Lateritic soils based geopolymer materials: A review

• Use of lateritic soils in the development of geopolymer products. • Advances in the mechanism of laterite based geopolymer were investigated. • Factors influencing the laterite based geopolymers were discussed. • Acid medium ensured high performance than alkaline activation road. • Durability and physicochemical properties of laterite based geopolymers. Lateritic soils are abundant materials available around the tropical and sub-tropical areas in the world. However, due to their chemical and mineralogical complexity, their use in geopolymer synthesis remains limited. This review paper summarizes the synthesis conditions, mechanical and durability characteristics as well as the microstructural properties of acid or alkaline activated laterite-based geopolymers and their potential as binding materials. This review demonstrates that significant analytical techniques were successfully applied to fresh and hardened laterite-based geopolymer obtained in acid or alkaline media, assisting in understanding the underlying chemical reaction and external factors influencing final properties. Laterite-based geopolymers have the potential to be used as sustainable building materials according to their interesting properties. However, the findings from this review are anticipated to gear more research, development, and application of locally available materials like laterite soils in the synthesis of geopolymers using alkaline or acidic activators. It is also hoped that the obtained results presented from existing literature would open a pathway to produce low-cost and sustainable infrastructures required for appropriate applications.