LAUSR

Grafting hydrophilic polyacrylamide from a kraft lignin core results in a lignopolymer that effectively plasticizes portland cement paste. Here, the potential of this sustainably sourced lignopolymer is examined for improving the workability of portland cement blended with two natural, finely divided mineral materials (kaolin clay and clinoptilolite zeolite), which can be potentially used in combination with portland cement as a means to reduce the cement clinker content and the concomitant embodied energy and greenhouse gas emissions in concrete. Both mineral materials are known to affect cement hydration reactions but can significantly reduce workability when blended with portland cement, presenting a challenge for their practical large scale use.1,2 The plastic behavior of mineral-cement combinations dosed with polyacrylamide-grafted kraft lignin was compared to the behavior of those with a lignosulfonate developed for plasticizing portland cement and a commercial polycarboxylate ether (PCE). Compared ...