Ecocem Materials Ltd., based in Ireland, is tackling a particularly intractable problem when it comes to lowering greenhouse gases emissions.
The vast majority of emissions from cement are linked to the production of clinker—a binding agent that can make up as much as 70% of the final product.
The byproduct of steel production that has similar chemical properties to clinker and putting that waste to use is better for the environment.
The company declined to specify the exact content of that filler, except to say that it has a “tiny” carbon footprint and maximizes the activation of clinker and slag so they are more effective binding agents.
Researchers have long concluded that not all the clinker or slag inside cement is used for its binding properties.
It will also go toward building new plants outside the region, which would help prove to larger cement companies that its lower-carbon formulation can be made in different parts of the world.
Ecocem hopes to eventually scale its product by licensing the technology to other companies while continuing to produce some cement on its own.