By processing and adding carbonized concrete, we can produce concrete that is 30% stronger. coffee Researchers in Australia have discovered something based on this mix.
Their clever recipe could solve multiple problems at once.
A whopping 10 billion kilograms (22 billion pounds) of coffee waste is produced worldwide each year, most of which ends up in landfills.
“The disposal of organic waste poses environmental problems as it emits large amounts of greenhouse gases, including methane and carbon dioxide. Climate change” Explained RMIT University engineer Rajeev Loychand.
With The construction market is booming worldwide.Additionally, the demand for resource-intensive concrete continues to grow, creating additional environmental problems.
“To meet the rapidly growing demand from the construction industry, natural sand is being continuously extracted worldwide. Typically, sand extracted from riverbeds and embankments has a significant impact on the environment.” Said RMIT Engineer Geography.
“Maintaining a sustainable supply of sand presents a significant, long-term challenge due to the finiteness of the resource and the environmental impact of sand mining. A circular economy approach can help us better conserve natural resources like sand, rather than sending organic waste to landfill.”
Organic products like coffee grounds can’t be added directly to concrete because they leach chemicals that weaken the strength of the building material. So the team used low-energy levels to heat the coffee grounds to over 350°C (about 660°F) while blocking oxygen.
Call this process pyrolysis. It breaks down organic molecules to produce porous, carbon-rich charcoal. BiocharA material that can be integrated by forming a bond with a cement matrix.
Roychand and colleagues also tried pyrolyzing coffee grounds at 500°C, but the resulting biochar particles were not as strong.
The researchers cautioned that the long-term durability of the cement product still needs to be evaluated. They are currently testing how the hybrid coffee cement performs under freeze/thaw cycles, water absorption, abrasion, and other stressors.
The research team is also working on creating biochar from other organic waste sources, including wood, food waste, and agricultural waste.
“While our research is still in its early stages, this exciting discovery offers an innovative way to significantly reduce the amount of organic waste going to landfills.” Said RMIT engineer Shannon Kilmartin-Lynch.
“From an Indigenous perspective, the inspiration for my research is protecting the country, ensuring a sustainable life cycle for all materials, and avoiding them going to landfill to minimise our impact on the environment.”
Their research was published in: Cleaner Production Journal.
An earlier version of this article was published in September 2023.
