The company claimed that it is the first in the cement industry to introduce the technology, which it believes could be a game-changer in decarbonising cement production. It has tested a process that converts flue gases emitted by a cement kiln into the carbon nanomaterials, thereby transforming 鈥榖ad鈥� carbon into 鈥榞ood鈥� carbon.
Cemex is exploring and evaluating different applications of carbon nanomaterials to develop cement-based materials with novel and advanced performance, such as mechanical, chemical resistance, or thermal and electrical properties. Reintroducing CO2 emissions in the construction value chain would boost the industry鈥檚 contribution to the circular economy, said Cemex.
The mechanical, thermal, electrical and chemical properties of carbon nanomaterials mean that they have potential applications in a wide array of industries. Nanomaterials include high-tech materials such as nanofibres, nanotubes, graphene and carbon black that have applications in areas including the electronics, automotive, agriculture, chemical, pharmaceuticals and textile sectors as well as construction.
The technology was born out of Smart Innovation, Cemex鈥檚 internal open innovation platform, and was one of the winners of the 2019 innovation competition. Cemex鈥檚 research and development team continued to develop the concept and has recently achieved promising results, with a carbon conversion rate of 50% in a lab setting. The next step is to scale the technology in a cement plant pilot within a year.
鈥淭his breakthrough technology is significant for Cemex, not only because it offers the potential to commercialise carbon emissions, but because it demonstrates the value of our Smart Innovation platform,鈥� said Fernando A Gonzalez, CEO of Cemex. 鈥淭he path to carbon neutrality will be built with innovation, and we remain committed to being at the forefront in developing new circular technologies and processes.鈥�
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