主题：Next Generation Sustainable Cementitious Material (Geopolymer) − Synthesis, Characterization, Modeling, and Its Potential Applications

主持人：徐艳 副研究员

时间：2017年11月20日（周一） 10:00-11:30

地点：桥梁馆一楼报告厅

摘要：Geopolymer has received increasing interest as a sustainable alternative to ordinary Portland cement because of its high strength, low cost, low energy consumption and CO₂ emissions during synthesis. However, the relationship among the synthesis, geopolymerization process, microstructures, molecular structures and mechanical properties of geopolymers remains poorly understood. Yet, a clear understanding of such a relationship is essential to synthsize geopolymer with desired properties and good perfromance. The majority of our work in geopolymer has been focused on understanding the geopolymerization process, molecular structural of geopolymer gels, and geopolymer’s mechanical properties at nano-scale. Grid nanoindentaion technique and reactive molecular dynamic simulations used to characerize geopolymer at nano-scale and model geopolymerization will first be introduced. Then I will share our research findings on the relationship between characterstics of geopolymer gels (fraction and chemical-bonds) and marco-mechanical properties of geopolymer composites, as well as computationally synthesized moelcular structure of geopolymer gels. Lastly some potential applications of geopolymer in civil engineering will be discussed.

个人介绍：Mingjiang Tao received BS in civil engineering from Fuzhou University, China in 1997 and a MS in geotechnical enigneering from Tongji University, China in 2000, and Ph.D. in civil engineering from Case Wester Reserve University, USA, in 2003, respectively. He joined Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 2007, where he is an Associate Professor and Interim Associate Department Head of civil & environmental engineering.  He is the author of more than 45 journal papers on alternative cementitious binders, asphlat concrete, granular materials, and characterization of construction materials at nano- and marco-scales. His research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, Federal Highway Administration, state departments of transportation, and New England Transportation Consortium.  Prof. Tao is a Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and member of Chemical and Mechanical Stabilization Committee (AFS90), Engineering Behavior of Unsaturated Soils Committee, and Physicochemical and Biological Processes in Soils (AFP40) of the Transportation Research Board, and member of Sigma Xi.