Posted on 04/30/2018 3:58:45 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Concrete is one of the most widely used building materials in the world, but it also is responsible for about 5% of all global carbon dioxide emissions according to the Earth Institute at Columbia University. Those emissions result directly from the conversion of limestone into cement and indirectly by burning fuel to heat the limestone to 1400º C, the temperature required to initiate the conversion process.
“Cement manufacturing is highly energy and emissions intensive because of the extreme heat required to produce it. Producing a ton of cement requires 4.7 million BTU of energy, equivalent to about 400 pounds of coal, and generates nearly a ton of CO2. Given its high emissions and critical importance to society, cement is an obvious place to look to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” says the Earth Institute.
Scientists at the University of Exeter have developed a pioneering new technique that uses nano-engineering technology to incorporate graphene into traditional concrete production. The resulting product is more than twice as strong and four times more water resistant than existing concrete. The graphene-reinforced concrete also greatly reduces the carbon emissions normally associated with making cement. The research was published Advanced Functional Materials last week.
Professor Monica Craciun is the co-author of the paper. She says,
“Our cities face a growing pressure from global challenges on pollution, sustainable urbanization and resilience to catastrophic natural events, amongst others. This new composite material is an absolute game-changer in terms of reinforcing traditional concrete to meets these needs. Not only is it stronger and more durable, but it is also more resistant to water, making it uniquely suitable for construction in areas which require maintenance work and are difficult to be accessed .
“Yet perhaps more importantly, by including graphene we can reduce the amount of materials required to make concrete by around 50 per cent — leading to a significant reduction of 446 kilograms per ton of the carbon emissions. This unprecedented range of functionalities and properties uncovered are an important step in encouraging a more sustainable, environmentally-friendly construction industry worldwide.”
The researchers have created a new technique that focuses on suspending atomically thin graphene in water. The process is low in cost, has few defects in the end product, and is compatible with current large scale manufacturing requirements.
Dimitar Dimov, lead author of the report, says, “This ground-breaking research is important as it can be applied to large-scale manufacturing and construction. The industry has to be modernized by incorporating not only off-site manufacturing, but innovative new materials as well.
“Finding greener ways to build is a crucial step forward in reducing carbon emissions around the world and so help protect our environment as much as possible. It is the first step, but a crucial step in the right direction to make a more sustainable construction industry for the future.”
What can we do about BS emissions?
Carbon is not a pollutant.
They are finding amazing uses for graphene. Now to find a feasible way of manufacturing graphene in the first place.
“Yet perhaps more importantly, by including graphene we can reduce the amount of materials required to make concrete by around 50 per cent — leading to a significant reduction of 446 kilograms per ton of the carbon emissions.”
ROFLMAO. Key quote: “...446 kilograms per ton...”
The professor said that.
I don’t care how smart she is in finding innovative uses for a substance still not being fully-utilized for its benefits: She’s awfully dumb.
That, or clearly even the educated among us have extreme difficulty in transferring to the metric system.
“Educated” being a word used quite loosely when referring to a person bound to the climate change religion...
They lost me on the first line. Volcanoes and cow farts vastly eclipse carbon emissions from human activity.
The most honest measure of greenness is the price. If it costs more, more energy is being consumed somewhere. If graphene infused concrete is really greener it will be cheaper. If not, it's a simple matter to track down where the extra carbon emissions are coming from: just follow the money.
Physicists accidentally discover explosive way to make graphene
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/3517890/posts
Yea gota reduce that 0.04% CO2 in the atmosphere
You know I don’t give a CRAP about carbon emissions!, But if it makes concrete better, stronger, and cheaper? I’m on board!
I thought it was generated from the forehead of Zeus. That's why it will replace almost everything, while doing a better job.
Graphene is nothing more than a researchers way of acquiring more funds to chase said pipe dream.
Anyway, I think she is saying that emission of 2000 pounds (or 2200 pounds if it's a metric ton) of CO2 today would be reduced by 446 kilograms (about 200 pounds less CO2).
If you can make the process more efficient and produce a product of at least equal quality, I say go for it!
I’d read many years ago that the one animal that emits more CO2 than all others combined was the termite. Something about how there was so many of them and the way they digested plant material.
Better rethink that one...446 kilos is almost 1000 lbs.
It’s Soot! Chimney Sweep strikes it rich at last!
Or just mix in fly ash instead. Readily available and really cheap.
I have this suspicion that graphene is going to be the next asbestos.
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