Barnaby Shanks
Cementitious binders based on magnesium oxide derived from magnesium silicates (MOMS)
Started: October 2018
Supervisor: Prof Chris Cheeseman; Dr Hong Wong
Industry Partner: University of Canterbury
Description of Research:
Description of research:
Concrete is the most widely used man-made material in existence. Second only to water as the most consumed resource on the planet. The enormity of the production of concrete comes with a heavy environmental price. Cement – the key ingredient in concrete is the source of 8% of the worlds annual CO2 emissions, approximately 1.5 Gt per year.
Alternative, low-carbon cements may be part of the solution to de-carbonising our industries. Magnesium oxide-based cementitious binders are considered a likely candidate, provided MgO can be produced from widely distributed magnesium silicate minerals. This research looks at mineral extraction, binder optimisation, and the possibility of negative emission technologies (NETs).