Material Evolution, a Teesside-based company, is about to mark a milestone for the UK’s cement industry. With the opening of its first manufacturing site in Wrexham this October, the company is set to become the largest producer of low-carbon cement in the UK. Material Evolution’s innovative technology promises to accelerate the construction industry’s journey towards net zero emissions.
Material Evolution’s ultra-low-carbon cement, developed as part of the £7.6 million Mevocrete project funded by Innovate UK, boasts an impressive 85% reduction in embodied CO2 compared to traditional Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC). By leveraging industrial waste products as feedstock, the company has created a sustainable alternative that maintains the quality and workability of conventional cement.
Underlying Engineering Concepts
Material Evolution’s low-carbon cement technology is based on the principles of geopolymerization. Geopolymers are a class of inorganic polymers formed by the reaction of aluminosilicate materials with alkali activators at ambient temperatures. This process differs from the energy-intensive production of OPC, which involves the calcination of limestone at high temperatures (>1400°C).
The key lies in its ability to utilize industrial waste products, such as blast furnace slag and fly ash, as the primary raw materials for geopolymer cement production. These materials are rich in reactive aluminosilicates and calcium, essential for forming a solid and durable cementitious binder.
The polymerization reaction involves the dissolution of the aluminosilicate precursors in a highly alkaline solution, followed by the polycondensation of the dissolved species into a three-dimensional network. The resulting geopolymer cement exhibits excellent mechanical properties, durability, and resistance to chemical attack.
By optimizing their geopolymer cement’s composition and processing parameters, Material Evolution has achieved performance characteristics comparable to or surpassing those of OPC. This technological breakthrough reduces the carbon footprint of cement production and promotes the circular economy by diverting industrial waste from landfills.
The Mevocrete project, a collaborative effort between Material Evolution and academic and industrial partners, has been instrumental in optimizing the company’s ultra-low-carbon geopolymer cement technology for production at scale. Through trials with companies like Spanish steel recycler Celsa, Material Evolution continues to advance its development journey.
Cement production is responsible for approximately 8% of global CO2 emissions. Material Evolution’s technology offers a significant step towards decarbonizing the construction industry. The company’s progress has been accelerated by recent revisions to the BS 8500 industry standard for concrete, which now allows producers to use up to 65% less OPC by incorporating low-carbon cementitious materials.
With an initial production target of 150,000 tonnes of low-carbon cement per year, Material Evolution aims to replicate and scale its production process across the UK and Europe. The company aims to remove one gigaton of carbon by 2040, positioning itself as a leader in the £500 billion per annum concrete industry.
Groundbreaking ultra-low-carbon cement tech like this could transform the construction industry, offering a sustainable solution to one of the world’s most carbon-intensive sectors. However, efforts like this are critical to ramp up to industrial-scale production. We hope that this is an early step in the global effort to combat climate change and achieve net zero emissions.
TLDR:
- Material Evolution to open UK’s largest low-carbon cement factory in Wrexham, October 2023
- Ultra-low-carbon cement reduces embodied CO2 by 85% compared to traditional cement
- The technology utilizes industrial waste as feedstock, promoting a circular economy
- Mevocrete project and partnerships optimized technology for production at scale
- The company aims to remove one gigaton of carbon by 2040, transforming the construction industry
