Shrimp: waste makes the concrete more resilient

An ingredient discovered in the cuirass of shrimp making the concrete harder. Is called chitinis a biopolymer that makes the concrete 40% more resistant.

By increasing the strength of the cement, this new mixture can help reduce the amount needed, reducing emissions of CO2 during production.

Somayeh Nassiri, author of the study

A lot of CO2 is released during the production of cement because fossil fuels are needed to reach 1500 degrees when firing the clinker. Here’s that the discovery of this ingredient in shrimp can only be positive from an environmental point of view. In addition, fish waste is also a real problem for fisheries. 2.5 million tons of waste are produced in Europe. Most end up in the sea.

Research on this new ingredient tends to solve two problems. The first is that of industrial emissions specific and that of waste from the fishing industry. A way to reuse waste materials with a view to a circular economy.

The shells of shrimp, crabs and lobsters consist of 20-30% chitin, the rest is calcium carbonate. Chitin is the hardener of cement. If chitin nanocrystals are attached to the cement, it can be improved property of the material (consistency, curing time, hardness and resistance). Here, organic cement is 40% more resistant to bending and 12% more resistant to compression.

Chitin nanoparticles repel cement particles and change their hydration capacity. If we can reduce the amount of cement we use, while preserving its structural and mechanical functions and doubling its lifespan, we can significantly reduce CO2 emissions from the construction industry.

Michael Wolcott, one of the authors