Pozhhan Mokhtari

About

I am a materials scientist and R&D leader specializing in advanced ceramics, cement chemistry, low-carbon and low-clinker cements, geopolymers, sustainable construction materials, and environmental technologies. My background in mining engineering, geotechnical engineering, and materials science gives me an end-to-end perspective, from raw-material selection and waste valorization to processing, characterization, durability testing, scale-up, and application.
Since 2014, I have developed low-carbon ceramic and cementitious materials, beginning with composite cements and supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). My research includes clinker reduction through SCM substitution, calcined minerals, low-clinker binder design, alkali-activated materials, geopolymers, and mining-waste-derived binders. I work across cement hydration and reaction chemistry, phase assemblage, pore structure, durability, and structure-property relationships to reduce embodied carbon while maintaining performance.
My broader research converts industrial byproducts, mine waste, and biological residues into high-value materials for resilient infrastructure, remediation, and resource recovery. Projects include reinforced and 4D-printed geopolymers, geothermal well materials, zeolite monoliths for CO₂ capture, ceramic remediation systems, natural-fiber-reinforced cement-free binders, rice-husk-derived silica, and alkaline species recovered from spent coffee-ground ash for activator development. I have also worked on biomineralization, self-healing materials, water and air purification, and the recovery of rare-earth elements from mine tailings.
I serve as Chief Science Officer at Keanetech LLC, an affiliate of EnterpriseWorks at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Research Park. I help translate laboratory research into industrial technologies through scientific strategy, prototype development, validation, vendor engagement, manufacturing planning, and commercialization.
My experience spans postdoctoral research, sponsored R&D, teaching, mentoring, interdisciplinary collaboration, finite-element and geotechnical modeling, design of experiments, statistical analysis, life-cycle assessment, durability testing, and materials characterization. I have contributed to proposals for DOE ARPA-E, NSF SBIR/STTR, ERDC-CERL, and Brookhaven National Laboratory.
Technical expertise includes XRD, XRF, SEM/EDS, TGA/DTA, FTIR, BET, TEM, DSC, DMA, AFM, Raman spectroscopy, ceramic processing, CO₂ sequestration, waste valorization, and resource recovery