Magnesium ions are abundant in seawater, and researchers have found a way to convert them into a magnesium-based cement that absorbs carbon dioxide.
The cement industry is currently one of the largest CO2 emitters in the world.
Magnesium ions are abundant in seawater, and researchers have found a way to convert them into a magnesium-based cement that absorbs carbon dioxide.
The cement industry is currently one of the biggest emitters of CO2 in the world, and although this seawater-derived cement is not currently suitable for reinforced concrete, could be easily adopted for small scale use on sidewalks, masonry and paving.
The manufacturing process requires a similar amount of energy as normal cementbut if the electricity used comes from carbon-free sources, the overall process would consume carbon instead of emitting it, keeping it out of the atmosphere.
Contents
Decarbonated magnesium-based cement.
Researchers report a process for converting magnesium ions in seawater into magnesium hydroxides and then into magnesium-based cement that absorbs carbon dioxide; magnesium-based cement has a compressive strength comparable to Portland cement and, although the process requires an amount of energy per tonne similar to that of making Portland cement and is currently unsuitable for use in conventional reinforced concrete, the overall process would consume rather than emit of carbon dioxide if the electricity it supplies to the electrochemical processing stage came from carbon-free sources, according to the authors.
Going through www.scimex.org