Electric recycling of Portland cement at scale

Electric recycling of Portland cement at scale

30 May 2024 | Cyrille F. Dunant, Shiju Joseph, Rohit Prajapati & Julian M. Allwood
This study presents an innovative method for large-scale electric recycling of Portland cement, which could significantly reduce carbon emissions. Cement production accounts for 7.5% of global anthropogenic CO₂ emissions, primarily from limestone decarbonation and fossil fuel combustion. Current strategies to reduce emissions include substituting Portland clinker with alternative materials, but these methods have limited scalability or still emit CO₂. Used cement, however, is a potential decarbonated feedstock. The research shows that recovered cement paste can be used as a partial substitute for the lime-dolomite flux in steel recycling, resulting in slag that meets existing Portland clinker specifications and can be blended with calcined clay and limestone. The process is sensitive to the silica content of the recovered cement paste, but this can be adjusted easily. The proposed process is economically competitive and, if powered by emissions-free electricity, could lead to zero-emission cement while reducing emissions from steel recycling by lowering lime flux requirements. With the global supply of scrap steel expected to triple by 2050, this method could meet future cement demand through material efficiency in construction. The study also demonstrates that electric cement recycling can be done in an all-electric process, using recovered cement paste as a flux in steel recycling, which reduces emissions and produces clinker that can be used for cement. The process is feasible with existing technologies and could be scaled up, offering a zero-emission alternative to traditional cement production. The study highlights the potential for this method to significantly reduce emissions and meet global cement demand through sustainable practices.This study presents an innovative method for large-scale electric recycling of Portland cement, which could significantly reduce carbon emissions. Cement production accounts for 7.5% of global anthropogenic CO₂ emissions, primarily from limestone decarbonation and fossil fuel combustion. Current strategies to reduce emissions include substituting Portland clinker with alternative materials, but these methods have limited scalability or still emit CO₂. Used cement, however, is a potential decarbonated feedstock. The research shows that recovered cement paste can be used as a partial substitute for the lime-dolomite flux in steel recycling, resulting in slag that meets existing Portland clinker specifications and can be blended with calcined clay and limestone. The process is sensitive to the silica content of the recovered cement paste, but this can be adjusted easily. The proposed process is economically competitive and, if powered by emissions-free electricity, could lead to zero-emission cement while reducing emissions from steel recycling by lowering lime flux requirements. With the global supply of scrap steel expected to triple by 2050, this method could meet future cement demand through material efficiency in construction. The study also demonstrates that electric cement recycling can be done in an all-electric process, using recovered cement paste as a flux in steel recycling, which reduces emissions and produces clinker that can be used for cement. The process is feasible with existing technologies and could be scaled up, offering a zero-emission alternative to traditional cement production. The study highlights the potential for this method to significantly reduce emissions and meet global cement demand through sustainable practices.
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Understanding Electric recycling of Portland cement at scale