Business



The main business of CORDI-Géopolymère is to provide an advance research service by either testing materials to determine if they are good candidates for making geopolymers, or by developing new exclusive formulations for companies in confidence. We also grant manufacturing licenses or sell patents.

We are developing new formulations, new ideas, new products for industries and not manufacturing them (outside of samples).

Our work is really appreciated by companies who are looking for low energy, ecological, environmentally or user friendly product substitutes, especially within the frame of the European directive REACH for chemical substances and managing risks from hazardous compounds. In anyway, we are taking care of the highest standards in this matter since the beginning of your project with geopolymer chemistry.


How can we do business together?

We have several types of partnerships:
  • The first type: a company wants to develop a geopolymer cement or concrete with a raw material or by-product, or wants to know how to add value to this raw material or by-product. We can test this material and see what we can do with it, if it can be a good candidate for a geopolymer cement or concrete, with an industrial perspective. We sell this service, which is a research work in our laboratory. The lab work is performed within a time frame of around 4 months from the starting date. The testing includes accelerated long term durability measurements (freeze/thaw and wet/dry cycles) and we deliver a laboratory report.
  • The second type: we develop a new resin or binder for specific applications (cement, ceramic, matrix, high-tech, fire proof, nanotech, bio compatible, environmentally friendly solutions, saving energy, etc.). A joint venture, a development license, a contract can be the basis of the partnership. A budget is submitted depending on the amount of work to perform in our laboratory.
  • The third type: CORDI-Géopolymère takes part to several research projects funded by the European Union or other national organizations and administrations. We are accustomed to work in R&D projects, with an appropriate budget, with public research centers, universities, and private companies. Same as above, a budget is submitted depending on the amount of work to perform in our laboratory.
  • The fourth type: we have patented several applications and formulas, and if a company wants to commercialize a "geopolymer product", it can buy the patent (you buy it and there is nothing else to pay) or sign a license agreement (with a lump fee and a royalty fee from 1% for a mass produced low-cost application, up to 15% for a high-tech, high added value application).
  • The fifth type: we are open to any kind of partnerships that can be fruitful to both parties. However, any partnerships are subject to a previously agreed budget. CORDI-Géopolymère has little chance to work for free.

We are charging € 1500 EUR per day for the lab work, with a scientist and a lab technician, using our facility, or € 1000 EUR per day for the consultancy work (no lab work, no transfer of know-how). However, the price may vary depending on the duration of the project, equipments and people involved.

Effective 1 february 2007. CORDI-Géopolymère may make changes to any products or services offered on the web site, or to the applicable prices for any such products or services, at any time, without notice.

How to test some geopolymers?

Please, visit the Online Shop page where you will find what we call "geopolymer kits".
These samples are delivered ready to use for a better ease of application. We sell different formulas designed for laboratories and R&D's institutes. We guarantee a very high quality control that provides you our best selection of resins and binders. These laboratory products are delivered by box of 1 Kg, so that you can carry out any preliminary testing in your facilities and for your applications, in complete safety.

So far, the user-friendly "geopolymer kits" represent the standard for laboratory experiment. By testing them you will get an idea of the properties you can get with geopolymeric based admixtures.

These kits are intended exclusively for research and pilot scale applications, and not for industrial or commercial uses.

They are not the prices per kg but for 1kg of geopolymer materials.

You really have to test these "geopolymer kits". You should play with these materials to understand their characteristics, and compare them to your solutions. Reading data-sheet and scientific papers are sometimes not enough to get a real idea of our products' potential.

Case by case studies for product development

In addition to the research work set forth above (first type of partnership) we are doing special case by case studies.

For a bigger project, the budget is set up per months or years. The cost is adjusted, depending on the work, its difficulties, and people involved. We define together a project proposal with 1 or 2 milestones to think about the progress of the work. At the end of the project, we deliver a report and some samples for you to test.

Sometimes, it is not as expensive as you may think, and the budget may be quite reasonable depending on man/month and overhead costs. The price is often close to an internal development done in your company by including all the costs. You shall compare, and please, do not hesitate to ask us.
  • If there is no transfer of know-how, the procedure is very simple. First, we sign a non-disclosure agreement, then, we write a proposal, write mid-term and final reports, and finally send an invoice. No other legal papers are required, because it is a service.
  • If a transfer of know-how is needed, because something new has to be invented, we will have to sign an agreement.
We are working on geopolymers since 1980, and Professor Joseph Davidovits, the discover of the geopolymer chemistry, will coordinate the work.

No other organization has this long-term experience and such expertise. We are talking about very high quality service and results, by a company accustomed to develop formulas for others under the seal of secrecy, and invent user friendly products with an industrial perspective in mind (cost and mass production).

Why have the geopolymers not hit the market yet?

People involved in building applications always ask this question. Now, this statement is totally wrong, because it is based on lack of information.
First, geopolymer technology can be used in wide variety of applications, thus different markets, and you may not be aware of all of them.
Second, companies only disclose this information. Most of them choose to keep it secret, so their competitors will not know how they improved their properties and quality. It is part of their business strategy to keep the advantage as long as possible. All we can say is that, today, several companies are manufacturing and marketing bricks, floor tiles, roof tiles, and panels. CORDI-Géopolymère developed applications with some of them since 1980.

Hundreds of companies around the world are using or have studied geopolymers. You may be the next. Check on the internet or in database the word "geopolymer", and you will notice that the interest in this chemistry is becoming big. Hundreds of universities and research centers are studying it. It is easy to verify because they are publishing hundreds of scientific papers.

But, what is right is it has not entered the mass market yet in the building industry for its ecological and low energy consumption benefits. It is used in niche markets, high-tech applications, or in some products for their special properties.

However, the geopolymer chemistry is compatible with mass production and low cost applications. It depends on market trends and needs, and the investment to develop the industrial process.