Rate My Professor Ruben Snellings

Ruben Snellings is an associate professor BOF at KU Leuven in the Faculty of Science, primarily affiliated with the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Division of Geology, where he leads the Applied Mineralogy research group. He also holds an affiliation with the Department of Materials Engineering. Snellings obtained his PhD in geology from KU Leuven, with a focus on applied mineralogy. Following his doctorate, he conducted postdoctoral research on circular and low-carbon cements at Ghent University and at EPFL in Switzerland as a Marie Curie Fellow. From 2014 to 2022, he worked as a researcher at VITO, the Flemish Institute for Technological Research, concentrating on waste-to-resource upcycling technologies. His research expertise encompasses applied mineralogy, cement chemistry, recycling and upcycling of waste streams, environmental compatibility of construction materials, and mineral carbonation. Snellings utilizes advanced analytical techniques including X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry, electron microscopy, screening methods, and thermodynamic modeling to characterize the chemistry, composition, performance, and environmental impact of cementitious materials. His work elucidates hydration mechanisms in low-carbon cements and concrete to advance sustainable construction materials.

Snellings' contributions have garnered over 17,000 citations on Google Scholar, reflecting substantial influence in construction materials science. Notable publications include 'Future and emerging supplementary cementitious materials' (Cement and Concrete Research, 2023), 'Reactivity of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) in cement blends' (Cement and Concrete Research, 2019; 982 citations), 'Assessing, Understanding and Unlocking Supplementary Cementitious Materials' (RILEM Technical Letters, 2016; 420 citations), and 'A practical guide to microstructural analysis of cementitious materials' (book chapter). He co-authored RILEM TC 309-MCP recommendations on terminology for mineral carbonation processes (2025). Snellings delivered his inaugural lecture at KU Leuven in April 2024. He is a member of the Leuven Gravity Institute and SIM² KU Leuven Institute for Sustainable Metals and Minerals, and contributes to projects such as evaluating rock bases for the Einstein Telescope, PhD research on layered double hydroxides in cement, deep learning for sustainable binders, and carbonatable binders reaction mechanisms.