Eco Factor: Detecting the molecular model of cement, researchers at MIT try to design greener concrete.
The dream for sky-touching structures wouldn’t have come true without cement. However, the quest for taller structures also means a rise in the carbon emissions, which are produced while manufacturing cement. Research predicts that the manufacture of cement accounts for about 5% of all CO2 emissions worldwide. Researchers at MIT have an answer, as they have decoded the atomic blocks of cement and have come up with surprising results.
Scientists have long believed that at the atomic level, cement hydrate closely resembles the rare mineral tobermorite, which has an ordered and layered geometry of infinitely long chains of silica molecules. Contradicting this belief, the research team at MIT found that cement hydrate isn’t really a crystal, but a hybrid that shares characteristics with crystalline and amorphous structures.
The researchers now hope to manipulate the chemical structure of cement to make its manufacturing process less energy-intensive and hence reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The results will also enable scientists to develop concrete for a specific use.
Via: MIT
