Green cement may set CO2 fate in concrete
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...MNGD12936I.DTL
I found this article that I thought may be of interest to the civil engineers here. Some highlights from the article:
Quote:
Constantz says he has invented a green cement that could eliminate the huge amounts of carbon dioxide spewed into the atmosphere by the manufacturers of the everyday cement used in concrete for buildings, roadways and bridges.
He pointed to two enormous smokestacks billowing flue gases full of carbon dioxide next door at Dynegy, one of the West's biggest and cleanest power plants.
Constantz takes that exhaust gas and bubbles it through seawater pumped from across the highway. The chemical process creates the key ingredient for his green cement and allows him to sequester a half ton of carbon dioxide from the smokestacks in every ton of cement he makes.
Constantz believes his cement would tackle global warming on two fronts. It would eliminate the need to heat limestone, which releases CO{-2}. And harmful emissions can be siphoned away from power plants and locked into the cement.
As far as cost, Constantz estimates his cement would retail for $100 a ton versus roughly $110 for Portland.
|
If the efficiency gained by manufacturing using waste heat and gasses allows for lower cost, then it should be a popular product once it's proven out.