The five-year Research Fellowships from the Royal Academy of Engineering enable outstanding early-career researchers to gain research independence and international reputation in Engineering.
Supporting climate goals
Dr Ilda Tole, Researcher in Mechanochemistry for Cementitious Materials Application, will be applying the RAEng Research Fellowship to align with RAEng’s strategy of promoting more sustainable societies.
Concrete is the second most used material after water and continues to be critical for meeting infrastructure needs for a growing population in a changing climate. However, the production of Portland cement, of which the key ingredient in concrete, accounts for an estimated 8-10% of global CO₂ emissions. Dr Tole will be addressing this urgent need for sustainable construction materials, which is essential to achieving climate goals.
The RAEng Fellowship will redefine how cementitious materials are produced by advancing mechanochemistry as a viable electrified pathway for activating unreactive and underutilised mineral resources, such as igneous rocks, excavated soils, slate, waste minerals, filter cake, mining waste. Dr Tole says:
I am honoured to receive this Research Fellowship from the Royal Academy of Engineering. It is a fantastic opportunity to rethink the materials we use to make cement, using Mechanochemistry to transform overlooked minerals into valuable resources. I am grateful to my mentors and collaborators for their support, and excited to take this next step towards developing solutions for more sustainable construction.
This research will expand the range of viable resources for use as cementitious binders or precursors that cannot be efficiently activated by other means, thereby future proofing decarbonisation in construction.
It will systematically evaluate how process parameters affect mineral performance using advanced characterisation. A novel exploration of co-grinding multiple resources with different chemical and mineralogical composition will further unlock material’s synergies and optimise their performance and availability.
The implementation of this solution will not only advance progress in achieving global sustainability goals in construction but promote resource efficiency, reducing dependency on imported materials, and raising awareness of “waste” in construction.
Professor Chris Bowen, Associate Dean (Research) for the Faculty of Engineering and Design (FED), says:
I am delighted for Ilda. This fellowship is a unique opportunity for Dr Tole to push the boundaries of existing knowledge in cementitious materials, developing her independent research career, while fostering international connections, and maximising research impact.
Dr Tole’s RAEng Research Fellowship submission was supported by Dr Lotta Coft, Research Development Manager in Research and Impact Services (RIS) at the University of Bath.
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