Cambridge start-up turns CO2 into construction material

A Cambridge-based start-up claims to have developed a process that removes CO2 from the atmosphere and converts it into building materials. The company, Cambridge Carbon Capture, said that the process has been under development for years and these tests have proven the tech at laboratory scale. Now, the company is in talks to scale the tech up.

The patented technology, named CO₂LOC, captures carbon dioxide and converts it into magnesium carbonate, creating a substance that can be used either as a substitute for gypsum or a filler in other construction materials.

The substance is both lightweight and strong, also fire and water-resistant and it has a host of potential applications across the construction industry, say the start-up scientists. Its fire-resistant property means that even a thin wall of the material can provide superior fire protection for buildings, and it can also be used as an eco-friendly alternative to concrete fillers, blocks, tiles and plasterboard, it is claimed.

The technology works via a two-stage mineralisation process, which involves the reaction of magnesium hydroxide (MgOH₂) with CO₂ to produce magnesium carbonate (MgCO₃). The magnesium carbonate is filtered out and sets to form a rock-like substance, permanently storing the sequestered carbon in a solid form.

Cambridge Carbon Capture hopes that its processes will help the construction industry to become carbon neutral.

CEO Michael Evans said: “Each year, the world produces 40 billion tonnes of CO₂. The current goal is for this to be reduced to zero by 2050 but, we are fast running out of time, as the detrimental effects of climate change become more and more apparent every year. The construction sector is a big contributor to CO₂ emissions, and we want to help the industry become a lot cleaner."

He continued: “Now we’ve proven the technology in the laboratory, we aim to prove it on an industrial scale and, for that, we need the construction sector to get on board and adopt some of the materials we’re developing, think innovatively and try something new. We’re currently in discussions with a range of organisations to establish partnerships for use of the technology and are seeking investment to help us demonstrate our technology in real-world applications."

Back to Homepage

Back to Construction & Engineering