Carbon Dioxide-Reducing Cement and Concrete Technology Advances with Funding Support from DOE National Energy Technology Laboratory

The carbon footprint of the cement and concrete industry will be smaller, and commercialization of a new sustainable cement and concrete will be accelerated, thanks to a four-year research and development project co-funded by the US Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and startup, Solidia Technologies®.

The ongoing research project is funded with US$1.1 million from the NETL through its Carbon Storage Technology program and US$1 million from Solidia Technologies as cost share. The research focus includes mechanical strength, water use, and curing time of Solidia Cement™-based concrete, which reacts with CO2 instead of water. NETL supports Solidia Cement technology because of its potential to consume CO2 as it cures, based on NETL’s mission to support the development of technologies that reduce or avoid man-made greenhouse gases emitted to the atmosphere.

The most recent focus of the research includes improving the understanding of water distribution in concrete during the drying and curing process and how that water distribution can be controlled to allow concrete curing in the shortest period of time. The research demonstrated that Solidia Concrete™ can achieve full hardness in less time than traditional concrete made from ordinary Portland cement (OPC). In every application studied, Solidia Concrete cures in less than 24 hours as compared to the curing time of 28 days required for OPC-based concrete to achieve full hardness. In addition, at every stage of curing, Solidia Concrete parts match or exceed the strength of comparable products made with OPC-based concrete.

The research findings demonstrate that, when the reduced CO2 emissions associated with Solidia Cement production are combined with the CO2 reacted into Solidia Concrete, the CO2 footprint of precast concrete products can be reduced by up to 70 percent.

“As an alternative building material with a lower carbon footprint, Solidia Cement is an excellent example of the innovative technologies DOE’s Carbon Storage Program advances in its mission to promote solutions for reducing CO2 emissions,” stated NETL Carbon Storage Technology Manager Traci Rodosta. “We’re hopeful that the commercial success of Solidia Cement will encourage the view that CO2 has untapped value as a commodity.”

In the project’s next stage, research will focus on demonstrating this CO2 reduction and storage capability on a prototype scale in a commercial concrete plant.

"We are grateful for the R&D funding from the DOE's National Energy Technology Laboratory, which has enabled Solidia Technologies to refine and accelerate the commercialization of a new technology that provides a sustainable pathway for the cement and concrete industry," commented Solidia’s Chief Technology Officer, Nicholas DeCristofaro, Ph.D.