An Australian construction company has completed tests of concrete that captures and permanently stores air pollution, Australian Manufacturing reported.
Boral conducted tests with old concrete from one of its recycling plants. The company used exhaust from a cement plant to treat these recycled parts and then added the treated material to fresh concrete mixes.
The process takes advantage of concrete's natural ability to absorb carbon over its lifespan. Boral accelerates this absorption by managing the conditions and then uses these carbonaceous materials in new construction projects.
“We are proud to advance the development of use pathways for recarbonized concrete aggregates,” said Dr. Ali Nezhad, Boral's head of sustainability and innovation, according to Australian Manufacturing.
“Its successful use not only improves the feasibility of recarbonization-based carbon capture technology, but also offers the potential for further reduction of the embodied carbon of concrete through the replacement of natural aggregates.”
Boral conducted the trial at its Maldon facility with funding from the Australian Government. In the test batches, carbon-treated recycled material made up 50% of the usual natural stone.
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Cement production creates environmental pollution due to chemical reactions during production. These reactions alone are responsible for approximately 65% of all pollution from cement plants.
“At Boral, we are committed to a lower-carbon future and believe recarbonization will play an important role in decarbonizing the cement and concrete industries,” said Vik Bansal, CEO and managing director of Boral, according to Australian Manufacturing.
Bansal added that the test results are promising for future applications of the technology.
“The successful accelerated recarbonization of recycled concrete aggregates at our CCS pilot plant in Berrima and the use of these aggregates in concrete further strengthen the potential of this technology,” he said.
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Boral is working on several approaches to reduce its environmental impact. In addition to testing carbon capture methods, the company uses various fuels and substitute materials in its short-term operations, aiming to reduce net pollution to zero by 2050.
International climate research shows that concrete can absorb some production pollution over time. Boral's method enhances this natural effect and channels it into the production of new building materials.
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