Groundbreaking: Recipe for zero-carbon cement discovered

27 May 2024 CW Team

Concrete production is a significant contributor to global CO2 emissions, accounting for approximately 8% of the total. However, recycling concrete into a usable form for new structures has been challenging.

Efforts to make concrete more environmentally friendly have included altering its composition to reduce pollution, such as substituting less harmful ingredients like limestone, or designing concrete to absorb more CO2 from the atmosphere over time. In this study, researchers from Cambridge explored the conversion of waste concrete back into clinker, the dry component of cement, for reuse.

Dr Cyrille Dunant, the lead author of the study, mentioned having a notion from previous research that crushing old concrete, removing sand and stones, heating the cement to eliminate water, and then forming clinker might be feasible. They experimented with using an electric arc furnace, commonly employed for recycling steel, to aid this process.

In traditional steel recycling using an electric arc furnace, a flux material, typically lime, is utilised to purify the steel. This substance captures impurities, rises to the surface, and forms a protective layer to prevent exposure to air. Afterward, the used flux is discarded as waste.

In the Cambridge method, the lime flux was replaced with recycled cement paste. Remarkably, not only was the steel successfully purified, but the leftover slag could be rapidly cooled to produce new Portland cement. The resulting concrete exhibited similar performance to conventional concrete.

A breakthrough from Cambridge aimed at tackling CO2 emissions from concrete and steel production simultaneously. It suggests that throwing old concrete into steel-processing furnaces could yield both purified iron and reactivated cement as a byproduct, potentially leading to carbon-zero cement production if renewable energy is used. Concrete production is a significant contributor to global CO2 emissions, accounting for approximately 8% of the total. However, recycling concrete into a usable form for new structures has been challenging. Efforts to make concrete more environmentally friendly have included altering its composition to reduce pollution, such as substituting less harmful ingredients like limestone, or designing concrete to absorb more CO2 from the atmosphere over time. In this study, researchers from Cambridge explored the conversion of waste concrete back into clinker, the dry component of cement, for reuse. Dr Cyrille Dunant, the lead author of the study, mentioned having a notion from previous research that crushing old concrete, removing sand and stones, heating the cement to eliminate water, and then forming clinker might be feasible. They experimented with using an electric arc furnace, commonly employed for recycling steel, to aid this process. In traditional steel recycling using an electric arc furnace, a flux material, typically lime, is utilised to purify the steel. This substance captures impurities, rises to the surface, and forms a protective layer to prevent exposure to air. Afterward, the used flux is discarded as waste. In the Cambridge method, the lime flux was replaced with recycled cement paste. Remarkably, not only was the steel successfully purified, but the leftover slag could be rapidly cooled to produce new Portland cement. The resulting concrete exhibited similar performance to conventional concrete.

Infrastructure Urban

16 May 2025

3i Infotech Reports Rs 7.25 Bn Revenue for FY25

3i Infotech, a leading provider of digital transformation, technology services and technology solutions, announced its consolidated financial results for the fourth quarter and full year FY25, ended on March 31st, 2025. The company maintained its growth momentum, displaying consistent progress for the 3rd consecutive quarter.In Q4 FY25, 3i Infotech reported revenue of Rs 1.87 billion, reflecting steady performance compared to Rs 1.81 billion in Q3 FY25 and Rs 1.97 billion in Q4 FY24. The company delivered strong profitability improvements, with gross margin growing by 14.8 per cent Q-o-Q and 1..

Infrastructure Urban

16 May 2025

Emerald Finance Joins Baya PTE to Boost SME Bill Discounting

Emerald Finance is a dynamic company offering a spectrum of financial products and services including its flagship Earned Wage Access (EWA) in India, has entered into a strategic partnership with Singapore-based Baya PTE through its Indian subsidiary. This collaboration aims to strengthen bill discounting services for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), enabling faster access to working capital and improved cash flow management.The initiative is designed to support SMEs that supply to large corporates such as JSW Steel, Delhivery, and PVR INOX, among others. By facilitating timely invoice dis..

Infrastructure Urban

16 May 2025

BLS E-Services Crosses Rs 5 Bn Revenue Mark in FY25

BLS E-Services, a technology-enabled digital service provider, announced its audited consolidated financial results for the quarter and full year period ended 31 March 2025.Speaking about the performance and recent updates, Shikhar Aggarwal, Chairman, BLS E- Services said, “We are delighted to report a remarkable performance in FY25, as we achieved several milestones during the fiscal year. FY25 marked our highest-ever financial performance, as we surpassed Rs 5 billion milestone in Total Income during the year, which was reported at Rs 5.45 billion, a notable YoY growth of 76 per cent. The ..

Groundbreaking: Recipe for zero-carbon cement discovered

3i Infotech Reports Rs 7.25 Bn Revenue for FY25

Emerald Finance Joins Baya PTE to Boost SME Bill Discounting

BLS E-Services Crosses Rs 5 Bn Revenue Mark in FY25

Latest Updates

Advertisement

Recommended for you

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Modal Heading

First Name *

Last Name *

Industry *

Email Address *

Mobile Number *

Password *

Confirm Password *

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Email Address *

Password *

Please enter the details

Email Address

Modal Heading

First Name *

Last Name *

Industry *

Email Address *

Mobile Number *

Password *

Confirm Password *

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Email Address *

Password *

Please enter the details

Email Address