{"id":20693,"date":"2025-03-24T17:28:32","date_gmt":"2025-03-24T17:28:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/?p=20693"},"modified":"2025-03-24T17:28:33","modified_gmt":"2025-03-24T17:28:33","slug":"innovative-recycled-cement-reduces-emissions-without-compromising-strength","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/innovative-recycled-cement-reduces-emissions-without-compromising-strength\/","title":{"rendered":"Innovative Recycled Cement Reduces Emissions Without Compromising Strength"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-blockquote uagb-block-e7eb3fc3 uagb-blockquote__skin-border uagb-blockquote__stack-img-none\"><blockquote class=\"uagb-blockquote\"><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__content\">Engineers at the University of S\u00e3o Paulo and Princeton have unveiled a breakthrough in cement recycling, creating a low-carbon alternative that retains the strength and workability of conventional Portland cement. This innovation could dramatically reduce the carbon footprint of the construction industry.<\/div><footer><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__author-wrap uagb-blockquote__author-at-left\"><\/div><\/footer><\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-b0ffac9c wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-size:16px\" class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">The University Network<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share uagb-social-share__outer-wrap uagb-social-share__layout-horizontal uagb-block-ee584a31\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-ec619ce7\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.8 90.69 226.4 209.3 245V327.7h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.3 482.4 504 379.8 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-32d99934\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"twitter\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M389.2 48h70.6L305.6 224.2 487 464H345L233.7 318.6 106.5 464H35.8L200.7 275.5 26.8 48H172.4L272.9 180.9 389.2 48zM364.4 421.8h39.1L151.1 88h-42L364.4 421.8z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-1d136f14\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"linkedin\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Engineers at the University of S\u00e3o Paulo and Princeton University have introduced a revolutionary method for recycling cement waste into a sustainable, low-carbon alternative that matches traditional Portland cement in strength and performance. This innovative process could substantially reduce the massive carbon footprint of the cement industry, which is responsible for approximately 8% of global carbon emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Construction waste typically ends up either in a landfill, or, if it\u2019s recycled, will be used in low-grade applications such as in pavements or in soils,&#8221; S\u00e9rgio Angulo, a professor of civil and urban construction engineering at the University of S\u00e3o Paulo, who led the research, said in a news release. &#8220;It\u2019s exciting to show that we can, in fact, recycle this recovered cement waste into a high-quality application.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The research, <a href=\"https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/10.1021\/acssuschemeng.4c06567\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">published<\/a> in ACS Sustainable Chemistry &amp; Engineering, highlights that mixtures containing up to 80% recycled cement demonstrate strength similar to conventional Portland cement while emitting significantly less carbon dioxide. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If fully implemented, this approach could slash emissions from the cement industry by up to 61%, a vast improvement over the 9% reduction projected by traditional clinker replacement strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;The leap forward here is that you can now get short- and long-term properties that are essentially the same as Portland cement by itself with a low-carbon alternative overwhelmingly composed of recycled materials,&#8221; added co-author Claire White, a professor of civil and environmental engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment at Princeton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The recycling method centers on heating pulverized concrete waste to 500 degrees Celsius, effectively dehydrating the cement powder and restoring its binding properties. This thermoactivation process avoids the decomposition of carbonate components, which would otherwise release additional CO2. The result is a durable, low-carbon binder that can even outperform other emerging low-carbon cements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:18px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"319\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Recycled-cement-1024x319.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-20704\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Recycled-cement-1024x319.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Recycled-cement-300x93.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Recycled-cement-768x239.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Recycled-cement-1536x479.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Recycled-cement.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Caption:<\/em> A comparison of recycled cement by itself (left), ordinary Portland cement (middle), and the researchers\u2019 optimized blend of recycled cement and finely ground Portland cement (right), after the addition of water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Credit: <\/em>Mateus Zanovello\/University of S\u00e3o Paulo<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:6px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While promising, several challenges lie ahead for broad adoption. Technological advancements in sorting and processing demolition waste are necessary, alongside updates to building codes to accommodate performance-based standards rather than fixed compositions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIn Brazil, we are already beginning to implement performance-based standards for non-structural building envelopes and floors,\u201d added Angulo. \u201cUpdating construction codes is important for allowing innovation in the building sector.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This milestone in sustainable construction results from an ongoing collaboration initiated when Angulo visited White\u2019s group at Princeton in 2023. Their combined expertise in advanced characterization techniques and eco-efficient materials has proven fruitful, offering new perspectives and capabilities in their respective fields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;This collaboration has had benefits in both directions,&#8221; White added. &#8220;S\u00e9rgio\u2019s brought his domain knowledge, my group has brought our expertise in advanced characterization techniques, and together, we\u2019ve been able to tackle some of the biggest challenges about this material.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The study was supported by Brazil\u2019s National Institute on Advanced Eco-Efficient Cement-Based Technologies and Princeton\u2019s Carbon Mitigation Initiative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:19px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Source:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/engineering.princeton.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/18\/recycled-cements-drive-down-emissions-without-slacking-strength\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Princeton Engineering<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Engineers at the University of S\u00e3o Paulo and Princeton University have introduced a revolutionary method for recycling cement waste into a sustainable, low-carbon alternative that matches traditional Portland cement in strength and performance. This innovative process could substantially reduce the massive carbon footprint of the cement industry, which is responsible for approximately 8% of global [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-no-separators","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[192,193],"class_list":["post-20693","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sustainability","tag-princeton-university","tag-university-of-sao-paulo"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"The University Network","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Engineers at the University of S\u00e3o Paulo and Princeton University have introduced a revolutionary method for recycling cement waste into a sustainable, low-carbon alternative that matches traditional Portland cement in strength and performance. This innovative process could substantially reduce the massive carbon footprint of the cement industry, which is responsible for approximately 8% of global&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20693","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20693"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20693\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20711,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20693\/revisions\/20711"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20693"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20693"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20693"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}