Sofia Tsiotou: Exploring the Role of Clay Minerals in Earth-based Binders for Earth Additive Manufacturing (EAM) Applications.

Abstract

This study introduces a new approach towards systematically defining the role of different mineral components in clay-rich earthen mineral binders. It is part of the collaborative research center TRR277 “Additive Manufacturing in Construction (AMC)” and started in 2024. Therefore, even though the knowledge gained in the process could potentially be applied to other existing earth-building techniques, it will presently be used to optimize earthen binders for novel Earth Additive Manufacturing (EAM) methods. The goal is to understand the manner in which the structural and compositional variability of clay minerals, affects the plasticity of earthen binders and controls their behavior during the mixing, extruding, compacting, and drying stages. To enable a systematic investigation, a matrix of earthen material compositions will be created, with the goal of having the clay mineral component as the only variable. Additionally, model systems with varying amounts of kaolinite and illite will be achieved through mixtures of different clay-rich products. Special focus will be brought to the surface properties of the different material mixtures, and how they reflect on the flow properties and drying behavior of the binder.