The present invention relates to a process for producing geopolymers from oil shale and/or mineral residues, which originate from the production of oil by means of oil shale. Geopolymers are inorganic aluminosilicate polymers, which are obtained by polycondensation at high pH values and low temperatures (room temperature). By means of an alkaline medium, Si(OH)4 and [AI(OH) ₄ ] monomers or also oligomers initially are released from the solid material. Subsequently, solidification is effected by polycondensation, whereby an aluminosilicate polymer net- work is formed. This network consists of Si0 ₄ and AI0 ₄ tetrahedrons, which each are linked with other tetrahedrons via four corners.

Geopolymers can be used as binder in the construction material industry, in order to decrease the cement content or ensure faster hardening. Further ad- vantages of geopolymers include the chemical resistance, temperature resistance, high final strength, high density and low permeability.

A multitude of solids such as metakaolin or also fly ash can be used as educts,.

The use of geopolymers as an alternative binder for concrete opens up the possibility of a new construction material. Its potential chiefly consists in the fact that during the production of classical cements, such as Portland cement, major amounts of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide are released by the reaction

CaC0 ₃ → CaO + C0 ₂ .

Geopolymers thus represent an alternative binder, which decrease the C0 ₂ emission and counteract the greenhouse effect. Since the properties of geopolymers depend on their composition, different geopolymers are produced in practice depending on the requirements profile. US 4,472,199 for example describes a geopolymer from the silicoalumina family with the following composition: Potassium oxide to silicon oxide 0.3 to 0.38, silicon oxide to alumina 4.0 to 4.2, water to alumina 14 to 20, and potassium oxide to alumina 1.3 to 1.52. The geopolymer thus obtained shows a distinctly pronounced structure, which has ion exchange properties and accordingly can be used in a similar way as zeolites or molecular sieves.

From US 4,509,985 however a polymer is known, which has the following compositions: M2O to silica 0.2 to 0.36, silica to alumina 3 to 4.12, water to M2O 12 to 20, and M2O to alumina 0.6 to 1.35, wherein the letter M can be representa- tive for a member of the group including sodium oxide, potassium oxide or a mixture of sodium oxide and potassium oxide. The solid material thus produced is characterized by a particular early high strength.

While in these two documents the polymer is produced from a mixture of differ- ent silicates by adding an alkaline activator and water while stirring continuously and at a slightly elevated temperature, DE 691 05 958 T2 describes a process for producing an aluminosilicate geopolymer in which silicon dusts are used. These silicon dusts are obtained by condensation of silicon oxide vapors from the electrofusion at very high temperatures and have an amorphous structure.

All documents have in common that minerals with a defined composition are used as educts. For further improvement of the ecobalance it appears to be expedient, however, to use a substance obtained as waste product of another process. Such substance might be oil shale. Oil shales are rocks containing bitumen and/or low-volatility oils, wherein the amount of bound organic components can be between 10 and 30 % depending on the deposit. Oil shale is particularly useful as energy source and has a calorific value between 4 and 8 megajoule per kilogram, based on the raw sub- stance.

Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to use the residues left during the combustion of oil shale for the production of geopolymers. This object is solved in that the oil shale and/or also mineral residues, which originate from the production of oil by means of shale are burnt and subsequently ground, before they are mixed with an alkaline activator and water and cured. During use of the oil shale calcining residue in accordance with the invention, the oil shale calcining residue acts both as mineral component and as activator. The effect as activator is caused by calcium oxide, which must be formed during production of the calcining residue. In contrast to previous practice, a rather complete decarbonation of the calcium carbonate contained in the crude oil shale is desired in calcining processes, in order to maximize the yield of calcium oxide. When adding water at a later time, calcium oxide (CaO) reacts to form calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH) ₂ ) which in turn acts as an alkali. In this way, the added amount of an alkaline activator, which is necessary for producing geopolymers, can be decreased and the production costs can be reduced.

Due to the comparatively high calorific value, large amounts of heat are re- leased during combustion, which can be utilized for recovering energy. At the same time, the use of the remaining mineral residue (in particular semicoke, a substance which results from the incomplete carbonization of the oil shale and in terms of composition and structure ranges between coal and pitch) as educt for geopolymers represents a reasonable use of this waste product. To allow replacement of the alkaline activator by potassium hydroxide for the most part, the calcium content in the oil shale is at least 10 % in accordance with the invention. A preferred aspect of the invention furthermore provides for grinding the oil shale prior to combustion. To be able to ensure a uniform combustion, grinding should be effected to a mean grain size of < 10 mm, preferably < 5 mm, with a narrow grain range of e.g. ± 0.5 mm being preferred. In accordance with a development of the invention, the combustion is performed at 850 to 1000°C, wherein a particularly favorable temperature range ranges between 900 and 950°C, as from about 900°C the limestone contained in the oil shale is completely decarbonised. To avoid undesired side reactions, the raw material is cooled after the combustion in accordance with a preferred aspect of the invention. Cooling screws or fluidized-bed coolers are particularly useful for this purpose.

Furthermore, beside the actual oil shale calcining residue the addition of further binders is recommendable for producing the geopolymer binder, which can be e.g. fly ashes or calcined clay. The properties of the material, such as the strength, thereby can be influenced once again. The addition of rocks of different grain sizes also is within the scope of the invention. To achieve a high pH value required in accordance with the invention, and hence the polycondensation of the aluminosilicate polymers, the addition of an alkaline activator furthermore is necessary. Sodium hydroxide solution, potassium hydroxide solution, sodium waterglass (sodium silicate solution) or potassium waterglass (potassium silicate solution) are particularly useful as such alkaline activator, since the same are readily available alkaline additives. Preferably, hardening of the material then takes place within less than 24 hours, particularly preferably within less than 6 hours. It was furthermore found to be advantageous to adjust the mol ratio of silicon to aluminum in the geopolymer mixture to 2 to 5, the mol ratio of potassium to aluminum to 0.6 to 0.7, the mol ratio of silicon to potassium to 3 to 10, the mol ratio of calcium to aluminum to 0.1 to 0.4, and the mol ratio of silicon to calcium to 4.9 to 41 . This is done by fine adjustment and thus provides a selective con- trol of the application parameters of the geopolymer thus obtained.

The invention also comprises a geopolymer which has been produced by the process of the invention and has the mol ratio of silicon to aluminum of 2 to 5, the mol ratio of potassium to aluminum of 0.6 to 0.7, the mol ratio of silicon to potassium of 3 to 10, the mol ratio of calcium to aluminum of 0.1 to 0.4, and the mol ratio of silicon to calcium of 4.9 to 41 .

Further developments, advantages and possible applications of the invention can also be taken from the following description of an embodiment and the drawing. All features described and/or illustrated form the subject matter of the present invention per se or in any combination, independent of their inclusion in the claims or their back-reference.

The only Figure schematically shows a plant for performing the process in ac- cordance with the invention.

According to the plant construction shown in Fig. 1 , the oil shale first is charged to a grinding mill 1 , in which it is comminuted to a grain size of less than 10 mm, e.g. 4-5 mm. Via conduit 2, the oil shale thus ground is delivered into the fur- nace 3. This furnace is preferably a fluidized-bed furnace, wherein at larger feed rates (> 1000 tons per day) the use of a circulating fluidized bed is recommended. At temperatures above 900°C, a complete decarbonisation of the limestone contained in the oil shale takes place. Via conduit 4, the powder thus burnt is supplied to a cooling stage 5. Cooling screws or fluidized-bed coolers are particularly preferred configurationss. The powder cooled down to about 150°C then is supplied to a further grinding mill 7 via conduit 6. In this grinding mill 7, the powder is ground to a grain size of less than 100 pm, before it then is supplied to the first mixing tank 9 via conduit 8.

Further binders, e.g. fly ashes or calcined clay, can be admixed here via conduit 10, before the mixture is transferred via conduit 11 into the mixing tank 12, into which an activator solution is introduced via conduit 13, which consists of one or more alkaline activator(s), e.g. NaOH, KOH, sodium waterglass (sodium silicate solution) or potassium waterglass (potassium silicate solution). Through conduit 14, the mixture flows into the mixing tank 15, where it is mixed with water from conduit 16, in order to quench the CaO contained in the burnt oil shale residue and achieves the desired workability of the mixture. When adding water, hy- drated lime (CaO + H ₂ O→ Ca(OH ₂ )) is formed. The geopolymer has the follow- ing composition: Mol ratios Si:AI = 2 to 5, K:AI = 0.6 to 0.7, Si:K = 3 to 10, Ca:AI = 0.1 to 0.4, Si:Ca = 4.9 to 41. In dependence on the raw materials, the exact composition of the geopolymer will be optimized depending on the application. It was noted that an amount of 8 % calcium hydroxide in the geopolymer mixture has an advantageous influence on the development of strength.

Instead of an arrangement in three separate mixing tanks it is also conceivable to have all three supply conduits open into a single tank. A reversal of the individual mixing stages is also possible. Through conduit 17, the geopolymer mixture is delivered into a further tank 18, in which the composition of the mixture is controlled via a measuring device 19. Via conduit 20, missing components can then be supplied. Alternatively, the composition of the geopolymer in accordance with the invention can be achieved by means of a measuring device, which controls the supply of binder, alkaline activator and/or water into the respective mixing tank(s).

Via conduit 21 , the mixture is finally delivered to harden in the hardening tank 22, from which the geopolymer or geopolymer concrete component of the invention can be demoulded after a sufficient hardening time.

List of Reference Numerals:

1 grinding mill

2 conduit

3 furnace

4 conduit

5 grinding mill

6 conduit

7 cooling device

8 conduit

9 mixing tank

10 conduit

11 conduit

12 mixing tank

13 conduit

14 conduit

15 mixing tank

16 conduit

17 conduit

18 mixing tank

19 measuring device

20 conduit

21 conduit

22 hardening tank