In pursuit of the much-desired carbon neutrality signed in the 2050 Paris Agreement, scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) focused on the production of concrete, an indispensable material in civil construction. but today it accounts for almost 8% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

The result of the survey published in the journal last month PNAR Portrecommends adding new materials to existing compost production processes. One promising option is to store CO2 directly in concrete through forced mineralization of carbonates in both Portland cement and aggregates.

During its production, cement releases enormous amounts of CO2, not only as a chemical by-product of production, but also in the energy required during clinkerization. the material mixture (limestone and clay) should be heated to almost 1450º C.

How is CO2 captured during concrete production?

Although the energy required to produce cement can be replaced with electricity produced by renewable solar or wind energy sources, carbonate and clay undergo a chemical transformation when superheated: to produce clinker, a solid material consisting of calcium silicates and carbon dioxide escaping into the atmosphere.

The common mixture of cement, water, sand and gravel during concrete production results in an alkaline environment capable of holding and storing CO2. The problem is, when this occurs inside the already cured concrete, may cause corrosion of the steel bars of the structure, compromising the load capacity of the structure.

The solution the MIT researchers found was to separate the CO2 before the material hardened. adding a simple and inexpensive ingredient to the mix: baking soda. Laboratory tests have shown that the addition of chemical compounds results in safe mineralization (sink) of up to 15% of CO2 in cement production.

Source: Tec Mundo

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I'm Blaine Morgan, an experienced journalist and writer with over 8 years of experience in the tech industry. My expertise lies in writing about technology news and trends, covering everything from cutting-edge gadgets to emerging software developments. I've written for several leading publications including Gadget Onus where I am an author.

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