A Californian startup that uses rocks to absorb carbon dioxide from the air has partnered with a Canadian company company for the mineralization of gas in concrete, a technological connection that is happening for the first time and which they say could be a model for fighting climate change worldwide.
Heirloom Carbon Technologies delivered around 30 kg of CO2 that it managed to collect from the air around its headquarters in region of San Francisco Bay to neighboring Central Concrete, a subsidiary of Vulcan Materials ( VMC.N ). Central Concrete announced Wednesday that it has incorporated the gas into concrete.
This amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) is equivalent to the exhaust emissions from driving approximately 120 km with a car.
The joint effort succeeded for the first time in absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere using Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology. It was then secured in concrete, where the CO2 will remain for centuries, several scientists said.
Heirloom Carbon Technologies heats crushed limestone to release naturally absorbed CO2. He then places the CO2-absorbing limestone in columns, which act like sponges, soaking up the gas for three days.
The crushed limestone is then heated to release the carbon dioxide it has collected from the environment and the cycle repeats.
Η Canada CarbonCure, a concrete technology company, mixes CO2 with concrete ingredients, turning it into a mineral that strengthens the concrete, reducing the need for cement – the part of concrete with the largest carbon footprint.