Scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have discovered a new technique to sequester carbon in concrete. It involves the addition of one simple ingredient to the concrete manufacturing process — sodium bicarbonate, also known as baking soda — which could offset 15% of the total carbon emissions associated with cement production.
“Think of cement and concrete as an opportunity to permanently store CO2,” says study author Admir Masic, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at MIT. “It may be the best material worldwide to store these CO2 molecules.”
Over 4 billion tons of concrete are produced each year. However, manufacturing concrete is energy-intensive, with the production of its main component, ordinary Portland cement (OPC), accounting for 8% of global CO2 emissions. Thus, in order to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 and mitigate climate change, it has become imperative to find more sustainable ways to manufacture cement and concrete.
▲ Sequestering carbon dioxide in cement could represent one pathway to decarbonizing an extremely carbon-intensive industry. MIT researchers envision conversion of CO2 into sodium bicarbonate — i.e., baking soda — which can be added...
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