Electrochemical Synthesis of Calcium Silicate Hydrate for Low Carbon Cement
Source abstract
Abstract
Ordinary Portland cement clinker consists predominantly of tricalcium silicate (alite), along with concentrations of dicalcium silicate (belite). Belite forms at lower temperatures than alite (1200 °C c.f. 1500 °C). Here, we report a continuous electrochemical reactor that uses electricity to convert limestone and silica into calcium silicate hydrate (“eCSH”). When heated, this eCSH is converted into belite. Importantly, this belite formed at merely 650 °C ( c.f. 1200 °C when formed from conventional limestone and SiO 2 ). We also show we can form eCSH and, in turn, belite from waste cement, a process calculated to emit only 20 kg of CO 2 per ton of belite-rich cement clinker ( c.f. 800 kg of CO 2 per ton of ordinary Portland cement clinker). This study therefore presents a credible path for decreasing the thermal demand and CO 2 emissions for cement production by 70% and 98%, respectively.
Source: openalex_inverted_index · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Concrete and Cement Materials Research · CO2 Sequestration and Geologic Interactions · Chemical Looping and Thermochemical Processes
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Department of Chemistry, The University of British Columbia, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z1, Canada
Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute, The University of British Columbia, 2355 East Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
Department of Physics and Astronomy, 6224 Agricultural Road, Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z1, Canada
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The University of British Columbia, 2360 East Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), 661 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1M1, Canada
Funding
Canada Foundation for Innovation · Canada Research Chairs · Canada First Research Excellence Fund · Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada · Canadian Institute for Advanced Research · Government of Canada’s New Frontiers in Research Fund
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