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An overview of Future Concretes

Explore novel concrete technologies addressing practical supply chain and economic issues, including energy. Discover the benefits of using alternative mineral binder systems for more environmentally friendly and cost-effective concrete materials. Learn about the need for innovation in the industry and the potential for making money through innovation. Discover the opportunities for reducing costs and improving concrete properties by focusing on the process and materials used.

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An overview of Future Concretes

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  1. An overview of Future Concretes An overview of the alternative mineral binder systems and composites made with them including novel concrete technologies addressing practical supply chain and economic issues including energy www.tececo.com www.propubs.com

  2. Why Future Concretes? • What’s wrong with the concrete we use made with Portland Cement? • Embodied energy and emissions, shrinkage, durability, placement, tensile strength etc. etc. Not optimised for lifetime energy reduction. • We can make better more environmentally friendly materials but what about the cost? • Better concretes don’t necessarily produce more and those producing them will make more money. • Concrete made for purpose = Higher Margin? • Architectural façade, insulative properties, permeable pavement etc.

  3. The Business Model • The industry model is like Woolworths or Coles. Head on competition. Low margins resulting in a reliance on turnover volume and cost control to produce profits. • This model is past its use by date. • "Firms need to embrace innovation to remain competitive. Future job creation will come as companies transform and adopt new practices. Putting it simply, firms that innovate will survive and be the market leaders of tomorrow." Source: Senator the Hon Kim Carr 24 Aug 2011 • The need to innovate under a carbon price and trading system is significantly greater than without. • Given our problems the need to innovate goes beyond the immediate needs of the industry. There are other stakeholders • Innovation recognises new markets

  4. Making Money Through Innovation • In Australia rules relating to the new R & D Tax Incentive have changed. The new scheme effective 1 July 2011 is more generous. • Make a $1 and pay 30c corporate tax • Spend a $1 to innovate thereby ensuring future profits and adding value to your balance sheet and the government will give you either 40 or 45c as a grant. • That’s a 70 - 75c difference! • Given the changes the industry business model needs to change. • TecEco are also changing their business model. We are going to register as a Research Service Provider (RSP) and become more aligned with the University of Tasmania to attract student power under my supervision. • The leverage provided by students will increase the value of investing in R & D to well over a dollar.

  5. What we Sell in the Industry • Managers in the concrete industry seem to misunderstand what we sell. • They think we sell Portland cement and concrete made with it. • My analysis is that what we sell is the technical confidence in a liquid that sets as a solid material and it really would not matter what either was provided we could demonstrate technical merit and suitable properties.

  6. Increases in Business Performance from the Previous Year, by Innovation Status 2008-9

  7. Some of the Issues? The Techno Process Primary Production Process Build, & Manufacture Use Dispose Underlying Molecular Flows Disposeor Waste Process,Build &Manufacture Use PrimaryProduction NOX & SOX Heavy Metals CO2etc. MethaneNOX & SOX Heavy MetalsCO2etc. Methane NOX & SOXHeavy MetalsCO2etc. NOX & SOX Heavy Metals CO2etc. Lifetime Energy Embodied & Process Energy Process Energy Embodied & Process Energy

  8. Predicted Global Cement Demand and Emissions Source: Quillin K. Low-CO2 Cements based on Calcium Sulfoaluminate [Internet]. Available from: http://www.soci.org/News/~/media/Files/Conference%20Downloads/Low%20Carbon%20Cements%20Nov%2010/Sulphoaluminate_Cements_Keith_Quillin_R.ashx

  9. Energy Outlook to 2035 Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration. International Energy Outlook 2010 [Internet]. U.S. Energy Information Administration; 2010 [cited 2010 Sep 5]. Available from: www.eia.gov./oiaf/ieo/index.html

  10. Global Waste – An Underestimate! The challenge is to convert waste to resource.

  11. There are Huge Change Opportunities • A wide variety of possible end uses with higher potential margins for which current solutions are sub-optimal. • E.g. Addessing properties affecting lifetime energy. • E.g. Mineral composites with higher “R” value • E.g. Particle boards made with mineral binders • E.g. Exterior structural panels with insulating properties • Huge opportunities for reducing the cost base and improving the properties of concretes by focusing on the process by which they are made and what they are made with. • A few tweaks to the formulations • Major changes to the process and some • Lateral thinking in relation to aggregates. • Every improvement counts but quantum improvements really matter – If implemented! • Implementation issue because of the low level of skills in the industry

  12. Our Mantra • Think outside the square. • Spend more time thinking (R & D) less time doing (earning low margins). • We cannot solve problems doing the same old thing in the same old way. • The technology paradigm defines what is or is not a resource. • Improvements through innovation = profit! • Think whole of material and whole of system • Refine definition of what’s important and what is not

  13. Example of a Decision Matrix to Help us Improve the Future

  14. Future Cement ContendersPortland Cement • http://www.tececo.com/files/spreadsheets/TecEcoCementLCA12Oct2011.xls

  15. The Potential of CO2 Release and Capture - Portland Cements Split Process with Capture during Manufacture No Capture during Manufacture Capture during Manufacture CO2 capture (e.g. N-Mg process etc.) CO2 capture (e.g. N-Mg process etc.) CO2 in atmosphere Net Emissions (Sequestration) 0.369 Kg CO2/Kg product Net Emissions (Sequestration) 0.369 kg CO2/kg product Net Emissions (Sequestration) 0.867 kg CO2/kg product CaCO3 CaCO3 + Clays CaCO3 + Clays CaO + Clays H2O H2O H2O Net Energy 3962 kJ/kg product Net Energy 3962 kJ/kg product Net Energy 3962 kJ/kg product Clinker Clinker Clinker Hydrated Cement Paste Hydrated Cement Paste Hydrated Cement Paste Net sequestration less carbon from process emissions Carbon positive. Chemical and process emissions Carbon positive. Chemical and process emissions Use of non fossil fuels => Low or no process emissions Source Data: http://www.tececo.com/files/spreadsheets/TecEcoCementLCA12Oct2011.xls

  16. Future Cement ContendersMg Group http://www.tececo.com/files/spreadsheets/TecEcoCementLCA12Oct2011.xls http://www.tececo.com/files/newsletters/Newsletter93.php

  17. The Potential of CO2 Release and Capture Magnesium Carbonating SystemMgCO3 Route using TecEco Tec-Kiln No Capture during Manufacture With Capture during Manufacture <7250C CO2 capture (e.g. N-Mg process etc.) CO2 Net Emissions (Sequestration) .085 kg CO2/kg product CO2 from atmosphere Net Emissions (Sequestration) 0.403 Kg CO2/Kg product MgCO3 MgCO3 H2O H2O H2O Net Energy 4084 kJ/kg product H2O Net Energy 4084 kJ/kg product MgO MgO Mg(OH)2 Mg(OH)2 H2O H2O Net sequestration less carbon from process emissions Carbon neutral except for carbon from process emissions Use of non fossil fuels => Low or no process emissions Source Data: http://www.tececo.com/files/spreadsheets/TecEcoCementLCA14Feb2011.xls

  18. The Potential of CO2 Release and Capture Magnesium Carbonating SystemMgCO3.3H20 Route using TecEco Tec Kiln No Capture during Manufacture With Capture during Manufacture <4200C CO2 capture (e.g. N-Mg process etc.) Net Emissions (Sequestration) - .399kg CO2/kg product CO2 CO2 from atmosphere Net Emissions (Sequestration) 0.693 Kg CO2/Kg product MgCO3.3H2O MgCO3.3H2O H2O H2O H2O Net Energy 7140 kJ/kg product H2O Net Energy 7140 kJ/kg product MgO MgO Mg(OH)2 Mg(OH)2 H2O H2O Net sequestration less carbon from process emissions Carbon neutral except for carbon from process emissions Use of non fossil fuels => Low or no process emissions Source Data: http://www.tececo.com/files/spreadsheets/TecEcoCementLCA14Feb2011.xls

  19. Gaia Engineering • kg CO2-e/kg product • -1.092 • -.399 • -1.092 • >2 kg CO2-e/kg Mg product 2 3 1 Or similar. The annual world production of HCl is about 20 million tons, most of which is captive (about 5 million tons on the merchant market). 

  20. The N-Mg Process HCl NH3 and a small amount of CO2 MgCO3.3H2O CO2 Mg rich water MgO Tec-Kiln Ammoniacal Mg rich water Mg(OH)2 H2O MgO Steam MgCO3.3H2O Filter NH4Cl and a small amount of NH4HCO3 Filter A Modified Solvay Process for Nesquehonite

  21. The Tec-Reactor HydroxideCarbonate Capture Cycle • The solubility of carbon dioxide gas in seawater • Increases as the temperature approached zero and • Is at a maxima around 4oC • This phenomenon is related to the chemical nature of CO2 and water and • Can be utilised in a carbonate – hydroxide slurry process to capture CO2 out of the air and release it for storage or use in a controlled manner

  22. Gaia Engineering Portland CementManufacture CaO TecEcoTec-Kiln MgO Industrial CO2 Clays Brine, Seawater, Oil Process water, De Sal Waste Water etc . GBFS TecEcoCementManufacture N-Mg Process MgCO3.3H2O Fly ash Eco-Cements Tec-Cements NH4Cl or HCl FreshWater Buildingcomponents & aggregates Other wastes

  23. Man Made CarbonateAggregate? Source USGS: Cement Pages

  24. Magnesium Carbonate Cements • Magnesite (MgCO3) and the di, tri, and pentahydrates known as barringtonite (MgCO3·2H2O), nesquehonite (MgCO3·3H2O), and lansfordite (MgCO3·5H2O), respectively. • Some basic forms such as artinite (MgCO3·Mg(OH)2·3H2O),hydromagnestite (4MgCO3·Mg(OH)2·4H2O) and dypingite (4MgCO3· Mg(OH)2·5H2O) also occur as minerals. • We pointed out as early as 2001 that magnesium carbonates are ideal for sequestration as building materials mainly because a higher proportion of CO2 than with calcium can be bound and significant strength can be achieved. • The significant strength is a result of increased density through carbonation (high molar volume increases) and the microstructure developed by some forms.

  25. TecEco Eco-Cements Eco-Cements are blends of one or more hydraulic cements and relatively high proportions of reactive magnesia with or without pozzolans and supplementary cementitious additions. They will only carbonate in gas permeable substrates forming strong fibrous minerals. Water vapour and CO2 must be available for carbonation to ensue. Eco-Cements can be used in a wide range of products from foamed concretes to bricks, blocks and pavers, mortars renders, grouts and pervious concretes such as our own permeacocrete. Somewhere in the vicinity of the Pareto proportion (80%) of conventional concretes could be replaced by Eco-Cement. Left: Recent Eco-Cement blocks made, transported and erected in a week. Laying and Eco-Cement floor. Eco-Cement mortar & Eco-cement mud bricks. Right: Eco-Cement permeacocretes and foamed concretes

  26. TecEco Tec-Kiln, N-Mg route The calcination of nesquehonite has a relatively high enthalpy but there is significant scope for reducing energy using waste heat Initial weight loss below 1000 C consists almost entirely of water (1.3 molecules per molecule of nesquehonite). Between 100 and 1500C volatilization of further water is associated with a small loss of carbon dioxide (~3-5 %). From 1500C to 2500C, the residual water content varies between 0-6 and 0-2 molecules per molecule of MgC03. Above 3000C, loss of carbon dioxide becomes appreciable and is virtually complete by 4200C, leaving MgO with a small residual water content. Energy could be saved using a two stage calcination process using waste energy for the first stage. Dell, R. M. and S. W. Weller (1959). "The Thermal Decomposition of Nesquehonite MgCO3 3H20 And Magnesium Ammonium Carbonate MgCO3 (NH4)2CO3 4H2O." Trans Faraday Soc 55(10): 2203 - 2220.

  27. Modified PC 50% Ternary Mix withN-Mg Route Mg Carbonate Aggregate • 25-30% improvement in strength • Fast first set • Better Rheology • Less shrinkage – less cracking • Less bleeding • Long term durability • Solve autogenous shrinkage?

  28. Magnesium Phosphate Cements • Chemical cements that rely on the precipitation of insoluble magnesium phosphate from a mix of magnesium oxide and a soluble phosphate. • Some of the oldest binders known (dung +MgO) • Potentially very green • if the magnesium oxide used is made with no releases or via the nesquehonite (N-Mg route) and • a way can be found to utilise waste phosphate from intensive agriculture and fisheries e.g. feedlots. (Thereby solving another environmental problem)

  29. Sorel Type Cements and Derivatives Sorel Type Cements and Derivatives are all nano or mechano composites relying on a mix of ionic, co-valent and polar bonding. There are a very large number of permutations and combinations and thus a large number of patents

  30. Future Cement Contenders • http://www.tececo.com/files/spreadsheets/TecEcoCementLCA12Oct2011.xls • Quillin, K. and P. Nixon (2006). Environmentally Friendly MgO-based cements to support sustainable construction - Final report, British Research Establishment.

  31. Future Cement Contenders • http://www.tececo.com/files/spreadsheets/TecEcoCementLCA12Oct2011.xls • http://www.geopolymers.com.au/science/sustainability

  32. CaO-Lime

  33. Geopolymers Geopolymers as a future concrete suffer from two basic flaws on one very high risk Flaw. 1. The nanoporisity flaw which leads to durability problems and Flaw. 2. The fact that water is not consumed in the geopolymerisation process resulting in the almost impossible task of making them fluid enough for placement. Too much water reduces alkalinity and hence the high risk.

  34. Other Contenders • Slag cements a variant of Portland cement as CSH is the main product. • Supersulfated cements have potential as they are made mostly from GBFS and gypsum which are wastes and only a small amount of PC or lime. The main hydration product is ettringite and they show good resistance to aggressive agents including sulphate but are slow to set. (A derivative) • Calcium aluminate cements are hydraulic cements made from limestone and bauxite. The main components are monocalcium aluminate CaAl2O4 (CA) and mayenite Ca12Al14O33 (C12A7) which hydrate to give strength. Calcium aluminate cements are chemically resistant and stable to quite high temperatures. • Calcium sulfoaluminate cements & belite calcium sulfoaluminate cements are low energy cements that have the potential to be made from industrial by products such as low calcium fly ash and sulphur rich wastes. The main hydration product producing strength is ettringite. Their use has been pioneered in China (A derivative)

  35. Other Contenders • Belite cements can be made at a lower temperature and contains less lime than Portland cement and therefore has much lower embodied energy and emissions. Cements containing predominantly belite are slower to set but otherwise have satisfactory properties. Many early Portland type cements such as Rosendale cement were rich in belite like phases. (a variant, See http://www.tececo.com/links.cement_rosendale.php.) • PC - MgO – GBFS – fly ash blends. MgO is the most powerful new tool in hydraulic cement blends since the revelation that reactive magnesia can be blended with other hydraulic cements such as Portland cement. 25-30% improvements in compressive strength and greater improvements in tensile strength, faster first set, better rheology and less shrinkage and cracking less bleeding and long term durability have been demonstrated. It is also possible autogenous shrinkage has been solved. • MgO blended with other hydraulic cements, pozzolans and supplementary cementitious materials (SCM’s). Amazingly very little real research has been done on optimised blends particularly with cements other than Portland cement.

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