Novel Cement & Geopolymer Scale-Up Facility
Independent pilot-to-demonstration manufacturing for next-generation cement binders
Our Cement and Geopolymer Scale-Up Facility is an independent, pilot-to-demonstration environment that takes new cements and geopolymers from laboratory formulas to production-ready processes. Lucideon’s facility scales novel cements and geopolymers from 5 L lab batches up to 1,000 L demonstration runs, with full mixing, characterization, and durability testing under one roof - removing the contamination risk to your production plants and accelerating delivery to market.
Why cement scale-up matters
Portland cement is a major contributor to global CO₂. Alkali/acid-activated materials and geopolymers can reduce embodied carbon by up to 80% by avoiding high temperature clinker production. These systems can also offer fast strength gain, low shrinkage, and excellent chemical/thermal resistance - yet broad deployment requires robust scale-up and qualification data.
Our independent cement scale-up facility
Purpose-built via the EconoMISER programme within the Foundation Industries Sustainability Consortium (FISC), the facility provides a neutral, open-access environment to de-risk formulation changes and process innovation without disrupting production lines.
Batch capacity & scales
- Lab: up to 5 L - rapid formulation screening
- Pilot: 50 - 200 L - application trials
- Demonstration: up to 1,000 L - pre-commercial validation
- Supported mixing methods: planetary, acoustic, forced action, and paddle
Characterization & testing
- Powders & precursors: bulk & trace, particle size & shape, TGA/DSC
- Slurries: rheology, pH, temperature, slump, setting, shrinkage
- Cured performance: strength, macro & microstructure, thermal conductivity & expansion
- Durability: chloride diffusion, resistivity, leach testing, strength change under controlled exposure
- Large samples: from lab cubes to beams of up to 4.5 m in length (structural)
What we scale (and why it's different)
Novel cement binders we support include:
- Geopolymers / Alkali/acid-Activated Cements (AACs) - aluminosilicate-based 3D networks with high chemical and thermal resistance (commonly up to 1000°C (1832°F), rapid strength development (up to 90 MPa), and low shrinkage
- Hybrid and waste-derived binders - leveraging industrial by-products to cut embodied carbon and enable circular economy value streams
- Novel binders that are processed by similar methods to standard cement materials
Typical use-cases & industries
- Construction & infrastructure: low-carbon concretes, geopolymer bricks, improved resistance for marine applications, pavement and wastewater pipes
- Industrial flooring & coatings: fast-setting, acid-resistant AAC systems to cut downtime
- Waste encapsulation: geopolymer matrices for difficult nuclear and hazardous wastes, demonstrating higher waste loadings (up to 70%) than conventional cements, with strong leach resistance and process flexibility
- Aerospace / energy: high-temperature Geopolymer Matrix Composites (GMCs) for lightweight, fire-safe components (low-temperature curing, high thermal stability)
How our geopolymer cement scale-up works
- Formulation selection (up to 5 L) - rapid screening for workability, setting, early strength, and durability
- Pilot validation (up to 200 L) - application-specific rheology control, curing strategy, and property mapping (mechanical, thermal, chemical)
- Demonstration (up to 1,000 L) - end-to-end process trials, clean-down verification, and QA testing for internal approval or third-party review
Standards, codes, and acceptance
We help build the datasets - linking lab metrics to pilot/demonstration behavior, and documenting durability mechanisms relevant to chloride ingress, leaching, shrinkage, and thermal exposure. This approach shortens the route from novel cement binders to approved products and projects.
Why Lucideon
- Independent cement manufacturing facility
- Pilot-to-demonstration mixing and full product testing facilities
- Deep geopolymer/AAC expertise with cross-sector casework