cement Archives - usatoday24

We had been looking for an alternative to cement for decades. We just found it in seashells

January 11, 2026 by usatoday24

The search for construction elements that move away from classic materials such as steel, concrete or cement makes sense from different fronts ranging from economics to sustainability through technical limitations. Without going any further, we can already see skyscrapers made of wood and some even compete to be the tallest in the world. Yes, wood is proposed as a serious alternative, but you can also give a twist to cement as we know it with a new old acquaintance: the shells on the beach. From waste to concrete ingredient. Seashells that are normally treated as waste can become a kind of substitute for the cement used for concrete, as a published study by the University of East London has concluded. in Construction Materials magazine. In fact, they can act both as a filling material and as a partial substitute for cement. Thus, microstructural analysis revealed that the shells, which are rich in calcium, help refine the porous structure of the concrete and promote the formation of additional binding compounds, that is, it even provides additional benefits in terms of performance. under the microscope. Scallop shells are composed by a range of 95 to 99% calcium carbonate (like limestone, the raw material for cement) presented in two crystalline forms, calcite and aragonite. The other 1-5% is the organic fraction, which serves as cement to bind the calcium crystals. The shells are a sort of biogenic limestone, chemically compatible with cement, which is still a hydraulic binder of limestone and clay. Up to 36% less cement. The process is also quite “simple”: grinding scallop shells to turn them into a fine powder suitable to replace part of the cement mixture. How much? Up to 36% without substantially altering the characteristics of the concrete. Why is it important. The partial replacement of cement with a natural waste material such as shells is an unexpected and novel solution to reduce the environmental impact of cement, currently responsible for approximately 7% of global carbon emissions. This percentage is so high not only because of the fuel required to heat the furnaces, but also because of the chemistry of the process itself. In fact, already has been experimented with ecological mortar. The person responsible for the study, the associate professor of Structural Engineering at the UEL and doctor Ali Abass contributes more context: “Concrete is everywhere and, consequently, its carbon footprint is enormous.” Regarding its applicability beyond the study, Abass is optimistic: “At moderate levels of substitution, concrete performs very well, meaning this solution could be scaled in real-world environments.” In addition, two problems are solved at once: “Millions of tonnes of shell waste are generated around the world every year, and most of it has no useful destination. If we can divert even a fraction into low-emission building materials, the environmental benefits could be significant. It’s a simple idea with real potential to transform part of the sector.” A giant step towards more sustainable construction. In short, the use of shells would allow us to cut significant amounts of CO₂ from one of the most polluting materials in the world and move towards more sustainable construction. In the absence of future industrial trials to support large-scale reliability, its adoption potential is notable, especially at a time of increasing calls for stricter environmental standards and scrutiny over carbon footprint calculations. In Xataka | Bloc is a brick that promises to lower the temperature around it by almost 10 degrees: its technology is that of the botijo In Xataka | In our battle against plastic, we have centrifuged bacteria. And its cellulose is postulated as the ideal substitute Cover | Rodolfo Quiros and Pok Rie

one creates cement, the other protects it

December 6, 2025 by usatoday24

Mars has become an obsession. Missions like those led by SpaceX demonstrate this and the truth is that going is the “simple” part. The really difficult thing is terraforming the planet to be able to carry out long-term missions in the field. In the movie ‘The Martian‘We already saw how an astronaut survived on Mars based on field-grown potatoes and, although it may seem like science fiction, we are already making progress on it. But we also need to build, and it is best to use Martian dust to create bricks. As? With the help of two bacteria. Biofoundation. Both the Moon and Mars are covered in dust. This mantle is made up of a series of elements that we can use to our advantage to create construction materials. It is much easier to figure out how to transform these materials into something useful than to carry kilos and kilos of materials from Earth, and in a study published in Frontiers in Microbiology addresses that problem. In it, researchers from the ‘Giulio Natta’ Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering of the Polytechnic of Milan describe the process of transforming Martian regolith into a concrete-like material through a process called biocementation. And the proposal is to use a duo of bacteria capable of carrying out this transformation. ‘Mason’ bacteria. The protagonists are the Sporosarcina pasteurii and the Choococcidiopsis and the key process of the technology is ‘Microbially Induced Calcium Carbonate Precipitation: a process by which microorganisms generate calcium carbonate at room temperature. In the case of the Sporosarcina pasteuriithe process is based on ureolysis. Thus, the bacteria produces the enzyme ureasewhich hydrolyzes urea into ammonia and carbonic acid. When released, it raises the pH of the environment, while carbonic acid dissociates into carbonate ions. When they combine with calcium ions present in the medium, they precipitate as calcium carbonate crystals on the bacterial cell walls and on soil particles. A confusing and technical explanation to say that they generate a waste that acts as a natural cement that joins the regolith particles Martian, transforming naturally loose dust into a compact material with compressive strengths similar to those of some concrete mixtures. BIOMEX. On the other hand, there is the Choococcidiopsis. It is one of the most resistant organisms we know – like the friendly tardigrades -. They are capable of surviving in conditions that simulate the Martian environment and, in fact, a few years ago the mission BIOMEX of the European Space Agency demonstrated that strains of this bacteria exposed without any shield for 18 months to both the vacuum of space and solar radiation were intact. Once they were rehydrated, they resumed their metabolic activities. This is important because we have already “proven” the Choococcidiopsis in space, and its role in this story is not because of its ability to convert regolith into concrete, the other one takes care of that, but because of its extreme resistance. What the researchers propose is an association between the two bacteria. Through photosynthesis, the Choococcidiopsis releases oxygen that creates a favorable microenvironment for the Sporosarcina pasteurii Do your job while, in turn, providing favorable conditions for your companion’s survival in the hostile Martian environment. Defensive arsenal. That is, while one works, the other provides food and defense. And, really, the defensive arsenal of the Choococcidiopsis It is imposing. As if it were the armor of a state-of-the-art tank, it has three lines of defense: The first is formed by extracellular polymeric substances that form a thick layer that filters almost 70% of UVA radiation, almost 70% of UVM radiation and almost 90% of UVC. The second line consists of antioxidants that bind to the outer membrane to act as a photoprotector, neutralizing the reactive oxygen species generated by radiation. And the third defense includes UV filters. As if that were not enough, Choococcidiopsis can self-repair its DNA if it is damaged by radiation. Beyond construction. It is resistant and resilient, but before launching flying bells and bacteria to Mars, the team itself details that you have to go step by step. Although different agencies want to build the first human habitat on Mars in the 2040s, it is no longer just that building on the planet is a problem: the question of how these pioneers will return must be answered with guarantees. There are plenty of projects underway to learn how to build and farm on Mars by imitating the planet’s characteristics. At the moment, they are demonstrating that Martian material can be converted into construction material, but there is still a long way to go, such as replicating Martian conditions on Earth to optimize these construction processes. And discoveries such as the work of these bacteria together can lead not only to novelties in terms of construction, but also to potential uses of the capabilities of some of them to produce oxygen on Mars or even use the by-products they discard as an element for crops in space. Ammonia, for example, which could be used as fertilizer for crops. Images | T. Darienko, Interstellar Lab In Xataka | All the resources we can potentially extract from the Moon, illustrated in this revealing graphic

Salt water, CO2 and electricity are the new recipe to create more sustainable cement and concrete

March 21, 2025 by usatoday24

Cement is one of the most used artificial materials on the planet, but has two problems. The first, environmentalsince its production emits a remarkable amount of greenhouse gases. The second, the shortage of raw materials such as sand, whose mined also has an environmental impact. A new material. A team of researchers from the Northwestern University and the company ️Cemex Innovation Holding has developed A new construction material through a process that combines marine water, carbon dioxide (CO2) and electricity. This new material can be used in the production of cement and concrete and, according to its developers, in its production more CO2 than it emits. That is why the new material has the ability to make the most sustainable cement and concrete production. Salt water, CO2 and current. The method to create the new material begins by introducing electrodes in the salt water to circulate an electric current that separates water molecules into hydrogen gas and hydroxide ions. As explained by the development responsibleWhile the current circulates, CO2 bubbles are added to the water in order to change the chemical composition of the water by increasing the concentration of bicarbonate ions. The ions of these two compounds (hydroxide and bicarbonate) react with other ions that can be dissolved in marine water, such as calcium and magnesium. From these chemical reactions both calcium carbonate (CACO3) and magnesium hydroxide arise. The first compound, Continue explaining the teamit is in itself a carbon sink; The second, on the other hand, is able to capture additional carbon interacting with CO2 molecules. Copying nature. According to its developers, the process is similar to that used by corals and mollusks to build their structures and shells. The key difference is that these animals use their own metabolism instead of electrical energy to detonate the chemical process. Different uses. The resulting material, a Mixture of calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxidecan be used as a substitute for the sand or gravel used in concrete manufacturing, but can also be used to produce cement, plaster and even paint. More control. The resulting material has an important advantage and that its properties can be altered by introducing small changes in the elaboration process such as the current and its voltage, or the duration of the injection of CO2, among others. Thus it is possible to achieve a more porous or more dense and hard substance. The details of the process and its results were published In an article In the magazine Advanced Sustainable Systems. Optimizing the capture of CO2. Another important factor is the calcium carbonate ratio and magnesium hydroxide obtained in the resulting material. This ratio depends, for example, the captured amount of carbon dioxide. According to The developers explaina 50/50 mixture of the compounds can allow to capture a ton of CO2 for every two tons of material. A more harmless waste. The process, as we indicated at the beginning, begins with the separation of water molecules. This generates, in addition to the ions used to unleash the subsequent chemical, hydrogen reactions. This gas is not only harmless but can also be used as an energy reserve. Of course, because electricity is part of the manufacturing process of this material, it must be taken into account that the net emissions of its production will depend on the mix energetic. That is, if the energy used in the process emits CO2 that is not captured, part of the capture would be lost. Another detail to keep in mind is that a good part of CO2 emissions associated with cement production They are generated at a different stage of its manufacture, when the sand is crushed with the limestone and heated at high temperatures capable of decomposing calcium carbonate. This problem occurs if the material is used in the creation of the cement and not when it is mixed later with it in the production of concrete. In Xataka | Construction has a gigantic environmental problem. Its solution: Solar cement plants Image | Northwestern University

We have a problem with the future of cement and excess plastic. Someone has come up with the most obvious

March 9, 2025 by usatoday24

Mortar is easy. We have been doing thousands of years and, although we have refined the formula so that it is not the same as They used 10,000 years ago in Jericho or in the construction of First pyramids of Egyptthe recipe is simple. A part of cement (or an binder in antiquity), one of water and three of sand. With that, we have a mixture that carries millennia serving perfectly. But, although we have been polishing the formula with best materialsthe mortar has several problems, and the researchers at the University of Newcastle have proposed solve them. As? With an ecological mortar that adds plastic to the dough. Sand at the point of view. The use of sand is Key for mortar production. Also for concrete, this being a material that we have been trying to withdraw thanks to alternatives They appear from time to time. And the reason to use sand is a problem is because We are exhausting reservations World Cups of this material. In addition, make mortar, cement and concrete It is very polluting. HE esteem That the cement industry is responsible for approximately 5% of CO₂ global emissions and, this being a fundamental component of the mortar and concrete, the more we reduce its use, the better. Extracting sand can also cause ecological damage In rivers and beaches, as well as health risks due to particle inhalation, for example. Ecological mortar. It is there where research to create green concrete or the one we mention from the University of Newcastle comes into play. In his studyThe team details how thanks to Aergel Silica and recycled plastic they have created a new mortar that manages to be respectful of the environment. The team developed different mixtures by adding more or less substitute for the sand and found that the most effective is the one with 7% of silica aerogels and 3% of PET plastic. White is the silica aerogel. THE GRAY THE PET Plastic Rescue plastic. But … effective in what? Well, curiously, this new mortar comes to solve several problems of conventional sand. The first thing that highlights is that the new mixture of mortar is able to reduce the loss of heat from a structure by up to 55% if compared to the conventional mortar. This helps both to cool a stay in summer and to retain heat in cold months. This occurs because conventional mortar is a bad thermal insulator, allowing heat to escape easily. But not only this: the new mortar is also lighter than the conventional one, which implies a lower cost in transport by associated fuel savings. Thermal conductivity tests of this ecological mortar. We need to try it in the real world … 2×1. Apart from contributing to a construction more efficient at the energy level, this plastic -based mortar Solve another problem directly. PET plastic particles used come from crushed plastic waste (bottles, mainly), so the massive use in mortar can help reduce that contamination of plastics that brings us head. Tests are missing. The team explains that they have achieved British standards for the construction of this new mortar and are already working on the following big step: finding collaborators as a construction company to request financing and build a house with the ecological mortar. It is what will allow them to obtain the direct evidence of that potential energy savings, something that until they put into practice in a large -scale real environment, it remains only in the theory. But well, while we wait to see if they get that opportunity, the truth is that it is striking how researchers from the whole globe are committed to Jubilate cement, mortar and concrete. Another thing is that the new more ecological alternatives are able to compete in costs, which is what would ultimately convince those who raise the buildings. Images | Newcastle University, Scientedirect In Xataka | In Europe, recycled plastic is worth more than the new and the culprit is a known old man: the councils directive

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