Beyond CEM II/C‐M cements: advancing towards hybrid binders with ultra‐low clinker content

Abstract

CEM II/C‐M cements have proven to be a viable solution for reducing CO ₂ emissions in concrete production, offering robust performance and growing market acceptance across Europe. Building on this foundation, the cement industry is now moving toward the next generation of binders — hybrid systems with clinker contents as low as 30%. These advanced binder types rely on a combination of reactive supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), fine clinker, and often optimized particle size distributions achieved through separate grinding and subsequent mixing of components. Additionally, the use of mild alkali activation and selected quality improvers is becoming essential to address performance gaps, particularly for early‐age and sometimes late‐age strength development. This paper presents an example of development of such a binder and discusses the application of these binder types in concrete to ensure satisfactory strength and durability performance under practical conditions.