Scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), have created a groundbreaking 3D concrete printing method that successfully captures and stores CO2 into the finished product.
The team, led by Professor Tan Ming Jen from NTU School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) and NTU’s Singapore Center for 3D Printing (SC3DP), experimented with injecting a jet of steam and industrially captured CO2 into the mixing concrete during the process of 3D concrete printing.
The results from the research, published in the Carbon Capture Science & Technology journal, showed that the steam and carbon dioxide injection improved the mechanical properties of the concrete, making it stronger when compared to its conventionally 3D-printed version.
With the help of the steam, this novel process enables the injected industrial CO2 to get easily incorporated into the concrete structure, storing it away in the finished concrete product.
By putting the concrete structure through lab tests, the scientists concluded that the 3D-printed product showed a 50% improvement in printability, meaning it can be shaped and printed more efficiently.
In comparison to regular 3D-printed concrete, the new product created with steam and CO2 showed a 36.8% increase in strength and a 45.3% improvement in flexibility.
Additionally, this innovative printing method represents a greener alternative to traditional printing approaches, locking in 38% more carbon dioxide than other available options.
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With this comprehensive work, the team of scientists aims to offer a pathway for decarbonizing the construction industry.
Focused on reducing the carbon footprint of cement, a building material that accounts for about 8% of global CO2 emissions, the research team developed a hopeful solution that could provide a substitute for the energy-intensive, cement-based conventional construction practices.
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