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| Science & Technology |
| UA Research Spawns Eco-Friendly Cement Substitute |
| 2024-01-30 |
| [UniversityOfArizona] Ferrock uses the waste steel dust from industrial processes to create a cementlike material that is sustainable and stronger than conventional cement. When he was a Ph.D. student in the University of Arizona Department of Soil, Water, and Environmental Science, David Stone won a student innovation competition with the invention of an eco-friendly substitute for Portland cement. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued a patent for the UA invention in 2013, and today, in collaboration with Tech Launch Arizona, Stone has licensed the technology from the UA and is starting a company called Iron Shell to commercialize his invention. The invention, called Ferrock, uses the waste steel dust from industrial processes to create a cement-like material that is sustainable, strong and environmentally superior to conventional cement. Cement is the binder in concrete, which also includes aggregate such as sand and gravel. Along with turning a waste product that usually ends up in landfills into a useful product, Ferrock has another —perhaps even greater — environmental advantage. Annually, 4 billion metric tons of cement is made worldwide for use in concrete, and for every ton of cement manufactured, approximately one ton of carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. Conversely, Ferrock hardens only when exposed to high concentrations of carbon dioxide, which is absorbed and trapped, making it a carbon negative material. This greenhouse gas diffuses into the wet mixture and reacts with the iron, creating iron carbonate and becoming part of the material’s mineral matrix. Lab testing shows that Ferrock is significantly stronger than Portland cement in compressive strength and several times stronger in flexural strength, meaning it can take more stress before bending and breaking. It also has superior resistance to cracking. Because hardening is caused by the rusting of iron dust, it is well-suited for use in salt water and other environments that are too corrosive for regular cement. |
| Posted by:Skidmark |
| #12 In the previous century, I was woking in a machine shop. One of the inspectors heard that iron was a good additive for flower beds. So long about December he got a 5 gal pail of cast iron dust from the mills a took it home and dumped it in his flower bed. Come Feb his wife is ready to plant flowers, and he has to rent a jackhammer to get the rusted layer out of his flowerbed. |
| Posted by: ed in texas 2024-01-30 20:35 |
| #11 SteveS, bit of Magnesium to hold the cake together? |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2024-01-30 12:56 |
| #10 We could make Roman concrete: Pliny wrote that the best maritime concrete was made from volcanic ash found in regions around the Gulf of Naples, especially from near the modern-day town of Pozzuoli. Its virtues became so well-known that ash with similar mineral characteristics—no matter where it was found in the world—has been dubbed pozzolan. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2024-01-30 12:10 |
| #9 The Germans roads They don't use Mexican cement. |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2024-01-30 10:34 |
| #8 In many jurisdictions, road building / repair is considered the "cross-eyed brother-in-law employment project" by the politicians. |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2024-01-30 10:26 |
| #7 Even better, what if we mixed the used steel dust with powdered aluminum from discarded beverage cans? It's a recycling two-fer! |
| Posted by: SteveS 2024-01-30 10:13 |
| #6 #4 The Germans roads carry freight too, but don't crumble as fast. They don't have the local road building graft that has two or three options of local 'providers' who redo stretches of road every decade (or less) or the local patronage system to hire those teams constantly out filling potholes. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2024-01-30 10:08 |
| #5 Uh huh. Used steel dust. Pull the other one. For corrosive environments, Type V cement is already used with limited water/cement ratio and limited Flyash (all hail Alaska Paul!) or slag. |
| Posted by: Frank G 2024-01-30 09:47 |
| #4 The Romans didn't have 80,000 lb trucks and they salted their enemies' fields, not the roads. |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2024-01-30 08:58 |
| #3 We can't make cement that doesn't crumble in a few years. The Romans still have stuff up. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2024-01-30 08:36 |
| #2 ..environmentally superior.. Translation: There's a buck to be made off eco-cultists |
| Posted by: Mercutio 2024-01-30 06:17 |
| #1 it is well-suited for use in salt water and other environments that are too corrosive for regular cement. He'll get call from Hamas any day now. |
| Posted by: Grom the Reflective 2024-01-30 00:37 |
