About the Natural Pozzolan Association
The Natural Pozzolan Association (NPA) represents the interests of natural pozzolan producers and end users across a broad spectrum of industry. Natural pozzolan is used in cements, grouts, ready mixed concretes, and downhole slurries around the world. The growth in this industry has been on an exponential path for the last few years and continues to expand at a rapid pace. Current production capacity is one million tons per year (2021). Another million tons of capacity is coming online in 2022, providing a total of 2mt/yr by early 2022. A new era of enhanced, high quality, chemical resistant concrete has begun.
VISION: Establishing Natural Pozzolan as a key ingredient in concrete that is industry accepted and approved by regulatory bodies.
MISSION: The NPA will represent and promote the combined interests of natural pozzolan manufacturers as it pertains to product awareness, performance, availability, and competitiveness in concrete and cement markets worldwide; and will further endeavor to improve the quality and market presence of natural pozzolans on a continuous basis.
NPA Meetings Calendar
NPA GENERAL MEETING: Details on the annual general meeting is found on the Events and Announcements page.
NATURAL POZZOLAN SYMPOSIUM: Information and Symposium Registration
NPA Staff
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Joseph Thomas • joseph.thomas@pozzolan.org
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT: Areta Zouvas • areta.zouvas@pozzolan.org
NPA Board of Directors
Jeff Whidden, President (CR Minerals Company)
Areta Zouvas, Vice-President (Kirkland Mining Company)
Brian Jeppsen, Secretary (Hess Pumice Products)
Chris Fagouri, Treasurer (Burgess Pigment)
John Edwards, Board Member (3M)
NOTE: The Natural Pozzolan Association is an all-volunteer organization.
Benefits of Membership
Membership in NPA provides support for a unified industry voice to establish natural pozzolans as the go-to source for effective concrete mix designs which enhance long-term strength, durability, and mitigation of various forms of chemical attack. Your membership will help the NPA to develop and enhance quality standards for natural pozzolans to benefit both producers and consumers. Our common voice will create an awareness of the need for natural pozzolans to improve sustainability AND durability, lower the carbon footprint in each yard of concrete we pour, and enhance the long term strength of our infrastructure.
Our Goals Include the Following:
▪ Establish natural pozzolans as a sustainable resource to protect and enhance all concrete infrastructure.
▪ Promote NPs as critical & necessary materials for cement, grouts, mortars, and concretes.
▪ Support federal & state agency activities that promote the use of NPs.
▪ Represent the NP industry in national standards committees and industry groups.
▪ Provide information to government, industry and public sectors to assist in development of sound engineering practices.
▪ Serve as centralized source of technical information / Create and present educational programs.
▪ Meet with specifiers, purchasers and users of NPs.
▪ Produce technical papers for publication and presentation.
▪ Participate in trade shows and exhibitions / Distribute promotional items and literature.
▪ Provide networking opportunities.
▪ Hold regular committee meetings and educational workshops.
▪ Provide educational programs for NP users.
▪ Produce technical papers, reports, manuals and videos.
▪ Coordinate the implementation or enhancement of consensus standards for use of NPs.
▪ Establish and communicate government policies for procurement of NPs.
▪ Promote comparisons of NPs to competing materials and products.
▪ Reduce CO2 emissions from other industries through increased use of NPs.
▪ Advance the use of NPs based on technical, commercial & environmentally sound principles.
▪ Overcome technical, legal and regulatory barriers to the use of NPs.
▪ Support "infrastructure development" and "sustainable growth" using NPs.
▪ Distribute published materials for educational and promotional activities.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Natural Pozzolans (NPs)? There are two types of NP–Raw and Calcined. Most raw NPs are derived from magmatic sources such as pumice, pumicite, tuff, volcanic ash, and perlite. Calcined NPs are derived from various types of clays and shales.
What are pozzolans? Pozzolans are defined as a class of siliceous or siliceous and aluminous materials which, in themselves, possess little or no cementitious value but which will, in finely powdered form and in the presence of water, react chemically with calcium hydroxide at ordinary temperature to form compounds possessing cementitious properties that greatly improve concrete durability and performance.
What are some of the beneficial uses of NPs? NP are used in the production of 1P cements, specialized grouts and mortars, and ready mixed concrete. In all cases, the NP will improve the durability, chemical resistance and long-term strength of the concrete when used in accordance with established standards.
How does the use of NP reduce greenhouse gases? For every ton of cement produced worldwide, approx 1 ton of carbon is added to the earth’s atmosphere. Whereas NP can replace up to 40% of cement in a concrete mix design or in cement production, that equates to up to a 40% reduction in the carbon footprint of a yard of pour concrete. That is a significant environmental benefit.
Are there other examples of the benefits of using NPs? NPs are well known for their use in Roman concrete structures such as the coliseum, the pantheon, the aqueducts, the highways, the cisterns, etc. These structures have endured in magnificent condition for approximately 2000 years. Modern concrete, without benefit of NP, often deteriorate in a matter of decades, and in extreme examples, in a matter of just a few years. Use NPs to protect, strengthen, and fortify your concrete for the long haul.
How expensive are NPs? NPS cover a broad range of pricing depending on the type desired for a particular application. Please contact the listed pozzolan suppliers for information on their products and pricing.
What are the barriers to NP use? None. NPs have been used in the modern era to build many dams in the western USA, prior to the advent of inexpensive artificial pozzolans in the form of fly ash (or coal ash). The only real barrier is a lack of awareness in the concrete industry about the availability of NPs across North America and the world.
Are there technical standards that pertain to NPs? Yes, NP standards are covered in ASTM C618 and AASHTO M295, as well as in a variety of tests measuring chemical resistance (ASR and sulfate attack) such as ASTM C1567 and ASTM C1012.
Are NPs hazardous? While it is generally well known that crystalline silica is a health hazard, it is less well known that NPs are, by their very nature, amorphous silicas and thereby are not regulated as a hazardous material. Amorphous silicas are used in a variety of industries such as dental prophy paste to clean teeth, soaps and lotions to clean, soften, and exfoliate the skin, and even in the storage of food grains to protect against moisture and insects. Crystalline silicas could not be used in such a manner due to their hazardous designation. NPs are non-crystalline, and thus non-hazardous….a very important distinction.
What’s the difference between NPs and Fly Ash? NPs and Class F fly ash are very similar in their chemical and physical properties. Both have high amorphous silica content which provides the pozzolanicity that is required to mitigate against chemical attack in concrete. NPs are generally white to tan in color, whereas fly ashes are generally tan to black in color. Fly ashes generally provide a lower water demand than cement while NPs generally provide a water demand that is similar to or slightly higher than cement. Natural pozzolans are, of course, natural, while fly ashes are artificial pozzolans (removed from the flue gases of coal fired power plants).
JOIN THE NATURAL POZZOLAN ASSOCIATION
The Natural Pozzolan Association (NPA) is a network of natural pozzolan producers working to improve the performance and durability of the nation’s concrete infrastructure.
NATURAL POZZOLAN ASSOCIATION
100 East 155 South, Malad City, ID 83252
208.252.2808 • info@pozzolan.org