Researchers at Germany’s Karlsruhe Institute for Technology have laid the cornerstone for a pilot plant that will produce a new kind of cement called Celitement®. Read here. This new cement developed by KIT researchers can be produced at far lower temperatures and with less lime than conventional cement. It has the potential to save 50% of the energy used during manufacturing.Manufacturing cement, like glass, is a highly energy-intensive process. Cement is an indispensible building product which has made an enormous contribution to civil engineering and to our standard of living. Our prosperity and modern standard of living as we know it would be unimaginable without it. The cement industry consumes about 2 to 3% of the world’s energy and emits more than 5% of manmade CO2, approximately 3 to 4 times more than air traffic.
Not only does the process involve the mining of limestone as the raw material, but also includes transport, handling, processing in rotary kilns, stocking and distribution.
Conventional Cement Production Process
The Celitement® process was developed by KIT researchers and uses new chemical processes during the curing of concrete, according to Prof. Dr. Jürgen Mlynek, President of the Helmholtz Association, to which KIT is a member.
Beginning in 2011, the pilot plant will deliver about 100 kilograms per day. By 2014 an industrial plant will be put into operation and have the capacity to produce 30,000 tons per year. The target is to bring an environmentally friendly, energy-saving product to market as soon as possible.
More information is available at celitement.com here.
Unfortunately, since the world is in a CO2 famine, this will deprive us and the plants of the world of a valuable source of CO2 liberation. It should be stopped, immediately!
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That’s great, we can use the left over energy to air-condition entire cities!
No need, just sod your roof and plant grass and weeds.