Concrete producers daily face obstacles such as increasing material costs, tough competition from other building products and strict construction deadlines. This competitive atmosphere can make it difficult for producers to investigate and adopt new sustainability initiatives especially during a time when building green has never been more important.   

For some, it’s about improving efficiency and saving on operating costs; for others it’s a crucial step in protecting their building against climate risks. These reasons and more have catapulted green building into an industry fueled by innovation that’s focused on addressing some of the most pressing global challenges.

According to the Dodge Data & Analytics World Green Building Trends 2018 Smart Market Report, green building activity continues to grow across the globe, with dramatic increases expected in 20 countries across five continents between 2018 and 2021. These increasing opportunities make it imperative for concrete producers to pursue sustainable product development.

CarbonCure™ Technology empowers concrete producers to participate in the expanding green construction market by enabling them to provide a reduced-carbon concrete. This technology appeals to the green design community, while improving producers’ concrete product quality and profit margins. 

Advantages of the CarbonCure Technology

High Quality Concrete 

The CarbonCure Technology injects a precise dosage of carbon dioxide during the concrete mixing process. This c auses a reaction, forming a nano-sized calcium carbonate mineral which becomes permanently trapped within the concrete. The resultant nanocrystalline material enhances cement efficiency and improves the compressive strength of concrete.  

CarbonCure is easy to implement and can be retrofitted into existing ready-mix facilities without disrupting operations. Batching is controlled by a simple interface, the CarbonCure Control Box, which is integrated with the plant’s batching software.

Reduce Your Carbon Footprint 

Cement manufacturing accounts for as much as 8% of global CO2 emissions. Yet at the same time, cement is expected to play a vital role in the expansion of the built environment, especially in emerging economies. Emissions range from 0.73 – 0.99 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) per pound of cement. Though concrete may have a smaller impact per volume created compared to other building materials, its abundance as the most-used man-made building material makes it worthy of serious consideration. 

As previously mentioned, when the CarbonCure Technology injects CO2 delivered by Praxair into the concrete mix, it chemically converts into a nano-sized calcium carbonate mineral and becomes trapped within the concrete. This process enables concrete producers to reduce cementitious content, which further reduces the concrete’s carbon footprint due to the high embodied energy of cement. 

Improve Your Profit Margin

When concrete is strengthened through the injection of recycled CO2, it enables users to reduce cementitious content. Concrete producers using the CarbonCure Technology can achieve this reduction in cementitious content, resulting in significant cost savings and improved profit margins.

Contact Praxair