Development of low carbon innovative composite material for the construction industry

对替代低碳建筑材料的需求是显而易见的。我们将研究使用新型低能量粘结剂的潜力，这些粘结剂可以用作水泥基产品或传统粘土烧结砖的替代品，这两种产品都具有高包含碳和能量。我们在此建议研究成分的最佳组合，以确定这种新型材料是否能够满足全球建筑行业严格的多因素技术要求。这两个商业中小企业合作伙伴(CelluComp/Kenoteq)和Heriot-Watt大学之间的合作涉及两个基础行业，水泥和陶瓷。该项目将开发一种新的建筑产品：减少能源投入/成本，利用废物/回收材料，支持循环经济/资源效率，以及减少二氧化碳排放。Cellucomp开发了低成本、高能效的工艺，用于从食品加工行业的废物/副产品中生产材料，特别是制糖工业的副产品甜菜浆。这些生产方法已经扩大规模，生产适用于从食品到建筑材料等应用的材料。肯诺泰克是该项目的天然牵头合作伙伴，因为他们是一家开发和制造独特建筑产品的公司，这些产品旨在减少碳排放，同时促进建筑业的废物回收。开发了一种由回收的废弃水泥和陶瓷材料制成的砖，无需烧成即可生产，从而减少了二氧化碳排放，并为循环经济做出了贡献。Heriot-Watt是创新建材发展所必需的。他们在根据相关建筑标准从微观到宏观的行为来评估材料的性能和性能方面具有独特的专业知识/实验能力。这项建议的目的是更深入地调查一种新型粘结剂材料的适宜性；作为水泥的替代品，以及作为制造低温处理的砖/块的潜在材料。该项目旨在生产可持续的替代品，用于砖块和水泥等建筑材料(全球二氧化碳排放的主要贡献者)，并支持对材料的高效资源开发。

The need for alternative low carbon building materials is clear. We will investigate the potential of using novel low energy binders that could be used as alternatives to cement-based products or traditional clay-fired bricks; both having high embodied carbon and energy. We propose here to investigate the optimum combinations of ingredients to ascertain whether such novel materials can meet strict multifactorial technical requirements demanded by the global building industry.This collaboration between two commercial SME partners (CelluComp/Kenoteq) and Heriot-Watt University involves two foundation industry sectors, cement and ceramics. The project will develop a new building product: with reduced energy input/costs, utilise waste/recycled materials, supports the circular economy/resource efficiency, as well as reduce CO2 emissions.Cellucomp has developed low-cost energy efficient processes for producing materials from waste/side streams of the food processing industry, specifically sugar-beet pulp, a by-product of the sugar industry. These production methods have been scaled up, producing materials suitable for applications from food to building materials.Kenoteq is the natural lead-partner for this project because they are a developer and manufacturer of unique building products that are designed to reduce carbon emissions and, at the same time, boost waste recycling from the construction industry. Having developed a brick that is made from recycled waste cementitious and ceramic materials which is produced without firing, thereby reducing CO2 emissions, and contributing to the circular economy.Heriot-Watt is required for the development of the innovative building material. Their unique expertise/experimental capability in assessing material's properties and performance from the micro-to-macro-scale behaviour according to the relevant building standards.The purpose of this proposal is to investigate in more depth the suitability of a novel binder material; both as a replacement for cement and as a potential material for manufacturing bricks/blocks with low temperature processing.Kenoteq would provide the route to market for successful products. This project aims to produce sustainable replacements, for building materials such as bricks and cement (major contributors to global CO2 release) and support efficient resources exploitation of materials.