|Written by Mary Page Bailey
New structural materials are built on the potential of enzyme-enhanced CO2 petrification To overcome the challenges of decarbonization in the construction industry. Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI, Worcester, Massachusetts) www.wpi.eduA research team led by Nima Rahbar, head of WPI’s Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering Department, has developed a new enzyme structural material (ESM) using a novel capillary suspension process incorporating CaCO.3 The crystals form a matrix of sand and carbon (hydrocarbons). ESM crystals are produced from sequestered CO.2 The material can be classified as “carbon negative” due to the use of incorporated enzyme (carbonic anhydrase) conversion.
Source: WPI
The research team found that ESM demonstrated many properties comparable to or superior to conventional concrete, such as minimum compressive strength and water resistance, while requiring gentler processing steps. While traditional concrete takes approximately 28 days to cure at high temperatures, ESM can cure in just a few hours at much lower temperatures. The researchers say the material can be easily repaired and recycled and exhibits some self-healing ability.
Previous efforts to incorporate bio-based materials into low-carbon building materials have struggled with water resistance and strength. WPI’s ESM overcomes these problems through a capillary suspension process that actually forms a unique “hydrophobic carbon skeleton microstructure” under thermal curing, which helps optimize porosity and stabilize CaCO.3 mineral.
Mr Rahbar said: “Producing one cubic meter of ESM sequesters more than 6 kg of CO.2compared to the 330 kg released by conventional concrete. ” Details of this study were published in the latest issue of the magazine Matter.