required, in which case the invention comprises various embodiments of binder systems comprising pozzolanic reactions with lime that are accelerated or otherwise enhanced through the use of lime (including calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide, other calcium-containing compounds, and various combinations of such compounds, potentially with other non-calcium containing compounds), sodium carbonate, or various other inputs, including alkalinity -boosting inputs, alone or in any combination.

[0219] Each of these three application areas may be applied on a stand-alone basis. Alternatively, each may be integrated with one or more application areas and / or with various other cementitious binder applications in various ways via hybrid systems or hybrid applications.

[0220] In various embodiments the four inputs specified in the original example above (i.e., pumice, calcium oxide, sodium carbonate, and thermally-treated biomass), which may be referred to as dry binder inputs, can be mixed with water to produce a paste, which may be referred to as a binder paste. In some embodiments the mass ratio of water to dry binder inputs may be less than or equal to 0.55 (equivalent to a water volumetric ratio or 0.55 mL of water per gram of dry binder paste inputs). In some embodiments the dry binder inputs may be mixed with water for a period of time greater than 5 minutes to enable suitable activation of the chemical reactions among the binder paste inputs. In some embodiments the well-mixed paste may be mixed with various aggregates (e.g., sand, gravel, and / or other aggregates, celluloses, natural or synthetic fibers, etc.) to produce a concrete-type material with compressive strengths in excess of key compression strength thresholds required for structural grade concrete applications. Examples of such compression strength thresholds include two thousand (2,000) pounds per square inch (“psi”) or 3,000 psi, which are often relevant thresholds for materials used in structural, load-bearing applications. Additional water and / or other inputs may also be added to the mix once the binder inputs have been suitably activated to improve workability, flowability, and / or other similar material characteristics. Other inputs may also be added at other times, as may be deemed appropriate for various applications.

[0221] In some embodiments the dry binder inputs may be mixed all at once, one at a time, twoat a time, three at a time, or in various alternate sequences. Water and / or other inputs may be mixed with any or any combination of the four primary dry binder inputs before adding the remaining inputs. In some embodiments the biogenic input may be added to the mix with the aggregates or other inputs later in the process. In some embodiments the biogenic inputs may be excluded from the mix because the performance-enhancing effects of the biogenic inputs may not be required for one or more material applications or product applications.

[0222] In some embodiments the dry binder inputs may be supplied as individual inputs or as any blend of the inputs required to produce cementitious materials. For example, considering the inputs noted in the example above, the pumice may be supplied as a stand-alone input or as a mix with one or more of the calcium oxide, the sodium carbonate, and / or the biogenic input. Alternatively, for example, the calcium oxide could be supplied as a stand-alone input or as a mix with one or more of the pumice, the sodium carbonate, and / or the biogenic input. Alternatively, for example, the sodium carbonate could be supplied as a stand-alone input or as a mix with one or more of the pumice, the calcium oxide, and / or the biogenic input. Alternatively, for example, the biogenic input could be supplied as a stand-alone input or as a mix with one or more of the pumice, the calcium oxide, and / or the sodium carbonate.

[0223] In various embodiments production of two or more of these inputs could be integrated in various ways. For example, waste heat from the lime kiln used to produce calcium oxide (or other derivative mineral reagents) could be used to produce the biogenic input (e.g., waste heat from the kiln could provide the heat for heat-treating the biomass). Other types of such production integration are also conceivable.

[0224] In some embodiments the binder inputs disclosed herein may be mixed with sand and / or other fine aggregates to produce a mortar or grout. As such, novel concretes, mortars, and grouts produced from novel combinations of the materials and / or inputs disclosed herein are within the scope of the invention. In some embodiments the binder inputs disclosed herein may be mixed with low density materials (e.g., preformed foams, biomass, thermally-treated biomass, chemically-treated biomass, biologically treated biomass, aerating components or compounds, other natural or synthetic materials, etc.) to produce low strength or controlled strength materials suitable for applications such as flowable fill, block fill, and / or various lightweight concrete applications (e.g., screeds, roofing materials, wall panels, light-weight blocks, light-weight panels, light-weight walls, lightweight concrete floors, lightweight concrete decking, lightweight concrete forms and block forms, insulating concrete forms and blocks, etc.). Such materials and productsare therefore within the scope of the invention. In some embodiments the binder inputs disclosed herein may be mixed with materials having thermal and / or acoustic insulating properties to produce cementitious materials or products with thermal and / or acoustic insulating properties. Such thermally and / or acoustically insulating materials and products are therefore within the scope of the invention. In some embodiments the binder inputs disclosed herein may be mixed with other material inputs to produce other derivative cementitious materials and / or products; such derivative cementitious materials and / or products are therefore within the scope of the invention. In some embodiments the binder inputs disclosed herein may be used on their own or in combination with other inputs to produce materials and products resembling and / or substituting for ceramic-type materials and products, including materials for consumer products, commercial products, and / or industrial products. Such ceramic-type materials and products are therefore within the scope of the invention. In some embodiments combinations of one or more of the binder inputs disclosed herein may be mixed with other mineral binder materials to form a composite or hybrid binder. Such hybrid binders, along with resulting cementitious material and products, are therefore within the scope of the invention.

[0225] In various embodiments dry inputs described above - including the binder inputs to the binder / paste and the various other inputs added to produce various materials and / or products comprising that cementitious binder or paste (e.g., various types of aggregates and / or other materials) - may be mixed together dry (i.e., without first producing a paste) and subsequently mixed with water to produce the desired cementitious material or product.

[0226] In various applications the amount of time that the dry inputs are mixed with water is critical to the production of finished cementitious materials and products having specified or target material properties (e.g., compression strengths). Among other factors, this may reflect the time required for key chemical reactions among the various inputs comprising one or more optional inputs to form important intermediary compounds. For example, considering the example mix specified above (with pumice, a biogenic input, calcium oxide, and sodium carbonate) the calcium oxide and sodium carbonate can react with one another in water to form sodium hydroxide, which can participate in subsequent reactions. For example the hydroxide ions of the sodium hydroxide may react with pumice particles (e.g., via alkaline attack) to to increase the availability of certain compounds of the pumice to participate in subsequent chemical reactions. As a result, extended mixing times and extensive mixing processes (e.g., processes creating high shear forces) can be important for enabling these and potentially other reactions between calcium oxide, sodium carbonate, and pumice to adequately progress before other material inputs are added to the mix(including additional water among the many other additional material inputs that may be added) and / or before the mix is transferred to molds or other placements to set and / or cure. This mixing time, measuring the time between the initial water addition and the addition of other inputs and / or the transfer of the mix to molds or other placements, may be referred to as the initial mixing time.

[0227] In some embodiments the initial mixing time is less than 1 minute. In some embodiments the initial mixing time is less than 2 minutes. In some embodiments the initial mixing time is less than 3 minutes. In some embodiments the initial mixing time is less than 4 minutes. In some embodiments the initial mixing time is less than 5 minutes. In some embodiments the initial mixing time is less than 6 minutes. In some embodiments the initial mixing time is less than 7 minutes. In some embodiments the initial mixing time is less than 8 minutes. In some embodiments the initial mixing time is less than 9 minutes. In some embodiments the initial mixing time is less than 10 minutes. In some embodiments the initial mixing time is greater than 1 minute. In some embodiments the initial mixing time is greater than 2 minutes. In some embodiments the initial mixing time is greater than 3 minutes. In some embodiments the initial mixing time is greater than 4 minutes. In some embodiments the initial mixing time is greater than 5 minutes. In some embodiments the initial mixing time is greater than 6 minutes. In some embodiments the initial mixing time is greater than 7 minutes. In some embodiments the initial mixing time is greater than 8 minutes. In some embodiments the initial mixing time is greater than 9 minutes. In some embodiments the initial mixing time is greater than 10 minutes.

[0228] In various embodiments the freshly mixed material comprising the one or more primary mineral inputs, the one or more biogenic inputs, the various other potential inputs discussed herein and water may be moved to a mold or placement and maintained in elevated humidity and / or elevated temperature environments to set and / or cure for specified time periods. In some embodiments the elevated temperature may be maintained above 30°C. In some embodiments the elevated temperature may be maintained above 40°C. In some embodiments the elevated temperature may be maintained above 50°C. In some embodiments the elevated temperature may be maintained above 60°C. In some embodiments the elevated temperature may be maintained above 70°C. In some embodiments the elevated temperature may be maintained above 80°C. In some embodiments the elevated temperature may be maintained above 90°C. In some embodiments the elevated temperature may be maintained above 100°C. In some embodiments the elevated temperature may be maintained above 110°C. In some embodiments the elevated temperature may be maintained above 120°C. In some embodiments the elevated temperature maybe maintained below 120°C.In some embodiments the elevated temperature may be maintained below 100°C. In some embodiments the elevated temperature may be maintained below 90°C. In some embodiments the elevated temperature may be maintained below 80°C. In some embodiments the elevated temperature may be maintained below 70°C. In some embodiments the elevated temperature may be maintained below 60°C. In some embodiments the elevated temperature may be maintained below 50°C. In some embodiments the elevated temperature may be maintained below 40°C. In some embodiments the elevated temperature may be maintained below 30°C.

[0229] In some embodiments the time period for which the mixed material is maintained in a relatively high humidity and / or elevated temperature environment may be greater than 1 hour. In some embodiments the time period for which the mixed material is maintained in a relatively high humidity and / or elevated temperature environment may be greater than 2 hours. In some embodiments the time period for which the mixed material is maintained in a relatively high humidity and / or elevated temperature environment may be greater than 4 hours. In some embodiments the time period for which the mixed material is maintained in a relatively high humidity and / or elevated temperature environment may be greater than 6 hours. In some embodiments the time period for which the mixed material is maintained in a relatively high humidity and / or elevated temperature environment may be greater than 8 hours. In some embodiments the time period for which the mixed material is maintained in a relatively high humidity and / or elevated temperature environment may be greater than 10 hours. In some embodiments the time period for which the mixed material is maintained in a relatively high humidity and / or elevated temperature environment may be greater than 12 hours. In some embodiments the time period for which the mixed material is maintained in a relatively high humidity and / or elevated temperature environment may be greater than 15 hours. In some embodiments the time period for which the mixed material is maintained in a relatively high humidity and / or elevated temperature environment may be greater than 18 hours. In some embodiments the time period for which the mixed material is maintained in a relatively high humidity and / or elevated temperature environment may be greater than 24 hours. In some embodiments the time period for which the mixed material is maintained in a relatively high humidity and / or elevated temperature environment may be greater than 36 hours. In some embodiments the time period for which the mixed material is maintained in a relatively high humidity and / or elevated temperature environment may be greater than 48 hours. In some embodiments the time period for which the mixed material is maintained in a relatively high humidity and / or elevated temperature environment may be greater than 5 days. In someembodiments the time period for which the mixed material is maintained in a relatively high humidity and / or elevated temperature environment may be greater than 7 days. In some embodiments the time period for which the mixed material is maintained in a relatively high humidity and / or elevated temperature environment may be greater than 10 days.

[0230] In some embodiments the time period for which the mixed material is maintained in a relatively high humidity and / or elevated temperature environment may be less than 1 hour. In some embodiments the time period for which the mixed material is maintained in a relatively high humidity and / or elevated temperature environment may be less than 2 hours. In some embodiments the time period for which the mixed material is maintained in a relatively high humidity and / or elevated temperature environment may be less than 4 hours. In some embodiments the time period for which the mixed material is maintained in a relatively high humidity and / or elevated temperature environment may be less than 6 hours. In some embodiments the time period for which the mixed material is maintained in a relatively high humidity and / or elevated temperature environment may be less than 8 hours. In some embodiments the time period for which the mixed material is maintained in a relatively high humidity and / or elevated temperature environment may be less than 10 hours. In some embodiments the time period for which the mixed material is maintained in a relatively high humidity and / or elevated temperature environment may be less than 12 hours. In some embodiments the time period for which the mixed material is maintained in a relatively high humidity and / or elevated temperature environment may be less than 15 hours. In some embodiments the time period for which the mixed material is maintained in a relatively high humidity and / or elevated temperature environment may be less than 18 hours. In some embodiments the time period for which the mixed material is maintained in a relatively high humidity and / or elevated temperature environment may be less than 24 hours. In some embodiments the time period for which the mixed material is maintained in a relatively high humidity and / or elevated temperature environment may be less than 36 hours. In some embodiments the time period for which the mixed material is maintained in a relatively high humidity and / or elevated temperature environment may be less than 48 hours. In some embodiments the time period for which the mixed material is maintained in a relatively high humidity and / or elevated temperature environment may be less than 5 days. In some embodiments the time period for which the mixed material is maintained in a relatively high humidity and / or elevated temperature environment may be less than 7 days. In some embodiments the time period for which the mixed material is maintained in a relatively high humidity and / or elevated temperature environment may be less than 10 days.

[0231] In various other embodiments, the mass ratios of the four primary inputs described in the example above may vary substantially from those indicated above. For example, the pumice to calcium oxide mass ratio may be between 0.1 and 10, the mass ratio of pumice to sodium carbonate may be 0.1 and 50, and the mass ratio of pumice to thermally treated biomass may be between 0.1 and 250. In various embodiments

[0232] In various embodiments one or more inputs may comprise calcium containing compounds, including but not limited to calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide, natural hydraulic lime, and potentially other calcium-containing compounds or compounds that capable of similar chemical reactions. In this context it may be useful to characterize and / or define cementitious material mix designs according to the relative proportions of calcium-containing input(s) to another input, including the one or more inputs comprising primary mineral input(s), the sodium carbonate or other sodium containing input, and / or other potential inputs in terms of the mass ratio of these inputs or in terms of the molar ratios of these inputs. For example, the mass ratio of the input comprising the primary mineral input and a calcium-containing input may be referred to as the primary mineral to calcium ratio (P:Ca). Alternatively, it may be helpful to characterize such input proportions in terms of a ratio between the input comprising the primary mineral input and the mass of calcium hydroxide that would be produced if all of the calcium-containing input(s) were chemically reacted and / or otherwise converted to standardized calcium-containing input. For example, such proportions may be defined in terms of the quantity of calcium hydroxide that would result if all of the calcium in the calcium-containing input were converted to calcium hydroxide (e.g., such conversion can may occur via the slaking reaction that commonly progresses when calcium oxide is mixed with water). This ratio may be referred to as the primary mineral to calcium hydroxide ratio (“P:CH”).

[0233] The most effective P:CH ratios for a given application depends on the primary mineral types, the calcium-containing input(s), and the performance characteristics targeted for the finished material(s) and / or products(s). In some embodiments the preferred P:CH ratio is less than or equal to 1. In some embodiments the preferred P:CH ratio is less than or equal to 2. In some embodiments the preferred P:CH ratio is less than or equal to 3. In some embodiments the preferred P:CH ratio is less than or equal to 4. In some embodiments the preferred P:CH ratio is less than or equal to 5. In some embodiments the preferred P:CH ratio is less than or equal to 6. In some embodiments the preferred P:CH ratio is less than or equal to 7. In some embodiments the preferred P:CH ratio is less than or equal to 8. In some embodiments the preferred P:CH ratio is less than or equal to 9. In some embodiments the preferred P:CH ratio is less than or equal to 10.

[0234] In some embodiments the preferred P:CH ratio is greater than or equal to 1. In some embodiments the preferred P:CH ratio is greater than or equal to 2. In some embodiments the preferred P:CH ratio is greater than or equal to 3. In some embodiments the preferred P:CH ratio is greater than or equal to 4. In some embodiments the preferred P:CH ratio is greater than or equal to 5. In some embodiments the preferred P:CH ratio is greater than or equal to 6. In some embodiments the preferred P:CH ratio is greater than or equal to 7. In some embodiments the preferred P:CH ratio is greater than or equal to 8. In some embodiments the preferred P:CH ratio is greater than or equal to 9. In some embodiments the preferred P:CH ratio is greater than or equal to 10.

[0235] Those with ordinary skill in the art will understand how to apply this ratio-based approach to mix design to other calcium-containing inputs and to other inputs that are capable of acting similarly to calcium oxide specified within the example specified above.

[0236] In various applications it may be useful to characterize and / or define cementitious material mix designs according to the relative proportions of sodium-containing inputs as a ratio of the mass of the input comprising the primary mineral input and the mass of the sodium-containing input. This might be referred to as the primary mineral to sodium constituent mass ratio (“P:NaX”). In some embodiments the P:NaX ratio may be less than 1. In some embodiments the P:NaX ratio may be less than 2. In some embodiments the P:NaX ratio may be less than 3. In some embodiments the P:NaX ratio may be less than 4. In some embodiments the P:NaX ratio may be less than 5. In some embodiments the P:NaX ratio may be less than 6. In some embodiments the P:NaX ratio may be less than 7. In some embodiments the P:NaX ratio may be less than 8. In some embodiments the P:NaX ratio may be less than 9. In some embodiments the P:NaX ratio may be less than 10. In some embodiments the P:NaX ratio may be greater than 1. In some embodiments the P:NaX ratio may be greater than 2. In some embodiments the P:NaX ratio may be greater than 3. In some embodiments the P:NaX ratio may be greater than 4. In some embodiments the P:NaX ratio may be greater than 5. In some embodiments the P:NaX ratio may be greater than 6. In some embodiments the P:NaX ratio may be greater than 7. In some embodiments the P:NaX ratio may be greater than 8. In some embodiments the P:NaX ratio may be greater than 9. In some embodiments the P:NaX ratio may be greater than 10.

[0237] In various applications it may be useful to characterize the proportion of sodium-containing inputs with respect to a standardized form of sodium. For example, it may be useful to characterize the proportion or amount of sodium containing inputs in terms of the amount ofsodium ions that may be present if and when all of the sodium in the sodium-containing inputs are dissolved in water or a liquid. A ratio between the input comprising the primary mineral input and the sodium ions that may be contributed by the sodium-containing input may be referred to as the P:Na+ mass ratio. Alternatively, it may be useful to characterize the amount of proportion of sodium containing inputs in terms of the amount of a standardized sodium-containing compound (for example sodium carbonate) if all of the sodium in the sodium-containing input were converted to the standardized sodium-containing compound. For example, if sodium carbonate is the standardized sodium-containing compound used for this purpose, then the ratio between the input comprising the primary mineral input and the sodium-containing input may be referred to as the P:Na2CO3ratio.

[0238] In various applications it may be useful to characterize and / or define cementitious material mix designs according to the relative proportions of sodium-containing inputs and calcium-containing inputs. In some such applications it may be useful to characterize these proportions according to the ratio of the mass of calcium present in the calcium-containing input to the mass of sodium in the sodium-containing input. In other applications it may be useful to characterize these proportions according to the proportions of these inputs required for these reagents to react completely with one another in the production of a particular reaction product. For example, calcium oxide and sodium carbonate react in water to produce calcium carbonate, a solid that precipitates out of the solution, and sodium hydroxide, a strong base that is capable of dissolving key constituents of primary mineral inputs. This reaction can be summarized by Equation 1. In this context, and with respect to the examples described above (comprising various mixtures of pumice, calcium oxide, sodium carbonate, and heat-treated biomass), the relative quantities of calcium oxide and sodium carbonate in a particular mix design may be specified according to the quantities required for stoichiometrically balanced production of calcium carbonate and sodium hydroxide.

[0239] Equation 1. Overall Reaction of Calcium Oxide and Sodium Carbonate in Water

[0241] For example, in some embodiments the quantity of sodium carbonate might be 10% of that required for stoichiometrically balanced production of sodium hydroxide. In some embodiments the quantity of sodium carbonate might be less than 5% of that required for stoichiometrically balanced production of sodium hydroxide. In some embodiments the quantity of sodium carbonate might be less than 10% of that required for stoichiometrically balancedproduction of sodium hydroxide. In some embodiments the quantity of sodium carbonate might be specified at a value that is less than 20% of that required for stoichiometrically balanced production of sodium hydroxide. In some embodiments the quantity of sodium carbonate might be specified at a value that is less than 30% of that required for stoichiometrically balanced production of sodium hydroxide. In some embodiments the quantity of sodium carbonate might be specified at a value that is less than 40% of that required for stoichiometrically balanced production of sodium hydroxide. In some embodiments the quantity of sodium carbonate might be specified at a value that is less than 50% of that required for stoichiometrically balanced production of sodium hydroxide. In some embodiments the quantity of sodium carbonate might be specified at a value that is less than 60% of that required for stoichiometrically balanced production of sodium hydroxide. In some embodiments the quantity of sodium carbonate might be specified at a value that is less than 70% of that required for stoichiometrically balanced production of sodium hydroxide. In some embodiments the quantity of sodium carbonate might be specified at a value that is less than 80% of that required for stoichiometrically balanced production of sodium hydroxide. In some embodiments the quantity of sodium carbonate might be specified at a value that is less than 90% of that required for stoichiometrically balanced production of sodium hydroxide. In some embodiments the quantity of sodium carbonate might be specified at a value that is less than 100% of that required for stoichiometrically balanced production of sodium hydroxide. In some embodiments the quantity of sodium carbonate might be specified at a value that is less than 125% of that required for stoichiometrically balanced production of sodium hydroxide. In some embodiments the quantity of sodium carbonate might be specified at a value that is less than 150% of that required for stoichiometrically balanced production of sodium hydroxide. In some embodiments the quantity of sodium carbonate might be specified at a value that is less than 175% of that required for stoichiometrically balanced production of sodium hydroxide. In some embodiments the quantity of sodium carbonate might be specified at a value that is less than 200% of that required for stoichiometrically balanced production of sodium hydroxide.

[0242] In some embodiments the quantity of sodium carbonate might be greater than 5% of that required for stoichiometrically balanced production of sodium hydroxide. In some embodiments the quantity of sodium carbonate might be greater than 10% of that required for stoichiometrically balanced production of sodium hydroxide. In some embodiments the quantity of sodium carbonate might be specified at a value that is greater than 20% of that required for stoichiometrically balanced production of sodium hydroxide. In some embodiments the quantity of sodium carbonate might be specified at a value that is greater than 30% of that required for stoichiometricallybalanced production of sodium hydroxide. In some embodiments the quantity of sodium carbonate might be specified at a value that is greater than 40% of that required for stoichiometrically balanced production of sodium hydroxide. In some embodiments the quantity of sodium carbonate might be specified at a value that is greater than 50% of that required for stoichiometrically balanced production of sodium hydroxide. In some embodiments the quantity of sodium carbonate might be specified at a value that is greater than 60% of that required for stoichiometrically balanced production of sodium hydroxide. In some embodiments the quantity of sodium carbonate might be specified at a value that is greater than 70% of that required for stoichiometrically balanced production of sodium hydroxide. In some embodiments the quantity of sodium carbonate might be specified at a value that is greater than 80% of that required for stoichiometrically balanced production of sodium hydroxide. In some embodiments the quantity of sodium carbonate might be specified at a value that is greater than 90% of that required for stoichiometrically balanced production of sodium hydroxide. In some embodiments the quantity of sodium carbonate might be specified at a value that is greater than 100% of that required for stoichiometrically balanced production of sodium hydroxide. In some embodiments the quantity of sodium carbonate might be specified at a value that is greater than 125% of that required for stoichiometrically balanced production of sodium hydroxide. In some embodiments the quantity of sodium carbonate might be specified at a value that is greater than 150% of that required for stoichiometrically balanced production of sodium hydroxide. In some embodiments the quantity of sodium carbonate might be specified at a value that is greater than 175% of that required for stoichiometrically balanced production of sodium hydroxide. In some embodiments the quantity of sodium carbonate might be specified at a value that is greater than 200% of that required for stoichiometrically balanced production of sodium hydroxide.

[0243] In various embodiments using the inputs identified in the original example (i.e., pumice, heat-treated woody biomass, calcium oxide, and sodium carbonate), the preferred quantities of sodium carbonate may vary between 5% and 150% of the quantity required for stoichiometrically balanced production of sodium hydroxide and calcium carbonate according to Equation 1. In some embodiments, the preferred quantity of sodium carbonate may vary between 5% and 30% of the quantity required for stoichiometrically balanced production of sodium hydroxide and calcium carbonate according to Equation 1. In some embodiments, the preferred quantity of sodium carbonate may vary between 30% and 80% of the quantity required for stoichiometrically balanced production of sodium hydroxide and calcium carbonate according to Equation 1. In some embodiments, the preferred quantity of sodium carbonate may vary between 60% and 100% of the quantity required for stoichiometrically balanced production of sodium hydroxide and calciumcarbonate according to Equation 1. In some embodiments, the preferred quantity of sodium carbonate may vary between 40% and 60% of the quantity required for stoichiometrically balanced production of sodium hydroxide and calcium carbonate according to Equation 1.

[0244] In various embodiments the preferred ratio between dry binder inputs and the water mixed with these inputs to create a paste, often referred to as the water: cement ratio (“w:c”), can vary significantly depending on the particular primary mineral inputs, the particular biogenic inputs, the other optional inputs, the relative quantities of these inputs, the processing capabilities of the particular production facilities (e.g., mixing systems, material handling systems, mold systems, material compression systems, material vibrating systems, temperature and / or humidity management systems, etc.), the processing targets and / or processing requirements of the particular application (e.g., mixing times, set times, curing times, curing conditions, etc.), the timing of water additions to the mix, one or more material characteristic targets of the wet mix, and one or more material characteristic targets of the material or product being produced. In many cases, the w:c ratio may be higher than is common in cementitious mixtures due to the water consumed in reactions among and between the water and the one or more inputs. For example, in the example mix described above, water may be consumed in the production of sodium hydroxide and calcium carbonate via Equation 1. As a result, the water available to participate in hydration reactions associated with the production of C-S-H, N-A-S-H, and C-A-S-H may be significantly lower than the total amount of water added to the dry binder inputs. In such cases, the w:c ratio may be significantly higher than w:c ratios more typically used to produce strong cementitious materials with more traditional binder systems. For example, it is commonly recommended that strong cementitious materials produced using conventional binders (e.g., OPC-based binders, AAC -based binders, and geopolymer binders) should be produced using a w:c ratio of less than 0.5, less than 0.45, less than 0.40, less than 0.35, etc. In contrast, effective w:c ratios using the example mix specified above (with pumice, calcium oxide, sodium carbonate, and heat-treated biomass) is capable of producing strong cementitious materials with w:c ratios greater than or equal to 0.5, greater than or equal to 0.55, greater than or equal to 0.60, and even greater than or equal to 0.65. This is a function of multiple factors, including but not limited to the water consumed in the production of hydroxide ions (e.g., in the form of sodium hydroxide produced via Equation 1) within the mix. As a result, production of cementitious materials using w:c ratios across these ranges (as well as higher and lower values) are within the scope of the invention and represent novel features and / or characteristics of the invention.

[0245] Interestingly, in various embodiments the strength of the cementitious materialsproduced according to the disclosures herein may be less sensitive to the total w:c ratio than they are to the initial w:c ratio applied when the dry binder inputs are initial mixed with water. This may reflect a multiple factors, including but not limited to importance of the effective molarity of the alkaline solution during the initial phases of binder activation (e.g., during the “alkaline attack” of the input comprising the primary mineral input, pozzolan, and / or precursor material). As a result, in various embodiments the initial w:c ratio used to wet the dry inputs and / or initially activate the binder may be relatively low and subsequently increased later in the mixing process. This may be beneficial, for example, to optimize between target characteristics of the finished material (e.g., compression strength) and target characteristics of the wet mix (e.g., workability characteristics like flowability or slump). While such staged additions of water during cement mixing are not unique, the relative scales of water additions and the ranges of w:c ratios are. For example, the initial w:c ratio used to wet and / or activate the dry inputs may be less than or equal to 0.55 or less than or equal to 0.50, while the final w:c ratio may be greater than or equal to 0.60, greater than or equal to 0.65, or greater than or equal to 0.70.

[0246] In various embodiments additional inputs may comprise compounds that are chemically similar to the calcium containing compounds disclosed herein, including but not limited to those comprising other Group 2 elements on the periodic table. For example, magnesium-containing compounds may be used instead of or along with calcium-containing compounds within the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art will understand how to adapt the disclosures herein to apply the invention to these compounds and therefore cementitious materials substituting such alternatives, in whole or in part, for the calcium-containing inputs disclosed herein are also within the scope of the invention.

[0247] In various embodiments additional inputs may comprise sodium containing compounds, including but not limited to sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, and trisodium phosphate. In various embodiments additional inputs may comprise compounds that are chemically similar to the sodium containing compounds disclosed herein, including but not limited to those comprising other Group 1 elements on the periodic table. For example, potassium-containing compounds may be used instead of or along with sodium-containing compounds within the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art will understand how to adapt the disclosures herein to apply the invention to these compounds and therefore cementitious materials substituting such alternatives, in whole or in part, for the sodium-containing inputs disclosed herein are also within the scope of the invention.

[0248] In various embodiments the biomass used to produce the biogenic input may comprise any or any combination of softwoods, hardwoods, herbaceous crops, crop residues, crop processing residues, green wastes, trimmings, outputs from thinning, thinning slash, thinning residuals, timber residuals, mill residues, wood wastes, sawdust, other residuals, woodchips, straw, stalks, stems, leaves, husks, hurds, hulls, shells, bagasse, bales, or any other similar or related biomass material.

[0249] In various embodiments the thermal treatment used to produce the biogenic input may comprise reactive drying, torrefaction, pyrolysis, carbonation, steam treatment, steam explosion, or any other similar treatment. These and other thermal biomass treatments are often characterized in terms of temperature, pressure, residence time, heat carrier, treatment intensity (often framed as a combination of one or more of temperature, pressure, residence time, and / or heat carrier), and / or yield. The treatment may be at any temperature greater than 150 degrees Celsius. In some embodiments the processing temperature is greater than 175°C. In some embodiments the processing temperature is greater than 200°C. In some embodiments the processing temperature is greater than 210°C. In some embodiments the processing temperature is greater than 230°C. In some embodiments the processing temperature is greater than 210°C. In some embodiments the processing temperature is greater than 240°C. In some embodiments the processing temperature is greater than 250°C. In some embodiments the processing temperature is greater than 260°C. In some embodiments the processing temperature is greater than 270°C. In some embodiments the processing temperature is greater than 290°C. In some embodiments the processing temperature is greater than 210°C. In some embodiments the processing temperature is greater than 300°C. In some embodiments the processing temperature is greater than 325°C. In some embodiments the processing temperature is greater than 350°C. In some embodiments the processing temperature is greater than 375°C. In some embodiments the processing temperature is greater than 400°C. In some embodiments the processing temperature is greater than 450°C. In some embodiments the processing temperature is greater than 500°C. In some embodiments the processing temperature is greater than 600 °C.

[0250] In some embodiments the processing temperature used to produce the biogenic input is less than 175°C. In some embodiments the processing temperature is less than 200°C. In some embodiments the processing temperature is less than 210°C. In some embodiments the processing temperature is less than 230°C. In some embodiments the processing temperature is less than 240°C. In some embodiments the processing temperature is less than 250°C. In some embodiments the processing temperature is less than 260°C. In some embodiments the processing temperatureis less than 270°C. In some embodiments the processing temperature is less than 280°C. In some embodiments the processing temperature is less than 290°C. In some embodiments the processing temperature is less than 300°C. In some embodiments the processing temperature is less than 325 °C. In some embodiments the processing temperature is less than 350°C. In some embodiments the processing temperature is less than 375°C. In some embodiments the processing temperature is less than 400°C. In some embodiments the processing temperature is less than 450°C. In some embodiments the processing temperature is less than 500°C. In some embodiments the processing temperature is less than 600°C.

[0251] In various embodiments the thermal treatment used to produce the biogenic input may comprise dry mass yields between 10% and 95% on a dry mass basis. In some embodiments the dry mass yield is greater than 10%. In some embodiments the dry mass yield is greater than 25%. In some embodiments the dry mass yield is greater than 30%. In some embodiments the dry mass yield is greater than 40%. In some embodiments the dry mass yield is greater than 50%. In some embodiments the dry mass yield is greater than 60%. In some embodiments the dry mass yield is greater than 70%. In some embodiments the dry mass yield is greater than 75%. In some embodiments the dry mass yield is greater than 80%. In some embodiments the dry mass yield is greater than 85%. In some embodiments the dry mass yield is greater than 90%. In some embodiments the dry mass yield is less than 25%. In some embodiments the dry mass yield is less than 30%. In some embodiments the dry mass yield is less than 40%. In some embodiments the dry mass yield is less than 50%. In some embodiments the dry mass yield is less than 60%. In some embodiments the dry mass yield is less than 70%. In some embodiments the dry mass yield is less than 80%. In some embodiments the dry mass yield is less than 90%. In some embodiments the dry mass yield is less than 95%.

[0252] In various embodiments the thermal treatment used to produce the biogenic input may be conducted in whole or in part in a negative pressure environment, in an ambient pressure environment, or in an elevated or positive pressure environment. In some embodiments the thermal treatment may be conducted in whole or in part at pressures below one atmosphere. In some embodiments the thermal treatment may be conducted in whole or in part at pressures below 2 atmospheres. In some embodiments the thermal treatment may be conducted in whole or in part at pressures below 3 atmospheres. In some embodiments the thermal treatment may be conducted in whole or in part at pressures below 4 atmospheres. In some embodiments the thermal treatment may be conducted in whole or in part at pressures below 5 atmospheres. In some embodiments the thermal treatment may be conducted in whole or in part at pressures below 7 atmospheres. In someembodiments the thermal treatment may be conducted in whole or in part at pressures below 9 atmospheres. In some embodiments the thermal treatment may be conducted in whole or in part at pressures below 10 atmospheres. In some embodiments the thermal treatment may be conducted in whole or in part at pressures below 13 atmospheres. In some embodiments the thermal treatment may be conducted in whole or in part at pressures below 15 atmospheres.

[0253] In some embodiments the thermal treatment may be conducted in whole or in part at pressures above one atmosphere. In some embodiments the thermal treatment may be conducted in whole or in part at pressures above 2 atmospheres. In some embodiments the thermal treatment may be conducted in whole or in part at pressures above 3 atmospheres. In some embodiments the thermal treatment may be conducted in whole or in part at pressures above 4 atmospheres. In some embodiments the thermal treatment may be conducted in whole or in part at pressures above 5 atmospheres. In some embodiments the thermal treatment may be conducted in whole or in part at pressures above 7 atmospheres. In some embodiments the thermal treatment may be conducted in whole or in part at pressures above 9 atmospheres. In some embodiments the thermal treatment may be conducted in whole or in part at pressures above 10 atmospheres. In some embodiments the thermal treatment may be conducted in whole or in part at pressures above 13 atmospheres. In some embodiments the thermal treatment may be conducted in whole or in part at pressures above 15 atmospheres.

[0254] In some embodiments the thermal treatment may be conducted in whole or in part in an environment containing oxygen from atmospheric or ambient air. In some embodiments the thermal treatment may be conducted in a reduced oxygen or inert environment to mitigate potential combustion risks. Such environments may comprise steam, nitrogen, combustion products from combustion of volatiles released from the biomass during the course of the thermal treatment or from other combustion processes, reaction products of non-combustion reactions of volatiles released from the biomass during the course of the thermal treatment or from other combustion processes, or any other inert compounds or fluids that may be used to limit combustion risks.

[0255] In some embodiments the volatiles released from biomass during the thermal treatment used to produce the biogenic input are burned or converted via a chemical reaction to produce heat and / or inert gases. In some embodiments a portion or all of said combustion and / or chemical reaction products are recirculated to supply heat and / or inert gases to advance the thermal treatment itself. In some embodiments a portion or all of said combustion and / or chemical reaction products are used to heat a heat transfer fluid, surface, or media to advance the thermaltreatment itself. In some embodiments the combustion and / or chemical reaction products are used to heat a dryer system that is positioned between a feedstock intake system and the thermal treatment system. In some embodiments some or all of the volatiles released during the thermal treatment are not burned or immediately converted (e.g., into heated combustion / reaction products) but are condensed, distilled, or otherwise collected as one or more coproducts of the thermal treatment. In some embodiments the collected volatiles are mixed with the thermally treated biomass solids. In some embodiments the collected volatiles are separated into one or more liquid and / or gaseous coproducts. In some embodiments the collected volatiles from a heat treatment of a biomass material comprise a biogenic input for production of cementitious materials and products within the scope of the invention.

[0256] In some embodiments the heat for the thermal treatment used to produce the biogenic input may be provided directly by a heated fluid, which may comprise any of a variety of relevant fluids. Examples include heated air, combustion products, products of catalyzed chemical reactions, processed volatile compounds released from the thermal treatment itself, fluids or wasteheat carrying fluids from a separate thermo-chemical process, steam, inert gases, or any other heated fluid that may be applied for direct heat transfer to biomass in a thermal treatment system. In some embodiments the heat for biomass thermal treatment may be provided indirectly via one or more heat transfer fluids, heat transfer solids, and / or heat transfer surfaces (collectively heat transfer media) acting as thermal intermediaries. Examples of such heat transfer media include steam, oil, recirculated process gases, inert gases, heat transfer solids (e.g., heated sand), and various heat transfer surfaces within the heat treatment system, among others. In some embodiments the thermal processing may be accomplished by some other form of heating. Other suitable forms include, microwave, radio wave, heat transfer surfaces, or any other suitable heating mechanism of heating the biomass.

[0257] In some embodiments the biogenic input may comprise one or more compounds that may be extracted from a thermally treated biomass, biogenic, and / or carbonaceous material. In some embodiments the biogenic input may comprise one or more compounds synthesized by a thermal, chemical, or biological process other than the example process described herein. In some embodiments, the biogenic input may be produced through a controlled biological process, including processes leveraging one or more of bacteria, viruses, fungus, yeast, algae, plants, animals, or other biological organisms. In some embodiments the biogenic input may be synthesized through one or more chemical reactions.

[0258] In various embodiments the biogenic input may be supplied as a stand-alone material to be mixed with the other inputs by a cementitious material or product manufacturer. In various other embodiments the biogenic input may be supplied as a material blend that comprises the biogenic input and one or more of the other inputs described herein. For example, in some embodiments the biogenic input may be supplied as a blended dry input that comprises a mixture of the biogenic input and one or more materials comprising the primary mineral input or inputs. As another example, in some embodiments the biogenic input may be supplied as a blended dry input that comprises a mixture of the biogenic input with calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide, natural hydraulic lime, or any combination of calcium-containing materials. As another example, in some embodiments the biogenic input may be supplied as a blended dry input that comprises a mixture of the biogenic input with sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, trisodium phosphate, or any other reactive input to the cementitious material. As another example, the biogenic input may be supplied with one or more aggregates or related materials that are intended to be mixed with the paste. For example, the biogenic input may be supplied with biochar, biocarbon, torrefied biomass, sand, gravel, any other aggregate or admixture, and or any combination of any such material input to the cementitious material production system.

[0259] In various embodiments one or more of the inputs described herein may be supplied as dry materials to a stationary or mobile batch plant for mixing and production of cementitious materials; in such embodiments both the dry inputs and the resulting cementitious materials are within the scope of the invention. In various embodiments one or more of the inputs described herein may be supplied as dry materials to manufacturers of cementitious materials and products; in such embodiments both the dry inputs and the resulting cementitious materials and products are within the scope of the invention. In various embodiments one or more of the inputs described herein may be supplied as dry materials to be mixed with water by contractors or property owners to produce cementitious materials and products at their final point of use; in such embodiments both the dry inputs and the resulting cementitious materials and products are within the scope of the invention.

[0260] In various embodiments one or more of the inputs described herein may be supplied as a wet mix, a liquid, or a slurry for subsequent to a stationary plant or mobile batch plant or to a cement products manufacturer for mixing and production of cementitious materials; in such embodiments the wet mix, liquid, slurry, and subsequently produced cementitious materials and products are within the scope of the invention. Examples include liquid admixes of biogenic materials (including plasticizers) that may be added to a wet cementitious mix to improve theperformance of the cementitious mix and / or resulting cementitious materials and / or products.

[0261] In various embodiments one or more of the inputs described herein may be supplied as a wet cementitious mix (e.g., via a so-called cement truck) for placement at a site specified by a material supplier’s customer or end user. Examples include so-called ready mix or pour-in-place applications of cementitious materials. In such embodiments the wet cementitious mix and resulting hardened cementitious material are within the scope of the invention.

[0262] In various embodiments one or more of the inputs described herein may be used to produce manufactured cementitious materials and products, which are subsequently supplied as materials or products. Examples include so-called pre-cast concrete applications, so-called tilt-up concrete applications, and other related applications. In such embodiments the material inputs and the manufactured materials or products are within the scope of the invention.

[0263] Figure 1 provides an illustration of one process for producing a cementitious material and / or product according to the invention. Process inputs, process steps, and process controls are illustrated in Figure 1 to illustrate relevant aspects of the production process; however, multiple variations of this process and alternatives to this process exist and would be known to those skilled in the art of cementitious material / product production. As such those variations and alternatives also fall within the scope of the invention. Nothing about Figure 1 and / or its description provided herein should be interpreted as limiting the broad applicability and scope of the invention.

[0264] As illustrated in Figure 1, the production process comprises six (6) basic steps or subprocesses: dry binder input mixing; wet binder mixing; cementitious material mixing; placement & finishing; material setting; and material curing. Each of these sub-processes involves particular inputs and / or process controls. Importantly, these sub-processes may be integrated, aggregated, and / or other wise combined in various ways to provide operational advantages, efficiencies, and / or to otherwise meet situational conditions of production.

[0265] The dry binder input mixing sub-process intimately blends dry binder inputs to provide a uniform mixture of dry inputs. This supports uniformity of dry mixes, improved reactivity of dry binder inputs, and increased consistency of finished products. The inputs to this sub-process include one or more of (i) primary mineral inputs, (ii) biogenic inputs, (iii) and one or more other optional inputs. The output of this sub-process is a dry binder mix.

[0266] In various embodiments and production scenarios the dry binder input mixing subprocess may be partially or wholly integrated with the next sub-process, wet binder mixing. Insuch embodiments and production scenarios one or more of the inputs to the dry binder may be added to the other binder inputs during the wet binder mixing sub-process. In some embodiments all dry inputs may be supplied separately to the wet binder mixing sub-process. In other embodiments some combination of dry binder inputs are mixed via the dry binder input mixing sub-process and supplied as a dry binder mix to the wet binder mixing sub-process, while other dry binder inputs are supplied separately to the wet binder mixing sub-process.

[0267] The wet binder mixing sub-process mixes dry binder inputs with water to enable chemical reactions among the binder inputs required to activate the binder. Thorough wet binder mixing, and in various embodiments wet binder mixing for extended periods of time, provides various advantages. Among these and potentially others, and without being bound by theory, thorough wet binder mixing enables adequate dispersion of water among various dry binder inputs, dissolution of dry binder inputs into the water and / or chemical reactions of the dry binder inputs with the water, and sufficient progress in chemical reactions among dissolved binder inputs to enable adequate binder performance, including, where appropriate, sufficient alkali attack of primary mineral inputs to enable the binder chemical reactions to proceed as intended. Inputs to the wet binder mixing sub-process include: (i) water; (ii) the dry binder mix (to the extent that two or more of the dry binder inputs are supplied as a dry mixture); and (iii) dry binder inputs that may be supplied independently, which may include, for example, the one or more primary mineral inputs, the one or more biogenic inputs, which may be supplied in dry or liquid forms, and the one or more other optional inputs, including but not limited to calcium oxide and sodium carbonate, for example. The output of the wet binder mixing sub-process is a wet mixed binder, which may also be referred to as a binder paste. In various embodiments and production scenarios the wet binder mixing sub-process may be partially or wholly integrated with the cementitious material mixing sub-process. In various such embodiments and production scenarios other product inputs may also be added during the wet mixing sub-process.

[0268] The cementitious material mixing sub-process mixes the wet mixed binder, also known as the binder paste, with various other cementitious material inputs to form a wet mixed cementitious material for placement and finishing processes. Other cementitious material inputs may include but are not limited to aggregates of various types (e.g., sand, gravel, etc.), lightweight materials, thermally insulating materials, sound insulating materials, fibers, other materials that enhance the strength or other properties of finished materials and / or products, materials to affect relevant properties of the wet cementitious material (e.g., workability, set time, etc.), and or various other materials that may be relevant for particular applications. The output from thecementitious material mixing sub-process is a wet mixed cementitious material.

[0269] The placement and finishing sub-process generally involves transferring the wet mixed cementitious material into a placement for the material setting and / or material curing subprocesses. This sub-process may also involve various actions or processes that may be used to “finish” wet cementitious material preparation for material setting and material curing subprocesses. Examples include but are not limited to scraping, smoothing, compressing, vibrating, and various other related processes that may be deemed applicable for one or more applications. Placements into which the wet cementitious materials vary by application. In some applications the placements may include molds, forms, precast molds and forms, pour-in-place placements, in-place forms (e.g., insulated cement form blocks), tilt-up forms and molds, and various other placement types that may be deemed applicable for one or more applications.

[0270] The material setting sub-process generally involves the fostering of various chemical and / or physical reactions within the wet cementitious material progress in the placement for specified periods of time. The time period may vary according to the goals of the initial material setting subprocess. For example, a goal of the material setting subprocess may be that the cementitious material is hardened to a particular degree. Alternatively a goal may be that the cementitious material is sufficiently strong and / or physically stable to remove from the molds or forms. Alternatively, a goal may be that the cementitious material is sufficiently strong and / or stable to allow movement or transport without compromising the material and / or product integrity. Alternatively, a goal may be that the chemical reactions and / or hardening reactions within the cementitious material have progressed to a particular extent. Other goals are also conceivable within the scope of the invention.

[0271] In order to advance one or more goals of the material setting sub-process, various process controls may be applied to the material setting sub-process, referred to here as material setting controls. Common examples of material setting controls include applied heat and / or temperature controls, applied steam and / or humidity (and temperature) controls, applied gases and / or gas concentration controls (e.g., to provide a setting environment with elevated CO2 concentrations to accelerate carbonation reactions within the cementitious material). Time periods used for the material setting sub-process vary dramatically depending on the specific material inputs, the subprocess goals, and the sub-process controls applied, among other potential process variables. The material setting sub-process may be implemented in one or more stages, with each stage having various combinations of process controls and durations to accomplish various potential goals foreach stage. Alternatively, the material setting sub-process may be integrated with one or more other sub-processes, including but not limited to the placement and finishing sub-process and / or the material curing sub-process. The output of the material setting subprocess is generally a set cementitious material or product.

[0272] The material curing sub-process generally involves the fostering of various chemical and / or physical reactions or changes to the cementitious material until the material achieves particular targets for various physical and / or chemical properties. Similar to the material setting subprocess, the material curing subprocess may involve application of various process controls, referred to here as material curing controls. Examples of potential material curing controls are similar to the examples described above for the material setting controls. Also similar to the material setting sub-process, the material curing sub-process may be implemented in one or more stages, with each stage having various combinations of process controls and durations designed to achieve particular goals. Alternatively, the material curing sub-process may be integrated with one or more other sub-processes, including but not limited to the placement and finishing sub-process and / or the material setting sub-process. The output of the material curing sub-process is generally a cured and / or finished cementitious material or product.

[0273] Relates to cementitious materials that comprise one or more mineral inputs, one or more biomass-derivable or carbonaceous (collectively “biogenic”) inputs, and optionally one or more other inputs. The invention further relates to production methods of said biogenic inputs for said cementitious materials, the various combinations of inputs used to produce said cementitious materials, production methods for said cementitious materials that comprise the one or more biogenic and one or more mineral inputs, and various products that may incorporate or otherwise comprise said cementitious materials, which may include both physical cementitious products and / or environmental attribute products that may be generated from or be otherwise associated with said physical cementitious products.

[0274] ASPECTS OF FOURTH OBJECTIVE

[0275] A biogenic input for producing a cementitious material from the biogenic input in combination with at least one mineral input and optionally one or more other inputs.

[0276] A mixture of inputs used to produce a cementitious material comprising a biogenic input, at least one mineral input, and optionally one or more other inputs.

[0277] A cementitious material comprising a biogenic input, at least one mineral input, andoptionally one or more other inputs.

[0278] A cementitious binder comprising: (a) one or more mineral inputs selected from pumice, fly ash, slag, calcined clay, or combinations thereof; and (b) one or more alkalinity-generating reagents comprising a sodium-containing compound and a calcium-containing compound that react in situ upon addition of water to generate hydroxide ions.

[0279] The cementitious binder as described above, wherein the sodium-containing compound comprises sodium carbonate.

[0280] The cementitious binder as described above, wherein the calcium-containing compound comprises calcium oxide.

[0281] The cementitious binder as described above, wherein a mass ratio of mineral input to calcium-containing compound is greater than 2.5.

[0282] A cementitious material produced by mixing water with the binder as described above and allowing the mixture to set.

[0283] A cementitious product incorporating the cementitious material as described above.

[0284] While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments and applications thereof, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the claims.

Claims

1. CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A binder composition for producing a cementitious material comprising:one or more mineral materials capable of participating in pozzolanic reactions and / or alkali- activation reactions;at least one alkali metal-containing reagent;at least one calcium-containing material capable of generating hydroxide ions upon reaction with water; and,water added at the time of use,wherein the alkali metal-containing reagent and the calcium-containing material are present in quantities effective to generate hydroxide ions in situ upon addition of water and wherein a combined mass of the alkali metal-containing reagent and the calcium- containing material comprises at least 20% of total non-water binder inputs.

2. The binder composition of claim 1, wherein the calcium-containing material comprises between 20% and 70% of the total non-water binder inputs.

3. The binder composition of claim 1, wherein the alkali metal comprises sodium or potassium.

4. The binder composition of claim 1, wherein the one or more mineral materials comprise fly ash, slag, pumice, calcined clay, metakaolin, zeolite, ground glass, volcanic ash, volcanic tuff, silica fume, pozzolan, synthetic pozzolan, natural aluminosilicate, synthetic aluminosilicate, or combinations thereof.

5. The binder composition of claim 1, wherein the calcium-containing material comprises calcium oxide.

6. The binder composition of claim 1, wherein the alkali metal-containing reagent and the calcium-containing material are present in ratios approximating stoichiometric production of hydroxide ions upon addition of water.

7. The binder composition of claim 1, wherein the calcium-containing material comprises calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide, natural hydraulic lime, blended lime, or combinations thereof.

8. The binder composition of claim 1, wherein the alkali metal-containing reagent comprises sodium carbonate, trisodium phosphate, potassium carbonate, potassium bicarbonate, or combinations thereof.

9. A method of producing a cementitious material comprising mixing water with the binder composition of claim 1 to form a paste, optionally mixing the paste with other materials, and allowing the mix to set and cure.

10. A cementitious product produced by the method of claim 9.

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