New York / New Jersey Section of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy
Invited Seminar – December 18, 2025, 12:00 – 1:00 PM EDT
Deciphering Geopolymer Cement via FTIR Spectroscopy
Gabrielle Davis | R&D Laboratories Supervisor | Camfil USA Inc.

Zoom Meeting Link (see instructions below):
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89321695201?pwd=WA4MLAY2ZbgLvBNZHSLhw0eMy4NsrH.1

Abstract
The manufacture of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) releases significant amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere. A developing alternative to OPC, called geopolymer cement, can help reduce the OPC demand as it can be made with recycled materials like fly ash, blast slag, and kaolin clays. Because of its semi-crystalline nature, geopolymer cements can be analyzed by FTIR. But how much information can you get from a few broad peaks? You can track important attributes for cement through these few peaks you do get from a semicrystalline material. Tracking peak shifts and shape changes over time can get you important information that is hard to gather otherwise.

Biography
Gabrielle Davis is an industrial chemist specializing in applied analytical chemistry. She studied geopolymer cement during her undergraduate and graduate work at Louisiana Tech University, from which she holds a BSc in Chemistry and MSc in Molecular Science and Nanotechnology. She worked briefly as a formulation chemist in personal care before taking on her current role as the Laboratory Supervisor at Camfil USA in Riverdale, New Jersey. Her research focused on geopolymer cement made from fly ash and lunar regolith simulant and characterizing the results with elemental and physical analysis, using a mixture of technologies like XRF, EDS, and ATR-FTIR alongside physical testing equipment, a blend of techniques that she still uses in her current position.

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Time: Dec 18, 2025 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
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