Faculty Publications

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Microstructural insights of geopolymer mortar using binary blended sustainable fine aggregates
(Elsevier Ltd, 2025) Clement, D.; C, R.; Agarwal, S.; Pratap, M.
The socio-economic growth of a nation depends heavily on the availability of adequate infrastructure, which relies on essential materials like river sand (RS) and cement. However, the rising demand for RS, combined with its excessive extraction causing ecological damage, and its increasing cost, has raised significant concerns. At the same time, the production of cement contributes significantly to environmental damage, especially through CO2 emissions. In this scenario geopolymer technology has emerged as a sustainable alternative to cement, offering environmental benefits and reducing the carbon footprint of construction materials. This study investigates the impact of replacing RS with copper slag (CS) and laterite soil (LS) in geopolymer mortar (GM) on key properties such as setting time, flowability, compressive strength, and microstructure. The results showed that as LS content increased, setting time and flowability decreased considerably, while increasing CS content caused a reduction in these values. Unlike the other observed parameters, the compressive strength values showed no distinct upward or downward trend. Moreover, the microstructural analysis, including SEM, EDS, XRD, FTIR, TGA and BET, provided valuable insights to support the observed results across various mix designs. Overall, the findings highlight that optimised binary blends of CS, LS and RS not only improved the compressive strength but also enhanced the microstructural characteristics of geopolymer mortar, reinforcing their potential as sustainable and high-performance alternatives to conventional fine aggregates. © 2025 The Authors
Ink formulations using Eu3+ doped strontium aluminates for security printing
(Elsevier B.V., 2025) Ullal, N.; Sahoo, B.; Dhanya, D.; Kulkarni, S.D.; Bhat K, U.; P.j, A.; Rao, A.
Counterfeiting is a widespread menace that affects multiple sectors of society, which is increasing due to technological advancements and growing globalization of trade. It undermines economic growth, endangers public safety, damages brand integrity, and facilitates criminal activities. The present study focuses on the synthesis of thermally stable europium (Eu3+) doped orthorhombic Sr4All4O25 (SAO) system by solid state method for use as a colorant in the formulation of viz based and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) based screen inks. The steady state spectrum of Eu3+ doped SAO depicts the charge transfer taking place between host (O2-) and half-filled f-orbital of Eu3+ ion. Mono-exponential decay with lifetime value recorded in milliseconds indicates substitution of single Sr host lattice. The screen prints obtained on UV dull paper using PVA based ink with Eu3+ doped SAO as pigment displayed better photostability and abrasion resistance. Both Viz and PVA based formulations could serve as invisible inks for security printing and information storage applications. The prints produced using the viz-based and PVA-based formulations appeared fluorescent blue under UV illumination, while they exhibited red and green fluorescence, respectively, when viewed through long-pass filters. A user familiar with these features can easily authenticate the prints, whereas replicating them is challenging for counterfeiters. © 2025 The Authors

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