Exploring Tanzanian Clay Minerals as Promising Candidates for Geopolymer Cement: A Sustainable Approach to Climate-Friendly Cement

Exploring Tanzanian Clay Minerals as Promising Candidates for Geopolymer Cement: A Sustainable Approach to Climate-Friendly Cement | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Exploring Tanzanian Clay Minerals as Promising Candidates for Geopolymer Cement: A Sustainable Approach to Climate-Friendly Cement Aldo J. Kitalika, Petro Mabeyo, Silvia Mushi, Said Abeid, Elianaso Kimambo, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3910095/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The quest for sustainable construction materials has sparked interest in geopolymers as eco-friendly alternatives to traditional Portland cement. In response to this endeavour, this study explored Tanzanian clay minerals collected from different regions to assess their potential as candidate materials for geopolymer cement. The XRF results revealed varying elemental compositions that are crucial for geopolymer production. Essential components like SiO 2 and Al 2 O 3 were found, with some regions showing balanced ratios suitable for geopolymer cement. Minor Fe 2 O 3 content was also detected, which could enhance material strength by forming iron silicate binders. Limited CaO content was noted, which can be beneficial in influencing geopolymer properties. However, high CaO levels in a few regions of the Eastern zone may be less suitable for geopolymer cement production. Most samples showed minimal Loss of Ignition (LOI), indicating their potential to enhance the workability of geopolymers. The study identified specific regions with clays suitable for various high-technology geopolymer resins, low-CO 2 geopolymer cement, and specialized applications, though beneficiation might sometimes be required. The XRD results of clay samples revealed varying mineral compositions, with quartz being the dominant mineral in several samples, indicating high silica content. These mineralogical findings align with the XRF results, reinforcing the presence of essential elements for geopolymer cement development. The SEM-EDS results further verified the elemental composition of select samples. Additionally, TGA results provided insights into the thermal stability of the clay samples, confirming their suitability for geopolymer cement production. These results demonstrated that Tanzanian clay minerals are well-suited for producing eco-friendly cement. By leveraging these readily available local clay resources and unlocking their potential for sustainable construction materials, this research significantly advances the worldwide endeavour to mitigate the environmental footprint of the construction sector while advocating for eco-conscious alternatives to conventional Portland cement. geopolymer cement climate-friendly cement Tanzanian clay minerals Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-3910095","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":270925413,"identity":"16082f65-8880-47aa-b187-09959023c31c","order_by":0,"name":"Aldo J. 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In response to this endeavour, this study explored Tanzanian clay minerals collected from different regions to assess their potential as candidate materials for geopolymer cement. The XRF results revealed varying elemental compositions that are crucial for geopolymer production. Essential components like SiO\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e and Al\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eO\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e were found, with some regions showing balanced ratios suitable for geopolymer cement. Minor Fe\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003eO\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e content was also detected, which could enhance material strength by forming iron silicate binders. Limited CaO content was noted, which can be beneficial in influencing geopolymer properties. However, high CaO levels in a few regions of the Eastern zone may be less suitable for geopolymer cement production. Most samples showed minimal Loss of Ignition (LOI), indicating their potential to enhance the workability of geopolymers. The study identified specific regions with clays suitable for various high-technology geopolymer resins, low-CO\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e geopolymer cement, and specialized applications, though beneficiation might sometimes be required. The XRD results of clay samples revealed varying mineral compositions, with quartz being the dominant mineral in several samples, indicating high silica content. These mineralogical findings align with the XRF results, reinforcing the presence of essential elements for geopolymer cement development. The SEM-EDS results further verified the elemental composition of select samples. Additionally, TGA results provided insights into the thermal stability of the clay samples, confirming their suitability for geopolymer cement production. These results demonstrated that Tanzanian clay minerals are well-suited for producing eco-friendly cement. 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