Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a carbon-negative building material using seawater, electricity, and carbon dioxide. This innovation could reduce the environmental footprint of cement and concrete, two of the most widely used materials in the construction industry.
The development of a carbon-negative material
As climate change progresses, CO₂ capture and storage has emerged as a strategy for reducing global emissions. However, this new approach stores CO₂ permanently, converting it into valuable minerals such as calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide , essential elements in the manufacture of cement, plaster, and paint .
According to Alessandro Rotta Loria, assistant professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Northwestern, the process developed allows for “ growing sand-like materials in seawater ,” in collaboration with Cemex . The electrolysis of seawater, combined with CO₂ injection, generates minerals that can replace the sand used in concrete, reducing the need for mining and minimizing environmental impact.
With this new material, a circular approach could be achieved, where captured CO₂ is reincorporated into concrete and cement manufacturing. Furthermore, the process generates hydrogen as a byproduct, a clean fuel with applications in transportation and the energy industry.
The experiments demonstrated that the material’s composition can be adjusted by controlling variables such as voltage, electrical current, and water recirculation. Depending on these conditions, the material can become denser or more porous, allowing it to be adapted to various construction applications.
Scientists propose producing this material in scalable modular reactors located near coasts. This would prevent damage to marine ecosystems and allow precise control over the quality of the water used in the process.
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Source and photo: News Northwestern
