Strength Enhancing Concrete Using CO2

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The Problem:

Concrete with ordinary Portland cement (OPC) as the main binder is the most widely used construction material in the world.  However, the concrete industry has a huge impact on the environment. The production of OPC is highly energy-intensive and responsible for approximately 8% of global CO2 emissions.  This is an unsustainable energy and CO2 burden, especially for  a material that is manufactured at the scale of  >4.5 billion tons  per year.

The Solution:

Researchers at the University of Alabama have developed a method of reducing the CO2 emission of concrete by 20% through enhancing the compressive strength of the concrete by using CO2 as an admixture. The process consists of carbonating a calcium-rich slurry and then mixing the slurry with other ingredients of concrete. A functional biomolecule is added to regulate the carbonation process of the slurry. As a result, the compressive strength of the concrete can be significantly improved, and less concrete needs to be produced each year, lowering CO2 emissions.

Benefits:

• This invention is an improvement on a granted patent (US Patent 10,392,305).
• Much higher strength improvement (over 30%) can be achieved (comparison with the moderate 10%   increase obtained in existing technology).
• Environmentally/climate friendly: lowers CO2 emissions.

The University of Alabama Research Office of Innovation and Commercialization (OIC) is a non-profit corpo­ration that is responsible for commercializing University of Alabama technologies and for supporting University research. At OIC, we seek parties that are interested in learning more about our technologies and commercialization opportunities, and we welcome any inquiries you may have.