Suvo Strategic Minerals Ltd (ASX:SUV) has entered into an exclusive intellectual property licence agreement with Murdoch University for a geopolymer concrete batching plant and a low carbon concrete formulation known as ‘Colliecrete’.
The agreement with Murdoch University involves the licensing and commercialisation of a geopolymer concrete batching plant and Colliecrete, the “Murdoch Technology”.
Suvo non-executive chairman Aaron Banks said: “Achieving an exclusive licence on this technology is a great outcome for our company and shareholders. Whilst our primary focus is selling the latent tonne capacity at our kaolin operations and becoming profitable, this opportunity has come at a great time.
“With governments around the world now legislating carbon reduction targets for cement manufacturers, the largest industrial polluters on the planet, there is now potentially a viable alternative in making concrete without Ordinary Portland Cement. Pittong kaolin has been sent to Murdoch University to calcine and test its suitability for use in geopolymer concrete. The company is hopeful it will generate positive results and looks forward to updating the market.”
Geopolymer concrete
Suvo started working with Murdoch University in late 2022, investigating geopolymer concrete using the company’s metakaolin product. The primary objective was to assess both potential end user markets and prospective plant locations that were close to the inputs needed to make geopolymer concrete.
Geopolymer concrete is a low carbon concrete that is made by reacting aluminate and silicate bearing materials with a caustic activator, such as metakaolin, flyash, ground blast furnace slag and other waste derived materials. It is a suitable replacement to the traditional binder known as Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC).
Concrete is the most consumed product on the planet behind filtered water. The manufacture of OPC (the binder necessary to make concrete) is a highly CO2 emitting process — equivalent to the entire global car fleet. For every tonne of OPC produced, roughly one tonne of CO2 is produced.
A small pilot plant has been built by Murdoch University in the town of Collie, around 200 kilometres southeast of Perth, where various geopolymer concrete trials have been conducted over the last six months.
The purpose of the pilot plant was to produce a low carbon concrete, with zero OPC, as an alternative building material to the high CO2 emitter. Using the Murdoch Technology, various products were produced, including retaining wall blocks, wall panels and aprons.
The company intends to commercialise the Murdoch Technology by commencing studies to increase scale of the pilot plant to be able to produce Colliecrete and other geopolymer concrete formulations, such as using Pittong kaolin and various waste derived products including flyash and others.
Murdoch University associate professor Martin Anda said: “A new industry for low carbon construction material is imminent and the execution of this agreement is a significant milestone for both Murdoch University and Suvo.
“This technology is the culmination of the last three years of work from my team and we considered many applications from companies to bring this low carbon product to market. We look forward to further working with Suvo as we develop and build on this technology with other low carbon geopolymer concrete formulations from waste derived products.”