Innovation with Graphene:

Towards a More Sustainable and Efficient Cement Industry

Part 1

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a colorless, odorless, and non-toxic gas naturally present in the atmosphere. Under normal conditions, it should remain balanced to retain the heat necessary for human survival without becoming a greenhouse gas. However, overpopulation, industrialization, and environmental exploitation have disrupted this balance, making CO2 levels increasingly difficult to control. Consequently, these levels rise, concentrate, absorb radiation, and prevent heat from escaping, contributing to global warming.

According to statistics, cement production and the fossil fuel industry (coal, oil, and natural gas) are responsible for releasing about 90% of CO2 and probably 70% of greenhouse gases. Other industries, such as agriculture, fashion, and transportation, also contribute.

“Sustainability of our civilization depends on whether we can provide energy, food, and chemicals to the growing population without compromising the long-term health of our planet.” Doria-Serrano, 2009.

Concerning cement, the main component of concrete, reports mention that it alone accounts for between 7% and 8% of global CO2 emissions. For reference, producing one ton of clinker, the main component of cement, releases approximately ~0.86 tons of CO2, of which around 60% comes from the transformation of limestone into calcium oxide or lime at an average temperature of 1450 °C, a process also known as clinker burning. The remaining 40% is attributed to the combustion of fossil fuel (coal) necessary for the calcination of limestone and clinker formation.

“In 2021, carbon emissions from cement production reached nearly 2,900 million tons of carbon dioxide, while in 2002, 1,400 million tons were recorded.” The Global Carbon Project.

Therefore, to achieve the net-zero emissions target by 2050 required by the Paris Agreement, the cement industry has been forced to take measures to reduce its impact by using alternative fuels (biomass, tires, urban solid waste); improving energy efficiency by reducing the clinkerization temperature through fluxes and mineralizers (such as CaF2, BaO, SnO2, P2O5, Na2O, NiO, ZnO, etc.) or by renewing kilns; modifying cement chemistry with supplementary materials to reduce clinker consumption or capture CO2; and, recently, using graphene to improve the quality of cement and concrete.

“By 2050, global concrete consumption is expected to increase by 12% to 23% from 25 billion per year.”

According to the National Cement Chamber (CANACEM), most projects registered in Latin America are working on replacing fossil fuels with alternative fuels; Mexico is the only country registering higher production of blended cements to reduce clinker content.

Graphene is a nanomaterial consisting of atomic carbon sheets separated from graphite, with mechanical, electrical, thermal, and barrier properties superior to other carbon-based materials, allowing it to venture into countless applications and industries, including construction. According to estimates by Graphene Flagship, the use of graphene in construction is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 30%.

“The production of 1 kg of graphene produces 0.17 kg of CO2, compared to 0.86 kg of CO2 for Portland cement, reinforcing the nanomaterial’s environmental advantages.”

Since the isolation of graphene in 2004 and the subsequent Nobel Prize in Physics 2010 awarded to its discoverers, an international race began to study, understand, and obtain the nanomaterial in sufficient quantities for large-scale applications at an affordable cost. In the construction sector, it was not until 2018 that research and investments manifested their first results in various parts of the world, such as:

2018: Graphenemex® launched Nanocreto®, the world’s first graphene oxide concrete additive (Mexico).

2019: Graphenenano developed Smart additives, graphene additives for concrete (Spain).

2019: GrapheneCA presented its OG concrete admix product line for the concrete industry (USA).

2021: Scientists at the University of Manchester developed the Concretene concrete additive (UK).

2022: Energeia Fusion-Graphenemex® launched the Graphenergy construction line, an improved version of Nanocreto® (Mexico).

2022: Versarien presented Cementene™, the world’s first 3D-printed construction with a graphene-reinforced mix (UK).

Basquiroto de Souza and collaborators, in their article “Graphene opens pathways to a carbon-neutral cement industry” published in 2022 in Science Bulletin, summarized the opportunities that graphene has for the sustainability of construction materials:

Reduction of Portland cement thanks to significant improvements in compressive strength and elastic modulus of concrete.

Increase the use of by-products or recycled materials in concrete to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 7%, as well as a 2% reduction in energy consumption during the manufacture of graphene oxide reinforced mortar.

Reduction in construction costs due to improved strength or greater incorporation of by-products or waste materials. A cost analysis concluded that while the use of graphene oxide may slightly increase concrete costs, the economy index (compressive strength/cost per m3) of the mixes can increase by up to 40%.

Reduction in maintenance costs. By improving the quality of concrete structures, reductions in CO2 emissions are inferred through a reduction in the amount of construction materials and energy associated with maintenance.

Energy-efficient buildings: graphene’s thermal properties can also be applied to buildings to achieve energy savings by reducing the use of cooling/heating systems.

For Energeia-Graphenemex®, the leading company in Latin America in designing applications with graphene materials, it is a pride to be part of the graphene timeline for sustainable construction.

Authored by: EF/DHS

References

1. Ige, O.E.; Olanrewaju, O.A.; Duffy, K.J.; Collins, O.C. Environmental Impact Analysis of Portland Cement (CEM1) Using the Midpoint Method. Energies 2022, 15, 2708.
2. International Energy Agency, World Business Council for Sustainable Development. Technology roadmap – low-carbon transition in the cement industry. April 2018
3. Felipe Basquiroto de Souza, Xupei Yao, Wenchao Gao, Wenhui Duan, Graphene opens pathways to a carbon-neutral cement industry, Science Bulletin, 2022, 67, 1, 2022, 5
4. Papanikolaou I, Arena N, Al-Tabbaa A. Graphene nanoplatelet reinforced concrete for self-sensing structures– a lifecycle assessment perspective. Journal of Cleaner Production, 2019, 240: 118202
5. Devi S, Khan R. Effect of graphene oxide on mechanical and durability performance of concrete. Journal of Building Engineering, 2020, 27: 101007
6. Doria- Serrano. Química verde: un nuevo enfoque para el cuidado del medio ambiente. Educación química. 2009. UNAM.
7. https://theplanetapp.com/que-son-las-emisiones-de-co2/
8. https://graphene-flagship.eu/materials/news/materials-of-the-future-graphene-and-concrete/#:~:text=Graphene%2Denhanced%20concrete%20is%202.5,CO2%20emissions%20by%2030%25.
9. https://www.versarien.com/files/5716/3050/8952/White_Paper_-_Graphene_for_the_construction_sector_-_final_version.pdf