The present invention relates to a method for treating waste material comprising organic components and low and/or medium level radioactive agents. The method comprises encapsulating the waste material into a matrix, gasifying the waste material at a temperature between 600 and 950° C. to form a gaseous fraction and a solid fraction comprising low and/or medium level radioactive agents and combustion residues of the organic components and encapsulating the solid fraction by a geopolymer matrix comprising metakaolin.

The present invention relates to a method for treating waste material comprising organic components and low and/or intermediate level radioactive agents. The method comprises adding material comprising fibers and kaolin to the waste material in order to form a starting material, and gasifying the starting material at a temperature between 600 and 950° C. to form a gaseous fraction and a solid fraction comprising low and/or intermediate level radioactive agents, gasification residues of the organic components and metakaolin. The present invention also relates to a use of mate-rial comprising fibers and kaolin.

A method of manufacturing geopolymer tubes comprises forming a geopolymer composition comprised of an aluminosilicate source and an alkali activator, wherein the geopolymer composition has a fluid consistency and a shear thinning index of greater than 1.05, transferring the geopolymer composition into a tubular mold, rotating the mold to shear and distribute the composition onto the inner wall of the mold until the geopolymer composition reaches non-flowable consistency, and curing the geopolymer in the mold to form geopolymer tubes. A method for making geopolymer tubes with the disclosed geopolymer composition comprises shearing the geopolymer composition in a tubular mold at a high rotational speed to significantly reduce apparent viscosity to form the tubular shape, at least in the initial process stage. A ceramic tube made from the geopolymer composition of the present invention is used as a membrane or adsorbent for filtration applications.

A reflective granular composition including a reflective pigment material including a majority of kaolin clay and a hardening additive including a sodium salt or another salt. A method for making a reflective granular composition includes the steps of mixing together a reflective pigment material including a majority of kaolin clay and a hardening additive including a sodium salt or another salt to form a particulate mixture, forming a slurry from the particulate mixture by adding to the particulate mixture water and a binder material, granulating the slurry, drying the granulated slurry, and kilning the dried, granulated slurry to form the reflective granular composition. Methods of analyzing the strength of a reflective granular composition are also disclosed.

A method for manufacturing cement may include: supplying at least one etching effluent of a substrate based on silicon including a silicate of an alkali metal, M, having formula SiO.sub.2:M.sub.2O, and having a molar ratio SiO.sub.2/M.sub.2O greater than or equal to 0.8; supplying an aluminosilicate raw material, and mixing the aluminosilicate raw material with the etching effluent having a molar ratio SiO.sub.2/M.sub.2O greater than or equal to 0.8. The silicate solution of alkali metal may be recovered with an existing silicon industrial process, implementing a silicon etching. The environmental impact of the method of manufacturing cement may therefore be reduced.

Cement compositions that can capture carbon dioxide and related methods are generally described.

The invention comprises a composition comprising hyaloclastite having a volume-based mean particle size of less than or equal to 40 μm. The invention also comprises a cementitious material comprising a hydraulic cement and hyaloclastite, wherein the hyaloclastite has a volume-based mean particle size of less than or equal to approximately 40 μm. The invention further comprises a cementitious-based material comprising aggregate, a cementitious material comprising a hydraulic cement and hyaloclastite, wherein the hyaloclastite has a volume-based mean particle size of less than or equal to approximately 40 um and water sufficient to hydrate the cementitious material. A method of using the composition of the present invention is also disclosed.

The invention comprises a cementitious material comprising a natural pozzolan selected from hyaloclastite, sideromelane or tachylite, wherein the natural pozzolan has a volume-based mean particle size of less than or equal to 40 μm. The cementitious material also comprising an aqueous alkaline activating solution suitable for forming a geopolymer. A method making a cementitious material is also disclosed.

A process for producing cement includes combining a cement precursor and a wax, wherein the wax includes alkyl ketene dimer wax and/or alkenyl ketene dimer wax, grinding the cement precursor and the wax to yield cement grains coated with the wax. A cement includes cement powder grains and a coating of wax on the Portland cement powder grains, wherein the wax includes alkyl ketene dimer wax and/or alkenyl ketene dimer wax. A process for making cementitious material includes combining a cement with water to yield a slurry, wherein the cement includes cement powder grains and a coating of wax on the cement powder grains, wherein the wax includes alkyl ketene dimer wax and/or alkenyl ketene dimer wax, and allowing the slurry to set.

A process for producing cement includes combining a cement precursor and a wax, wherein the wax includes alkyl ketene dimer wax and/or alkenyl ketene dimer wax, grinding the cement precursor and the wax to yield cement grains coated with the wax. A cement includes cement powder grains and a coating of wax on the Portland cement powder grains, wherein the wax includes alkyl ketene dimer wax and/or alkenyl ketene dimer wax. A process for making cementitious material includes combining a cement with water to yield a slurry, wherein the cement includes cement powder grains and a coating of wax on the cement powder grains, wherein the wax includes alkyl ketene dimer wax and/or alkenyl ketene dimer wax, and allowing the slurry to set.