The Role of Carbonation in Deep Decarbonization

Fecha: Jueves 25 enero 2024.
Hora: 12:00h.
Lugar: Salón de Grados de la Facultad de Ciencias (Avda. Fuentenueva, s/n. Granada).

Ponente: Andres Clarens. Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Virginia and Associate Director of the Pan-University Environmental Resilience Institute.

Efforts to accelerate decarbonization and achieve net zero carbon emissions will require technological innovation including new approaches for removing CO2 from the atmosphere. Carbonation reactions provide enabling chemistry for a host of applications including low carbon building materials and direct air capture. In this talk I will present both modeling and experimental work in support of deep decarbonization pathways. Using results from the global change analysis model (GCAM), I will highlight the important role of technology innovation and scalability, particularly in developing countries, for achieving emissions reductions in concrete, mining, and construction materials. Then I will discuss ongoing efforts in our group to understand the ways in which calcium silicates react with CO2 to form carbonates and crystalline calcium silicate phases. This chemistry could be used to harness waste ash and slag feedstocks for use in low-carbon alternative building materials, similar to ancient Roman cements, and with higher performance and lower carbon emissions than ordinary Portland cement.