Concrete has a huge environmental footprint. Graphene could change that
Concrete has been described as the most destructive material on earth. It is the second most used substance in the world after water, with twice the use of steel, wood, plastic and aluminum combined.
To manufacture all this concrete, more than 4 billion tons of cement are produced annually. This is reported by the Chatham House think tankwhich causes about 8% of all CO2 emissions – more than what is caused by all trucks around the world.
Cement makers urgently need to reduce this footprint. Until meet the requirements of the Paris Agreement on climate change, the industry must reduce emissions minimum 16% by 2030. At the same time, the sector is facing growing demand due to rapid urbanization and population growth.
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It’s an ominous problem. But engineers believe graphene offers a solution.
“Only 0.01% of the material is needed.
First isolated at the University of Manchester in 2004, Graphene’s 2D nature provides a unique combination of strength, flexibility, lightness and conductivity. These properties caught the attention of Nationwide Engineering, a British construction company.
The company’s landmark R&D subsidiary, NERD (Nationwide Engineering Research and Development), was tasked with developing the “wonder material” in a new additive: Concrete.
Concretene consists of graphene produced at the University of Manchester. Small amounts of the liquid formulation are added during the concrete mixing process.
The graphene takes care of both mechanical support and an active surface for the chemical reactions that occur during cement hydration and hardening.
“Very low doses of the material, in some cases less than 0.01%, are required to deliver substantial performance improvements,” Alex McDermott, the co-founder of Concretene, tells TNW.
“This means that Concretene is commercially viable with wholesale costs to be in line with existing additives already used in the concrete industry.”
According to McDermott, Concretene used in real construction projects was up to 30-50% stronger than standard concrete. Subsequent lab tests have shown strength gains that exceed 100%. As a result, the cement volume required can be significantly reduced without compromising performance.
Costs, shrinking and tearing can also be trimmed while increase in the porosity of the density-cut concrete.
“These factors enable engineers to reduce the amount of concrete needed in future designs, further reducing the CO₂ impact,” says McDermott.
In the end he believes in Concretene can be used in more than 99% of concretes worldwide.
Concretene’s first tests have yielded promising results.
In 2021, NERD laid the world’s first graphene concrete slab across the floor of a new gym in England. Further tests followed a roller disco and a residential development.
In total, more than 1,000 tons of Concretene have now been deposited in real-world projects. The next goal is to make the product mainstream.
Graphene has been challenging to produce quickly and at large scale, but recent breakthroughs have made mass production more realistic.
These developments have restored investor confidence. In December, Concretene raised £8 million from a VC funding round led by LocalGlobe. The money will be used to accelerate commercialization plans.
Concretene is now entering into partnerships with Heathrow Airport, Network Rail, Yorkshire Water and the Environment Agency. The first test drive of Concretene with national roads will also start soon
“Concrete is being tested ‘live’ in the places where it can be used most,” says McDermott. “This is an important step toward industry acceptance.”
That could be good news for both the construction industry and the environment. Because despite the claims of British shock jocksyou can’t actually grow concrete – but you can grow graphene.
