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It seems that there is now an increasing number of startups and researchers trying some form of completely unusual cement production to lower the carbon footpri

by hannob 3y ago

It seems that there is now an increasing number of startups and researchers trying some form of completely unusual cement production to lower the carbon footprint. This is in principal a good thing, but... I can't help to think that such overhyped reporting isn't helpful. Concrete will not be caron-negative any time soon. This is very early research. It's good that it's being done, but it should also be clear that this is very far away from an industrial process that can be used for real.

dheera 3y ago
What if the lifetime of the building is considered? Don't concrete buildings presumably last much longer in the face of fires, tsunamis, and other disasters? Whereas entire towns of wooden houses get ravaged by fires every year in California? Speaking of which, is there any possibility of making a brick that is 80%+ carbon (for the purpose of sequestration) and non-flammable? Like some sort of low-cost carbon fiber brick?
- MobiusHorizons 3y ago
  Corbin fiber != co2. Carbon fiber is unburnt carbon. It is pretty heat resistant, but is still flammable under the right conditions. I’m not sure how you would use that for sequestration. Ideally you would want the co2 to bind to a solid chemically so you get better density of co2 storage. I suppose you could just fill cavities in a brick with co2 gas, but that would store very little carbon dioxide and runs the risk of leaking back out.
stronglikedan 3y ago
If Veritasium is to be believed, we use more cement than any other substance apart from water, so imagine the impact that lowering the carbon footprint of concrete, even just a little, would have. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWVAzS5duAs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWVAzS5duAs
- porkbeer 3y ago
  He is not.
akira2501 3y ago
> such overhyped reporting What part of the reporting did you feel was hyped? What I took from it is: Some researchers and companies are working on similar projects to reduce carbon footprint of concrete. Some have some interesting results but with some rather extreme compromises. It ends with industry not being interested yet, but work continues anyways. Isn't the exactly the level of reporting you would expect from an insider publication like IEEE?
- hannob 3y ago
  The headline implied something that isn't true.

by hannob 3y ago

dheera 3y ago

What if the lifetime of the building is considered? Don't concrete buildings presumably last much longer in the face of fires, tsunamis, and other disasters? Whereas entire towns of wooden houses get ravaged by fires every year in California? Speaking of which, is there any possibility of making a brick that is 80%+ carbon (for the purpose of sequestration) and non-flammable? Like some sort of low-cost carbon fiber brick?

MobiusHorizons 3y ago
Corbin fiber != co2. Carbon fiber is unburnt carbon. It is pretty heat resistant, but is still flammable under the right conditions. I’m not sure how you would use that for sequestration. Ideally you would want the co2 to bind to a solid chemically so you get better density of co2 storage. I suppose you could just fill cavities in a brick with co2 gas, but that would store very little carbon dioxide and runs the risk of leaking back out.

stronglikedan 3y ago

If Veritasium is to be believed, we use more cement than any other substance apart from water, so imagine the impact that lowering the carbon footprint of concrete, even just a little, would have. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWVAzS5duAs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWVAzS5duAs

porkbeer 3y ago
He is not.

akira2501 3y ago

> such overhyped reporting What part of the reporting did you feel was hyped? What I took from it is: Some researchers and companies are working on similar projects to reduce carbon footprint of concrete. Some have some interesting results but with some rather extreme compromises. It ends with industry not being interested yet, but work continues anyways. Isn't the exactly the level of reporting you would expect from an insider publication like IEEE?

hannob 3y ago
The headline implied something that isn't true.