Concrete is essential for construction but poses serious environmental challenges due to its production and the extraction of sand, which devastates ecosystems. Researchers at Northwestern University are developing a groundbreaking alternative using seawater, electricity, and CO2, which mitigates the ecological damage caused by sand mining. The process creates a solid mineral substitute that not only serves as a potential replacement for traditional concrete but can also generate clean hydrogen fuel. This method allows for customizable material properties, presenting a viable path toward more sustainable construction practices.
The production of concrete is also one of the worst polluting processes that hurts our planet, with sand extraction significantly harming ecosystems.
Scientists at the Northwestern University are experimenting with a new cement sand substitute that only uses seawater, electricity, and CO2, eliminating the need to strip mine sand.
This process involves zapping seawater with electricity and bubbling CO2 through it, resulting in solid minerals, a white material that can replace traditional materials.
The material's properties can be adjusted by modifying the flow rate, timing, and duration, allowing for a wide range of custom applications.
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