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Damn cool solutions to serious problems - Cement that consumes Carbon Dioxide
Reading the daily news about how our economy has finally bottomed out and that the banks are in the money again often leaves me a little down. But a while back I came across Ty Cowen's link to an article arguing that The 1930's were the most technologically progressive decade of the twentieth century. And it inspired me to start a series of posts on interesting innovations that might spurn a similar advancement during our own current economic morass. So, I want to inaugurate this semi regular series with a promising invention of Cement that absorbs Carbon dixoide.
When I was a kid, I came home one day with a fun assignment: write a list of the worlds most important inventions. I was really excited and of course listed all the fun and shinny things I could think of cars, airplanes, TVs. I turned to my dad and asked him what he thought and he answered 'roads'. I am certain that I reacted with something like 'What? that's so boring". But it got me thinking, maybe he was right how would we get anywhere without that flat surface to smoothly on. But ever a prideful kid and thought that roads couldn't really be an invention, so I asked what are roads made of. I wrote 'concrete'.
Today that is the only thing that I remember from that list, and it certainly belonged. It is the basis of most of our roads, buildings, sewage systems, just about every structure relies on concrete for its base. It is literally the foundation of our civilization. Today we still stare in awe at Roman works like the Coliseum that still stand proud after eons of wear (there is considerable evidence that the Pyramids are also concrete). Concrete is simply amazing to me, I mean its essentially rock that we liquefy to form into just about any shape we want. Magic!
But then there is the dark side. The world produces nearly 2 million metric tons of cement a year. It is estimated that that production produces 5% of the worlds carbon dioxide emissions. And then most of that is used for roads and bridges (which carry automobiles which emit even more CO2). It may be magic, but it is an environmental nightmare. That is why I was so excited to learn about the British Company Novacim's invention of cement that is carbon negative.
From the Guardian article, the technical stuff:
Since the eighteenth century invention of modern Portland cement the basic formula for concrete has stayed pretty constant. Manufacturers would make minor adjustments to the mix for different environmental conditions and strength. But today there are lots of concrete companies are experimenting with hundreds of different processes and additives in order to both increase the utility and mitigate the environment impact. The most popular environmental addition is the use of the coal waste byproduct fly ash, which although takes longer to set greatly strengthens concrete. A Hungarian inventor has even come up with a translucent concrete by adding fiber optics. Awesome!
Concrete is also naturally white, which as Steven Chu points out that if we paved all our roads with it instead of black top it would be the equivalent of removing every automobile from the road for 11 years (oh yeah that and paint all our roofs white- but still huge). Imagine if all of our roads and buildings became carbon sequesters, that would be truly sustainable building.
When I was a kid, I came home one day with a fun assignment: write a list of the worlds most important inventions. I was really excited and of course listed all the fun and shinny things I could think of cars, airplanes, TVs. I turned to my dad and asked him what he thought and he answered 'roads'. I am certain that I reacted with something like 'What? that's so boring". But it got me thinking, maybe he was right how would we get anywhere without that flat surface to smoothly on. But ever a prideful kid and thought that roads couldn't really be an invention, so I asked what are roads made of. I wrote 'concrete'.
Today that is the only thing that I remember from that list, and it certainly belonged. It is the basis of most of our roads, buildings, sewage systems, just about every structure relies on concrete for its base. It is literally the foundation of our civilization. Today we still stare in awe at Roman works like the Coliseum that still stand proud after eons of wear (there is considerable evidence that the Pyramids are also concrete). Concrete is simply amazing to me, I mean its essentially rock that we liquefy to form into just about any shape we want. Magic!
But then there is the dark side. The world produces nearly 2 million metric tons of cement a year. It is estimated that that production produces 5% of the worlds carbon dioxide emissions. And then most of that is used for roads and bridges (which carry automobiles which emit even more CO2). It may be magic, but it is an environmental nightmare. That is why I was so excited to learn about the British Company Novacim's invention of cement that is carbon negative.
From the Guardian article, the technical stuff:
Making traditional cement results in greenhouse gas emissions from two sources: it requires intense heat, and so a lot of energy to heat up the ovens that cook the raw material, such as limestone. That then releases further CO2 as it burns. But, until now, noone has found a large-scale way to tackle this fundamental problem. Novacem's cement, based on magnesium silicates, not only requires much less heating, it also absorbs large amounts of CO2 as it hardens, making it carbon negative.
Standard cement, also known as Portland cement, is made by heating limestone or clay to around 1,500C. The processing of the ingredients releases 0.8 tonnes of CO2 per tonne of cement. When it is eventually mixed with water for use in a building, each tonne of cement can absorb up to 0.4 tonnes of CO2, but that still leaves an overall carbon footprint per tonne of 0.4 tonnes.Novacem's cement, which has a patent pending on it, uses magnesium silicates which emit no CO2 when heated. Its production process also runs at much lower temperatures - around 650C. This leads to total CO2 emissions of up to 0.5 tonnes of CO2 per tonne of cement produced. But the Novacem cement formula absorb far more CO2 as it hardens - about 1.1 tonnes. So the overall carbon footprint is negative - ie the cement removes 0.6 tonnes of CO2 per tonne used.
Since the eighteenth century invention of modern Portland cement the basic formula for concrete has stayed pretty constant. Manufacturers would make minor adjustments to the mix for different environmental conditions and strength. But today there are lots of concrete companies are experimenting with hundreds of different processes and additives in order to both increase the utility and mitigate the environment impact. The most popular environmental addition is the use of the coal waste byproduct fly ash, which although takes longer to set greatly strengthens concrete. A Hungarian inventor has even come up with a translucent concrete by adding fiber optics. Awesome!
Concrete is also naturally white, which as Steven Chu points out that if we paved all our roads with it instead of black top it would be the equivalent of removing every automobile from the road for 11 years (oh yeah that and paint all our roofs white- but still huge). Imagine if all of our roads and buildings became carbon sequesters, that would be truly sustainable building.
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WOW!
Terrific Post. I had heard about this, but you really laid it out beautifully.
I will now go to links and become even more informed thanks to you. This is important and needed info.
Appreciate. Rec'd.
August 2, 2009 9:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks Aunt Sam!
I was actually inspired to finish this post by your list of changes to government you would like to see. I remembered that I wanted to start this series. I've got a few more I've come across that I will bring to the cafe in the next several months (this posting thing is time-consuming- I don't know how DD does it everyday).
August 2, 2009 10:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sorry to turn this into kinda tour of the world of concrete, got a little carried away. Still its neat stuff.
I know this beyond the usual political/economical fun fair, but I am genuinely worried about the problems that don't have relatively simple solutions like the fed quadrupling the money supply (The climate isn't interested in lower rates at the discount window, too bad really). In comparison Health Care is a cakewalk. We all know to do, we are just too cheap and greedy to step up to the plate yet, but we are getting there. Climate change will require some serious innovation and cooperation.
I remain hopeful.
August 2, 2009 9:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks for posting this. Is there a possible target in Obama's administration for citizen activism on similar issues?
I'm just wondering if we have a paradigm for making something happen in the near term, because otherwise, as you know, there is no long term.
August 2, 2009 10:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Gosh Rootie, I'm not exactly sure what you mean. I hear you on the near term/ long term analogy, but as far as targeting people I'm not sure the WH is the problem (unlike the economic bait n switch coming out of Larry and Timmy).
I mentioned earlier today on your blog about the Steve Chu choice. He has already made substantial changes in energy policy (like stoping funding for near term dead end boondoggles like the auto fuelcells and hydrogen storage systems). There was also the 70 billion in energy funding in the stimulus package. Despite my serious distaste with the CCP, I also see the unprecedented outreach and cooperation with China as a real positive development (e.f. they consume half of the concrete in the world; and their pollution on every level is nearly apocalyptic in scale)
Seems to me that like Health Care reform, all roads seem to point to the Senate, and in this case the power of the rural coal states lobby. That's one reason (of many) I would prefer a parliamentary system (see my comments in Aunt Sam's blog today).
I'd be interested to hear your thoughts though.
August 2, 2009 11:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Steve Chu "has already made substantial changes in energy policy (like stoping funding for near term dead end boondoggles like the auto fuelcells and hydrogen storage systems)."
I am underwhelmed.
Of course hydrogen fuel-cells for cars are a joke, but it's only a $200 million program, and it hasn't exactly gone away.
But this is a separate issue from the subject of your excellent blog, and you're totally right about the significance of Chu's initiative in China.
August 3, 2009 7:15 AM | Reply | Permalink
underwhelmed
Fair enough. Still, its something.
Curious though, did you check out my daily news link? That's one i figured would be of interest to you.
August 3, 2009 12:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh no, don't apoligize for this so brief introduction to cement - it is wonderful. Thank you.
August 3, 2009 8:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Cool. Great post.
August 2, 2009 11:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
That's fascinating. The 5 percent figure is probably too high, even if one acknowledges that part of cement manufacture entails fuel use -
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/1605/ggrpt/carbon.html
Nevertheless, anything that converts cement from a carbon positive to a carbon negative entity is welcome.
August 3, 2009 12:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks for stopping by Fred!
But don't confuse the US industry states with the global industry ones. Countries with pretty lax pollution laws (like China) produce alot of the cement. But you might be right that it could be a little on the high side (I'm no expert just a googler too, but the articles I link too almost all cited the 5% number as well).
August 3, 2009 12:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
I was about twelve, and my friends and I were all on our bikes. They took me to the 'new road'. All this cement. It was the Eisenhower freeway. It became 62 in the cities.
I never forgot that. We played in the trough and played with the great pieces of concrete.
I had no idea. Almost fifty years later about what you are talking about. Probably the greatest federal program ever initiated.
Strange....repercussions we could never have predicted really.
Great post. Thank you.
August 3, 2009 2:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hey. Interesting stuff... I had also previously noticed that same photo and posted it to my stumbleupon site.
August 3, 2009 2:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
I cannot help it. I love your avatar. does that make me shallow. I do not care. ahhahahahaha
August 3, 2009 3:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
Bob is honored, I'm sure!
August 3, 2009 4:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks for droping in Mike2! Do you have a link?
August 3, 2009 2:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'll get it to you offline.... Mike2 is a top secret identity, enabling me to say what I really think without fear of prosecution or persecution. If you remember my first and last name I'm highly googlable.
August 3, 2009 4:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hey, Saladin. I've spent some time on this, and there's real potential. The #1 difficulty - in my view - is the cartelized nature of this industry. Some very large - and quite nasty - lads play in this field. Here's a story a couple of days old, on the 5 convicted cartel members - still fighting the fines.
"FRANKFURT/ZURICH, June 29 (Reuters) - A German court has slashed the fines levied by antitrust authorities against five of the world's largest cement makers, citing difficulties in assessing the profits reaped from the collusion. The court in Duesseldorf nearly halved the total fines to 330 million euros ($462 million) from the 649 million euros initially imposed by the German Cartel Office in 2003 on companies including France's Lafarge, the world's largest cement maker, and Switzerland's Holcim, the second largest."
August 3, 2009 3:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
Holy shite
August 3, 2009 3:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hmmm, I had worried that the largest problem would be that Novacim would charge too much to license the technology so it would stay a LEED-platinum niche product (basically just a branding thing). But then I don't know the details of the industry.
Cartels are always tough. I guess my attitude is sort of a ruthless pragmatism. If the technology proves to be truly viable then it somehow must be made available to the whole world. Either mandate it, or force licensing agreements, or bribe (sorry-subsidize) them to make the technological switch... something.
I don't know what the future political solution might be. We have in the past nationalized industries that were too important to allow private control of. We will in the future too. But the truth is that we don't have a functioning world government that can adequately create the necessary agreements and legal changes that will be required to address climate change. Can we internationalize industries? With what, The UN? WTO? G8?-yeah right. But still, I remain hopeful.
Your a foreigner, what are your thoughts on possible solutions?
August 3, 2009 3:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
My view on this is pretty simple. Get demonstrations of the technology in place, as many as possible, as widespread as possible, as high profile as possible. Once the technology is thoroughly "out there," and tested and confirmed, it's almost impossible for them to put back in the box.
From there, the real whip-hand is CO2 legislation. You target the cement industry and hit 'em hard for reductions.
Backdoor, you have your environmental/health compliance people stomp on the existing cement plants. Those places are (often) hellholes. They'll burn ANYTHING, anything, just to get calorific value. Some of the things they like to burn include... garbage, as well as toxic/illegal waste. It's the dirty back alley of this industry. Their air emissions are also often not good.
So. 1. Do demonstrations and tests. 2. Crank up the CO2 legislation. 3. Have your regulators/inspectors ready to go.
August 3, 2009 2:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Q, How come we can't get you elected philosopher king of something?
That is an excellent strategy.
August 4, 2009 1:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
This is excellent news. Thanks for sharing it. I look forward to the series.
August 3, 2009 3:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yes an excellent post Saladin. Things to consider. What quantities of magnesium silicates are available? I remember reading about a gigantic breakthru in solar cell technology awhile back, improved conversion efficiency out the ying yang. Unfortunately it relied on some obscure material that's rarer than hen's teeth so not practical for large scale production.
If magnesium silicates are widely available and there aren't any other manufacturing or political problems with this I'd think the cost savings from lower temp kilns alone would drive the industry in this direction.
August 3, 2009 8:03 AM | Reply | Permalink
BTW another cool thing you might look into is solar panel paint for buildings. They're working on it at universities in Wales and NC.
August 3, 2009 8:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
I believe it exists in California now, Mark. NPR's Science Friday had a segment about it a year or more ago. There is some entrepreneurial stuff happening in the silicon fading Silicon Valley. Solar paint for roofing was described by the guest on that radio show. Very exciting.
August 3, 2009 3:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Cement is pretty heavy, so plants are widely distributed to reduce shipping cost by barge or rail. What is the distribution of mineable magnesium silicate rocks, compared with limestone?
The cement industry in the US is mainly foreign-owned (>80%). Demand for cement has fallen over 40% in this recession, and is unlikely to pick up much because commercial building is still declining. Does the industry have the finances and incentives to change processes?
August 3, 2009 9:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hi Merrill- I don't know the industry details, but if viable then we should find the right policy to make it widespread.
August 3, 2009 1:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think it was just last year that builders in FL were complaining that there wasn't enough cement because the stuff was all being shipped to China.
August 3, 2009 5:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
I would assume that if they pass some sort of Cap and Trade legislation, the Cement Industry would not be exempt -- and would be most anxious to find a way to lessen the amount of Carbon released into the atmosphere when cooking their limestone, for example. This would be the necessary incentive to change processes. Question is, who would own the credits for putting in a carbon absorbing roadbed? (ie, who would own the tradable credits for absorbing Co2?) Would the State and Federal Governments own, and be able to sell those credits given that they and their taxpayer owners paid for the roadbeds? Or would they not be all that smart, and just negotiate or give away the credits?
As to magnesium silicates, I think there are vast amounts of this on the ocean floors, fairly easy to mine and recover by robotic techniques. (Mining the stuff was the CIA's Cover Story for the Glomar Explorer back in the 70's -- the ship the CIA had Howard Hughes build so as to recover the Soviet Sub that sank off Hawaii). If you go back and look at the absolutely technically correct "cover story" for Glomar -- you'll get all the information you need for how to mine seabed Magnesium silicate.
August 3, 2009 12:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thats Fascinating Sara. Good questions and thank you for the historic tidbit. I love fun vignettes like that I will definitely look that up.
August 3, 2009 1:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Solutions, Saladin. Even potential solutions...Thank you for this post which energizes.
August 3, 2009 1:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Really cool story.
I'm curious how or if pozzolan works in this new type of concrete. Like you say, often cement companies will put coal ash into concrete to greatly increase its strength. It creates strength, diminishes the need to landfill ash, and replaces a large amount of portland cement--the making of which releases so much CO2. This practice has been touted as a way to reduce concrete's carbon footprint and end up with better concrete and was increasing in popularity.
One big reason that the Roman aqueducts are still standing today is because they discovered that adding volcanic ash into their concrete mixes made the concrete amazingly strong.
August 3, 2009 2:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Cool stuff--for the far future, is there a potential problem that this stuff will release the co2 it collected? (We would need to plan for that.)
Now if you could put on your thinking cap and figure out a way to use seawater to make concrete it would be great...I'm told it's possible but the concrete is not strong.
August 3, 2009 3:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think the problem is the sodium in seawater. The sodium causes the alkali-silica reaction which increases pressure inside the concrete itself and can cause failure. I've no idea what seawater would do in this new magnesium-silicate concrete Saladin's talking about, though.
August 3, 2009 4:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, it does indeed sound like the concrete is binding CO2, rather than consuming it. The details are a bit unclear.
August 3, 2009 6:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Karl, You're probably right. I'm not a chemist but I am pretty sure that they must bind. I linked to the articles so you can do your own investigations.
Also, I know I have said this before, but your avatar was one of my absolute favorites around here. I really wish you would bring back the beard.
August 3, 2009 10:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Excellent, Sal. Looking forward to the rest of this series!
August 3, 2009 6:10 PM | Reply | Permalink