Competence Centre for Mechanochemical Activation

The Competence Centre for Mechanochemical Activation (CCMA) at Luleå University of Technology is the first dedicated research centre in Sweden focused on mechanochemical activation for sustainable construction materials.

The idea

The initiative was created by Prof. Andrzej Cwirzen, who recognized early the transformative potential to convert what we traditionally call “waste” into reactive binder materials without CO2-intensive thermal treatment or calcination.

Mechanochemical activation offers an alternative pathway to conventional high-temperature processing. By applying controlled mechanical energy through high-energy milling, mineral and industrial residues can be structurally modified, “disordered”, and activated - enabling chemical reactivity without the need for energy-intensive heating.

From ClayCem to global impact

The foundation of the centre was laid in 2017 with the launch of the ClayCem project funded by Formas. The project investigated the mechanochemical activation of natural clays as an alternative pathway to high-temperature calcination.

The project demonstrated that controlled mechanical activation could significantly enhance clay reactivity and binder performance. It resulted in several publications and PhD thesis by Dr Ilda Tole.

The results showed that mechanical activation could:

• Increase surface reactivity
• Modify phase structure
• Enable binder performance comparable to thermally treated materials

The concept proved scalable. Following the project, industrial actors began establishing activation facilities, including new production lines in Germany, and similar approaches were adopted internationally.

What began as exploratory research at LTU evolved into a broader technological shift.

• Publication 1
• Publication 2
• https://www.schwenk.de/en/products-solutions/cement/mecaclay/

A disruptive pathway to cement-free concrete

The next idea, attracting both national and international attention, was mechanochemically activating recycled concrete fines to create a hydraulic binder from demolition-derived material. In this concept, the fine fraction of construction and demolition waste, normally considered low-value “dust”, is milled in high energy planetary ball mill. The resulting material was shown to have hydraulic properties similar to those of Portland cement and could fully replace it in mortar and paste formulations without any additives. Early results were published at the beginning of 2025 (Link to the publication).

The idea is further explored in the Formas project (PI - Andrzej Cwirzen)

The research was featured on TV4’s report “Ny metod ska revolutionera betongåtervinningen” and in SVT’s coverage “Först i världen – se när LTU återvinner cement med vatten,”.

Expanding the activation concept

Today, the centre advances mechanochemical activation beyond clays. Current research includes projects in the following areas:

• Recycled concrete fines
• Mine tailings and mineral residues
• Wood ash
• Biomass ashes
• Industrial by-products and secondary raw materials

Integrated research infrastructure

The Competence Centre for Mechanochemical Activation operates a fully integrated experimental platform enabling systematic investigation from powder activation to hydration behaviour and microstructural characterisation.

The laboratory is equipped with:

• Planetary ball mills (Retsch PM 100) for laboratory-scale mechanochemical activation
• Industrial-scale high-energy ball mill for pilot-level processing
• TAM Air isothermal calorimetry for real-time monitoring of heat of hydration and reaction and R³ test method for assessment of supplementary cementitious material reactivity
• Compressive strength testing and strength activity index evaluation
• Freeze-thaw durability testing with focus on cold-climate exposure
• Advanced sample preparation facilities for microstructural analysis
• Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX)

International collaboration network

The centre is embedded in an active international research network. Long-term scientific collaborations include:

• Lublin University of Technology, Poland
• Universidad de Málaga, Spain
• RMIT, Australia
• The Ohio State University, Ohio, USA
• Brno University, Czech Republic
• University of Coimbra, Portugal
• Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica
• University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand