‘Almost too beautiful to be true’

Scientists at the University of Michigan managed to return the entire cement production process to its head, considerably reducing carbon pollution in the short and long -term.

Only the cement seems quite harmless to the ordinary observer. We walk on it, drive it and observe it in everything, skyscrapers. It is as common to us as to sleep and wake up in the morning.

However, behind this facade of humdrum is the second most important driving force unfavorable pollution in the industrial sector. It is true – the production of cement is a colossal factor.

Fortunately, UM researchers have discovered a new method that changes very little throughout the manufacturing process. Often, discoveries take a long time to deploy, thanks to the cost and the workforce.

In this case, the only thing that changes is limestone, a primary ingredient in cement. When heated, limestone releases carbon dioxide, not to mention carbon dioxide released via the heating process.

Since the quantity of carbon dioxide captured from the air is equal or exceeds the quantity that would have been released by the traditional process, the new method is close to the neutral of carbon at worst and negative carbon at best.

Anyway, it is a major improvement in relation to a process that Contributes 5% to 8% of carbon dioxide pollution through the planet. The particular here, which is so often the objective, is the budgetary soul of the project. Is it more profitable than the traditional method?

As mentioned above, new methods, discoveries and technologies are so often hampered by the cost consumers are ready to absorb. In this case, consumers would be the industrial engines of the world.

Capturing carbon carbon dioxide is not a cheap process, although none heated lime in an oven. According to Tech XploreXiao Kun Lu, a doctoral student in chemical engineering at the Northwestern University, said: “As the current strategy requires a minimum modification or without modification of the business-The cement factories accustomed, it has low entry barriers to adopt by large cement companies. “”

If this is the case, the economic factor is at best negligible, which makes the whole effort a huge breakthrough in the manufacture of cement. If each manufacturer of cement worldwide adopts this new methodology, that 5% to 8% would be canceled.

Of course, like everything else, the news must be taken with caution. Launching new industrial manufacturing standards takes a long time, and this assumes that there is no resistance to change.

According to the University of Michigan websiteThe project director, Volker Sick, said: “It is an exciting confluence of different technologies which, in themselves, are revolutionary, and together, they are almost too beautiful to be true.”

Wenxin Zhang, doctoral student and contributory author, said clearly On the university site, what are the advantages: “The strategy can change the cement industry of a Gigaton CO2 transmitter to a Gigaton -scale faculty for clean energy and carbon management technologies. “”

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