Displaying items by tag: Research

Sweden: Researchers at the department of architecture and civil engineering at the Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg in Västra Götaland county are developing a technology to enable concrete to store energy in the manner of a rechargeable battery. The team has proposed a design based on cement mixed with short carbon fibres. The concrete is then fitted with a metal-coated carbon fibre mesh that forms the battery’s anode and cathode. The team says that a future product based on the technology would enable solar-powered roads and buildings to store their own energy. Additionally, the introduction of sensors to the system would enable full and constant monitoring of the condition of the structure.

Chief researcher Emma Zhang said, “Results from earlier studies investigating concrete battery technology showed very low performance, so we realised we had to think out of the box, to come up with another way to produce the electrode. This particular idea that we have developed – which is also rechargeable – has never been explored before. Now we have proof of concept at lab scale.”

Japan: Researchers from the University of Tokyo have developed a new method for producing cement-free concrete from sand. The method reacts sand with alcohol in the presence of a catalyst, according to ChemEurope. When dehydrated, this produces tetraalkoxysilate. The research team then reintroduced water, and thus allowed the reactants to move back and forth between tetraalkoxysilate and sand. In this way, the sand particles progressively bonded together. The resulting concrete is reportedly more resilient to chemical, temperature and humidity changes than concrete produced from Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC).

In the report of the findings, researcher Ahmad Farahani wrote that various sources of sand tested suitable for use, including silica sand, glass beads and simulated moon sand. This gives the method the advantage that it is non-specific to raw materials or locations, and can be integrated into waste management.

UK: The Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) has expanded its Innovandi innovation programme with the addition of a new Open Challenge innovation accelerator programme. The Open Challenge programme will bring together start-ups and leading cement and concrete producers to innovate for CO₂ emissions reduction in the cement industry. Its aim is carbon neutral concrete production by 2050.

GCCA chief executive officer Dinah McLeod said “The GCCA is delighted to be expanding Innovandi to encompass both the Research Network and the upcoming Open Challenge. By connecting innovative start-ups with cement and concrete producers we can help accelerate the development of solutions that address the emissions reduction challenges our industry faces.”

US: A research team at Washington State University has developed admixtures using chitin derived from seashells. The Moscow-Pullman Daily News has reported that the substance enhances concrete’s performance when substituted for some of the cement content. The lower clinker factor may also decrease net emissions. Work has shown that lower volumes of the supplementary material are required compared to existing admixtures.

UK: Business consultant Catax has reported an 8% year-on-year rise in the UK construction sector’s research and development spending in 2020 to Euro432m from Euro401m in 2019. Total UK spending in the area across all sectors grew by 5% year-on-year to Euro45.1m. Gross domestic product fell by 9%.

Chief executive officer Mark Tighe said, “The pandemic stopped businesses in their tracks but those reliant on innovation clearly didn’t take their foot off the gas.” He added, “The construction sector shut completely in the first lockdown but, even so, the industry still grew its research and development spending on an annual basis last year. This will put the sector on a strong footing as we recover from the impact of the pandemic.”

Japan: Taiheiyo Cement plans to set up a Carbon Neutral Technology Development Project Team in April 2021. The team will develop and apply carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies for installation at the producer’s cement kilns. The company said that the team seeks to develop cost-practical product for industrial application. Following on from this, it plans to develop CCS technologies which make use of other cement plant processes, and which integrates the circular economic use of industrial by-products. Carbon neutrality is the ultimate aim.

The group said, “By establishing a new project team that is a cross-company organisation, we will gather our wisdom and realise carbon neutrality. We will strongly promote the development of innovative technologies for this purpose.”

Japan: Taiheiyo Cement has developed Nanoritia, a lithium manganese iron phosphate salt for use as a positive electrode material for lithium-ion batteries. The company says that the product has ‘excellent’ thermal stability and does not contain cobalt or nickel, which can sometimes be harder to source. As a result of the success, it will establish a 100t/yr nanoritia plant at its Central Research Laboratory in Sakura city, Chiba prefecture.

The group said, “We will proactively and swiftly develop and commercialise the production technology of this product, and contribute to the reduction of CO₂ emissions through the provision of materials for lithium-ion batteries. We will continue to strongly promote the group's management philosophy of business activities that are in harmony with not only economic development but also consideration for the environment and contribution to society, aiming to play a leading role in opening up a sustainable future for the earth.”

The cement and minerals producer has also been working on recycling large lithium-ion batteries at its integrated Tsuruga plant.

Spain: Cementos La Cruz has partnered with other building materials, construction and waste management companies and the Murcia Technological Centre for Construction to support a study by the Polytechnic University of Cartagena (UPCT). The Europa Press newspaper has reported that the research aims to develop geopolymeric concretes from industrial and urban waste, without the use of cement. The study is 80% financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

UPCT science and advanced construction technology research group coordinator Carlos Parra said, “Stopping the use of concrete is not the solution, as it is a relatively accessible material that allows access to housing and multiple services for millions of people around the world and is also a material with high resilience against natural catastrophes such as floods, hurricanes and resistant to the passage of time.”

UK: HeidelbergCement subsidiary Hanson has installed a solar and wind-powered hydrogen generation demonstration unit at its Port Talbot Regen ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) plant in Port Talbot in Neath Port Talbot. The company says that the project is part of a collaboration with Swansea University’s Energy Safety Research Institute under the European Research and Development Fund’s Reducing Industrial Carbon Emissions initiative. The hydrogen generated by the installation will replace natural gas in the GGBFS plant’s burners.

Head of sustainability Marian Garfield said, “It is estimated that cement is the source of just under 2% of UK CO₂ emissions. With demand for cement and cement replacement products predicted to increase by 25% by 2030, researchers and industry are working hard to reduce the level of CO₂ emissions associated with production. As a leading manufacturer, we take our responsibility very seriously. In the UK we have already achieved a 30% reduction in CO₂ emissions since 1990 across the business and have set an ambitious new target of a 50% reduction by 2030 from the same baseline. We are constantly looking to improve energy efficiency and carbon reduction at our cement and Regen GGBFS plants, so we are delighted to be involved with this innovative research project.”

Europe/North America: Switzerland-based LafargeHolcim and US-based Schlumberger plan to study the feasibility of carbon capture and storage (CCS) systems at two cement plants in Europe and North America. The companies say that the partnership is intended to as a precursor towards the deployment of large-scale CCS solutions.

LafargeHolcim’s chief sustainability officer Magali Anderson said, “Today’s announcement is further proof of LafargeHolcim’s environmental leadership and commitment to pioneer new solutions to reduce carbon emissions on our journey to become a net zero company. Our partnership with Schlumberger, the world’s leading provider of technology to the global energy industry, will bring new advances in storage that could be replicated at scale across our sites.”