REDUCED-CARBON FOOTPRINT CONCRETE COMPOSITIONS

• US 20100313793A1
• Filed: 07/19/2010
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Andrew Youngs, Brent R. Constantz, Terence C. Holland
• Original Assignee: Calera Corporation
• Inventors: Youngs, Andrew, Holland, Terence C., CONSTANTZ, Brent R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,470,275 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 106/705
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/60 Preparation of carbonates or bicarbonates in general of percarbonates C01B15/10; of specific carbonates or bicarbonates according to the cation C01B-C01G
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/0086 Chelating or complexing agents
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 7/02 Portland cement
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 7/367 Avoiding or minimising carbon dioxide emissions
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 40/18 Carbon capture and storage [CCS]

Abstract

Reduced-carbon footprint concrete compositions, and methods for making and using the same, are provided. Aspects of the reduced-carbon footprint concrete compositions include CO₂-sequestering carbonate compounds, which may be present in the hydraulic cement and/or aggregate components of the concrete. The reduced-carbon footprint concrete compositions find use in a variety of applications, including use in a variety of building materials and building applications.

Claims

1-30. -30. (canceled)

31. A method comprising:

a) precipitating synthetic carbonates and/or bicarbonates from a solution comprising divalent cations and dissolved CO₂ from an industrial waste gas comprising CO₂;

b) producing one or more concrete components selected from the group consisting of cement, supplementary cementitious material, and aggregate; and

c) incorporating at least a portion of the one or more concrete components into a reduced-carbon footprint concrete composition,

wherein a cubic yard of the reduced-carbon footprint concrete composition has a carbon footprint that is less than that for a cubic yard of a conventional concrete composition, which conventional concrete composition comprises one or more conventional concrete components selected from the group consisting of cement, supplementary cementitious material, and further

wherein determining the carbon footprint for the cubic yard of the reduced-carbon footprint concrete composition or the cubic yard of the conventional concrete composition consists essentially of the steps of

i) multiplying the number of pounds of carbon dioxide per pound of the concrete component by the number of pounds of the concrete component per cubic yard of concrete composition to obtain a multiplication product;

ii) repeating step i) for each concrete component in the concrete composition, resulting in one or more multiplication products; and

iii) summing the one or more multiplication products to obtain the carbon footprint for the concrete composition.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising adding water to the reduced-carbon footprint concrete composition to form a settable composition.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the reduced-carbon footprint concrete composition comprises residual water from precipitating the synthetic carbonates, producing the one or more concrete components, or a combination thereof.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the residual water provides 5% of the water needed for the settable composition.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the residual water provides 20% of the water needed for the settable composition.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein the residual water provides 50% of the water needed for the settable composition.

37. The method of claim 31 or 32, wherein the synthetic carbonates are metastable.

38. The method of claim 31 or 32, wherein the synthetic carbonates comprise calcite, monohydrocalcite, aragonite, vaterite, ikaite, amorphous calcium carbonate, magnesite, barringtonite, nesquehonite, lanfordite, amorphous magnesium carbonate, hydromagnesite, dolomite, huntite, and sergeevite, or a combination thereof.

39. The method of claim 31 or 32, wherein the synthetic carbonates have a δ

¹³C less than −

10‰

.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the synthetic carbonates have a δ

¹³C less than −

20‰

.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the synthetic carbonates have a δ

¹³C less than −

30‰

.

42. The method of claim 31 or 32, wherein the reduced-carbon footprint concrete composition has a carbon footprint that is at least 25% less than the carbon footprint of the ordinary Portland concrete composition.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the reduced-carbon footprint concrete composition has a carbon footprint that is at least 50% less than the carbon footprint of the ordinary Portland concrete composition.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the reduced-carbon footprint concrete composition has a carbon footprint that is at least 75% less than the carbon footprint of the ordinary Portland concrete composition.

45. The method of claim 31 or 32, wherein the reduced-carbon footprint concrete composition has a carbon footprint that is neutral.

46. The method of claim 31 or 32, wherein the reduced-carbon footprint concrete composition has a carbon footprint that is negative.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the negative carbon footprint is −

250 lbs CO₂/yd³ or less.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the negative carbon footprint is −

500 lbs CO₂/yd³ or less.

49. A reduced-carbon footprint concrete composition produced by the method of claim 31 or 32.