Concept:

Concrete is one of the most consumed materials on the planet. It is cost-effective and efficient for the construction of buildings and infrastructure, making it almost irreplaceable in the construction sector.

Unfortunately, cement (material used to bind concrete together) has an enormous carbon footprint, emitting large amounts of CO2 during its production.

The EU-funded ngCon project aims to address this challenge by researching and introducing several disruptive cement production processes that are more friendly for the environment.

By using a novel smart nano-additive that reduces the carbon footprint of cement production, it will enable a shift in the construction industry towards a more sustainable approach, reducing costs and energy demand.

Objectives:

Concrete is the most consumed manufactured substance on the planet. Concrete is affordable, strong, durable and resilient to fire, floods and pests. In fact, there is no other material currently available in the quantities necessary to meet the demand for buildings and infrastructure.

Concrete is therefore today irreplaceable, and cement works as the glue that binds the concrete’s aggregates together.

However, cement also has a massive carbon footprint. The chemical process of making cement emits staggeringly high levels of CO2 being the source of 8% of the world's CO2 emissions.

The biggest challenge and opportunity lie in tweaking the recipe for cement in order to establish a much more environmentally friendly manufacturing process.

Our ngCon additive innovation allows to formulate new classes of sustainable cements capable of tuning the bulk physical properties of concrete during preparation while improving its performance.

First, ngCon additive offers a game-changing innovation in the cement production by reducing the calcination temperature from 1400°C to 800°C, hence cutting energy demand by 50%. ngCon also reduces the amount of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) required by 30%, which is the major responsible for the CO2 emissions after combustion.

Second, ngCon additive drastically improves the compressive strength of concrete up to 50%. Whether it is for drying time, hardness or uniformity, the innovative ngCon additive developed by Nanogence can give to the construction material the desired consistency, all in one shot.

As the cement industry is responsible for 8% of the world’s CO2 emissions, ngCon is addressing these two critical challenges, helping the sector to improve performance while meeting environmental legislations.

Thanks to a scalable business case and through collaborations with leading cement manufacturers, Nanogence is entering the global market with a first focus on Europe and Asia.

Coordinator:

• NANOGENCE SA

Start date: 1 November 2020 - End date: 31 October 2022