CO2 uptake of cement waste fines and their use as supplementary cementitious materials

• Grant number: 23/08416-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Start date: January 17, 2024
• End date: July 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Civil Engineering - Construction Industry
• Principal Investigator: Sérgio Cirelli Angulo
• Grantee: Sérgio Cirelli Angulo
• Host Investigator: Claire White
• Host Institution: Escola Politécnica (EP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Princeton University, United States

Abstract

1.5 billion of tons of cementitious waste fines worldwide can be recycled as an alternative cement by thermal treatment at 500oC, without decarbonation, and somehow integrated to a CO2 capture strategy. It corresponds a half of cement production globally. Circularity and low carbon emissions for the own waste of the cement industry is still necessary and a research challenge. There is no study at literature that has investigated the best strategy regarding: i. the use of the dehydrated cement waste fines as supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) and the partial CO2 uptake over the recycling cycles; or. ii. the use the cement waste fines fully carbonated incorporating the maximum CO2 uptake and use of almost unreactive SCM directly. Therefore, this research aims to evaluate the CO2 capture potentials of the thermoactivated or carbonated cement waste fines, and their resulting CO2 footprints when used as SCMs in Engineered Portland Cement binders. In the first part of the research, cement waste fines will be thermally treated and incorporated in engineered binders with limestone filler and Portland micro-cement using the reverse filling concept. In the second part of the research, cement waste fines will be carbonated in an accelerated carbonation chamber and incorporate in engineered binders with finer limestone filler and Portland micro-cement. The best engineered thermoactivated and carbonate waste fine binders will be subjected to multi-step recycling processes bring to discover what is the best option to be incorporated as SCM in cement industry. 2-4 indexed journal publications are considered, a possibly research cooperation project, and/or use of advance characterization using synchrotron light, and/or SAXS-WAXS in situ.