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Gaia Engineering for Planetary Engineers ? ? Global population, consumption per capita and our footprint on the planet are exploding. Undeveloped Countries A Planet in Crisis Developed Countries This presentation describes a recyclable world made of composites of carbon and other wastes. A world in which and our entourage of rats mice and cockroaches can live, make money and thrive. John Harrison B.Sc. B.Ec. FCPA. FAICD Managing director of TecEco and Chair of AASMIC Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 1 Our Ecological Footprint Exceeds Capacity Source: WWF State of the Planet, 2005 Our footprint is exceeding the capacity of the planet to support it. We are not longer sustainable and the environment is no longer sustainable – we must change our ways to survive. View further to discover how Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 2 Energy Peak Oil Production (Campell 2004) Most models of oil reserves, production and consumption show peak oil around 2010 (Campbell 2005) and serious undersupply and rapidly escalating prices by 2025. It follows that there will be economic mayhem unless the we act now to reduce and change the energy base of our economies. Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 3 The Carbon Cycle and Emissions Emissions from fossil fuels and cement production are a significant cause of global warming. We need to increase the sedimentary carbon sink Units: GtC GtC/yr 4.5 billion years of geological sequestration have resulted in 7% of the crust being carbonate After: David Schimel and Lisa Dilling, National Centre for Atmospheric Research 2003 Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 4 Global Warming Rises in the levels of greenhouse gases Are causing a rapid rise in temperature Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 5 CO2 and Temperature Source of graphic: Hansen, J et. al. Climate Change and Trace Gases The correlation between temperature and CO2 in the atmosphere over the last 450,000 years is very good Even if voluntary emissions reductions were to succeed we must still get the CO2 out of the air. Carbon rationing is a frightening adjunct and alternative. Who will be the global police? The best plan is a holistic one that reduces emissions and profitably balances the inevitable releases from our activities with massive sequestration. Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 6 Water “1/3 of the world’s population are presently living in water stressed countries. Depending on the emission scenarios, climate scenarios and population change, it is estimated that up to 2/3 of the world’s population will be living in water stressed countries by 2050 as a result of climate change” Source of Graphic: Lean, Geoffrey, and Don Hinrichsen, 1994. Atlas of the Environment, Santa Barbara, CA: ABCCLIO, Inc. Source: Defra (2004). Scientific and Technical Aspects of Climate Change, including Impacts, Adaptation and Associated Costs. UK, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 7 Waste & Pollution Ill health. Contamination of global commons with dangerous molecules. Increased traffic, noise, odours, smoke, dust, litter and pests. There are various estimates. The consensus is that we produce about 5-600 billion tonnes of waste each year. Tec and Eco-Cements use waste. Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 8 One Planet, Many People, Many Interconnected Problems TecEco are in the BIGGEST Business on the Planet – Economic Solutions to our Energy, Global Warming, Water and Waste Problems. Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 9 Urgent Fixes are Needed Water – 1/3 of world population stressed for water – By 2050 2/3 due to global warming Waste – Around 600 million tonnes. – The underlying moleconomic flow is poisoning our world All these problems are interconnected CO2 – Causing global temperature rises Energy – Peak oil has passed and fossil fuel energy costs set to rise. To solve these problems we need to change the way we do things and what we do them with! Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 10 The Techno-Process Detrimental affects on earth Waste systems Take Underlying the techno-process that describes and controls the flow of matter and energy through the supply and waste chains are molecular stocks and flows. If out of synch with earth systems these moleconomic flows have detrimental affects. To reduce the impact on earth systems new technical paradigms need to be invented and cultural changes evolve that result in materials flows with underlying molecular flows that mimic or at least do not interfere with natural flows and that support rather than detrimentally impact on earth systems. Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 11 The Earth System The earth system consists of positive and negative feedback loops. Anthroposphere Small changes caused by man such as CO2 and other climate forcing as well as pollution impact right across all interconnected systems throughout the global commons. Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 12 Earth Systems Science Earth Systems Atmospheric composition, climate, land cover, marine ecosystems, pollution, coastal zones, freshwater salinity etc. Source graphic: NASA Earth system science treats the entire Earth as a system in its own right, which evolves as a result of positive and negative feedback between constituent systems (Wiki). These systems are ideally homeostatic. Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 13 Detrimental Impacts of the Techno-Process Detrimental Linkages that affect earth system flows Take manipulate and make impacts Use impacts. Materials are in the TechnoSphere Utility zone End of lifecycle impacts There is no such place as “away” Materials are everything between the take and waste and affect earth system flows. Greater Utility Less Utility Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 14 Under Materials Flows in the Techno-Processes are Molecular Flows Take → Manipulate → Make → Use → Waste [ [ ←Materials flow→ ← Underlying molecular flow → ] ] If the underlying molecular flows are “out of tune” with nature there is damage to the environment e.g. heavy metals, cfc’s, c=halogen compounds and CO2 Moleconomics is the study of the form of atoms in molecules, their flow, interactions, balances, stocks and positions. What we take from the environment around us, how we manipulate and make materials out of what we take and what we waste result in underlying molecular flows that affect earth systems. These flows should mimic, balance or minimally interfere with natural flows. To fix the molecular flows that are impacting our planet we must first fix the materials flows in a bottom up approach Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 15 Innovative New Materials - the Key to Sustainability Materials are what builders use The choice of materials controls emissions, lifetime and embodied energies, user comfort, use of recycled wastes, durability, recyclability and the properties of wastes returned to the bio-geo-sphere. By changing how we make “things” and what we make them with we can fix the underlying molecular flows that are destroying the natural homeostasis of our planet Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 16 Economically Driven Sustainability $ - ECONOMICS - $ New, more profitable technical paradigms are required that result in more sustainable and usually more efficient moleconomic flows that mimic natural flows or better, reverse our damaging flows. Change is only possible economically. It will not happen because it is necessary or right. Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 17 Consider Sustainability as Where Culture and Technology Meet Increase in demand/price ratio for greater sustainability due to cultural change. $ ECONOMICS We must rapidly move both the supply and demand curves for sustainability Equilibrium Shift Supply Greater Value/for impact (Sustainability) and economic growth Increase in supply/price ratio for more sustainable products due to technical innovation. Demand # A measure of the degree of sustainability is where the demand for more sustainable technologies is met by their supply. Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 18 Changing the Technology Paradigm It is not so much a matter of “dematerialisation” as a question of changing the underlying moleconomic flows. We need materials that require less energy to make them, do not pollute the environment with CO2 and other releases, last much longer and that contribute properties that reduce lifetime energies. The key is to change the technology paradigms “By enabling us to make productive use of particular raw materials, technology determines what constitutes a physical resource1” 1.Pilzer, Paul Zane, Unlimited Wealth, The Theory and Practice of Economic Alchemy, Crown Publishers Inc. New York.1990 Or more simply – the technical paradigm determines what is or is not a resource! Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 19 Cultural Change is Happening! Al Gore (SOS) CSIRO reports STERN Report Lots of Talkfest IPCC Report Political change Branson Prize Live Earth (07/07/07) The media have an important growing role Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 20 Changing the Techno-Process Take => manipulate => make => use => waste Driven by fossil fuel energy with detrimental environmental effects. By changing the technology paradigms we can change the materials flows and thus the underlying molecular flows. Reduce Re-use Recycle This is biomimicry! Reduce Re-use Take only renewables Manipulate Make Use Waste only what is biodegradable or can be re-assimilated Recycle <= Materials => Atoms and Molecules in the global commons Moleconomics Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 21 Learning from Nature (Biomimicry) Nature is the most frugal economist of all. – The waste from one plant or animal is the food or home for another. – In nature photosynthesis balances respiration and recycling is the norm By studying nature “we learn who we are, what we are and how we are to be.” (Wright, F.L. 1957:269) There is a strong need for similar efficiency and balance in our techno-process By learning from Nature we can all live together Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 22 Biomimicry - Geomimicry The term biomimicry was popularised by the book of the same name written by Janine Benyus Biomimicry is a method of solving problems that uses natural processes and systems as a source of knowledge and inspiration. It involves nature as model, measure and mentor. Geomimicry is similar to biomimicry but models geological rather than biological processes. The theory behind biomimicry is that natural processes and systems have evolved over several billion years through a process of research and development commonly referred to as evolution. A reoccurring theme in natural systems is the cyclical flow of matter in such a way that there is no waste of matter and very little of energy. Geomicry is a natural extension of biomimicry and applies to geological rather than living processes All natural processes are very economical. We must also be MUCH more economical Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 23 Biomimicry - Ultimate Recyclers As peak oil starts to cut in and the price of transport rises sharply – We should not just be recycling based on chemical property requiring transport to large centralised sophisticated and expensive facilities – We should be including CO2 and wastes based on physical properties as well as chemical composition in composites whereby they become local resources. Jackdaws and bower bird recycle all sorts of things they find nearby based on physical property. The birds are not concerned about chemical composition and the nests they make could be described as a composite materials. TecEco cements are benign binders that can incorporate all sort of wastes without reaction problems. We can do the same as the Jackdaw or bower bird Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 24 Localized Low Transport Embodied Energy Materials No longer an option? As the price of fuel rises, the use of on site low embodied energy materials rather than transported aggregates will have to be considered. We will have to mimic the jackdaw or bower bird. Gaia engineering can be implemented everywhere. Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 25 Utilizing Carbon and Wastes During earth's geological history large tonnages of carbon were put away as limestone and other carbonates and as coal and petroleum by the activity of plants and animals. Sequestering carbon in calcium and magnesium carbonate materials and other wastes in the built environment mimics nature in that carbon is used in the homes or skeletal structures of most plants and animals. In eco-cement concretes the binder is carbonate and the aggregates are preferably carbonates and wastes. This is “geomimicry” CO2 CO2 CO2 C CO2 Waste Pervious pavement Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 26 Geomimicry There are 1.2-3 grams of magnesium and about .4 grams of calcium in every litre of seawater. Carbonate sediments such as these cliffs represent billions of years of sequestration and cover 7% of the crust. There is enough calcium and magnesium in seawater with replenishment to last billions of years at current needs for sequestration. To survive we must build our homes like these seashells using CO2 and alkali metal cations. This is geomimicry Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 27 Geomimicry for Planetary Engineers? Large tonnages of carbon (7% of the crust) were put away during earth’s geological history as limestone, dolomite and magnesite, mostly by the activity of plants and animals. – Much more than in coal or petroleum! Shellfish built shells from carbon and trees turn it into wood. These same plants and animals wasted nothing – The waste from one is the food or home for another. Because of the colossal size of the flows involved the answer to the problems of greenhouse gas and waste is to use them both. Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 28 Geomimicry for Planetary Engineers? Such a paradigm shift in resource usage will not occur because it is the right thing to do. It can only happen economically. We must put an economic value on carbon and wastes – inventing new technical paradigms such as offered by TecEco and the Global Sustainability Alliance in Gaia Engineering. – Evolving culturally to effectively use these technical paradigms By using carbon dioxide and other wastes as building materials we can economically reduce their concentration in the global commons. Materials are very important! Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 29 Why Magnesium Carbonates? Because of the low molecular weight of magnesium, it is ideal for scrubbing CO2 out of the air and sequestering the gas into the built environment: More CO2 is captured than in calcium systems as the calculations below show. CO 2 44 52% MgCO3 84 CO 2 44 43 % CaCO 3 101 At 2.09% of the crust magnesium is the 8th most abundant element Sea-water contains 1.29 g/l compared to calcium at .412 g/l Magnesium materials from Gaia Engineering are potential low cost. New kiln technology from TecEco will enable easy low cost simple non fossil fuel calcination of magnesium carbonate to make binders with CO2 recycling to produce more carbonate building material to be used with these binders. Magnesium compounds have low pH and polar bond in composites making them suitable for the utilisation of other wastes. Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 30 Making Carbonate Building Materials to Solve the Global Warming Problem How much magnesium carbonate would have to be deposited to solve the problem of global warming? – The annual flux of CO2 is around 12 billion tonnes ~= 22.99 billion tonnes magnesite – The density of magnesite is 3 gm/cm3 or 3 tonne/metre3 22.9/3 billion cubic metres ~= 7.63 cubic kilometres of magnesite would have to be deposited each year. Compared to the over seven cubic kilometres of concrete we make every year, the problem of global warming looks surmountable. If magnesite was our building material of choice and we could make it without releases as is the case with Gaia Engineering, we have the problem as good as solved! We must build with carbonate and waste Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 31 Why Materials for the Built Environment? The built environment is made of materials and is our footprint on earth. – It comprises buildings and infrastructure. Construction materials comprise – 70% of materials flows (buildings, infrastructure etc.) – 40-50% of waste that goes to landfill (15 % of new materials going to site are wasted.) Around 25 billion tonnes of building materials are used annually on a world wide basis. – Mostly using virgin natural resources – Combined in such a manner that they cannot easily be separated. – Include many toxic elements. Why not use magnesium carbonate building components from Greensols and Eco-Cements from TecEco to bind them together? Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 32 The Built Environment and Global Sustainability The built environment is our footprint, the major proportion of the techno-sphere and our lasting legacy on the planet. It comprises buildings and infrastructure Source of graphics: Nic Svenningson UNEP SMB2007 Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 33 Building is Going Balistic! Source of graphic: Rick Fedrizzi SMB 2007 The relative impact of the built environment is rising as the East catches up with the West! Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 34 Huge Potential for More Sustainable Construction Materials Reducing the impact of the take and waste phases of the techno-process by. – including carbon in materials Many wastes including CO2 they are potentially carbon sinks. can contribute to physical – including wastes for properties reducing lifetime physical properties as energies well as chemical composition they become resources. – re engineering materials to reduce the lifetime energy CO2 of buildings CO2 A durable low pH high bonding binder system is required for effective waste utilisation such as TecEco Tec and CO2 Eco-Cements C CO2 Waste Pervious pavement Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 35 Gaia Engineering Flowchart CaO Industrial CO2 TecEco Tec-Kiln Portland Cement Manufacture MgO Clays Fresh Water Brine or Sea water Greensols Waste Acid NaHCO3 MgCO3 and CaCO3 “Stone” EcoCements CaSO4 Other Valuable Commodity Salts TecEco Cement Manufacture TecCements Building components & aggregates Other waste Building waste Built Environment The Gaia Engineering Tececology Industrial Ecologies are generally thought of as closed loop systems with minimal or low impacts outside the ecology The Gaia Engineering tececology could be thought of as an open technical ecology designed to reverse major damaging moleconomic and other system flows outside the tececology The Gaia Engineering tececology is not closed and is designed to reverse damaging moleconomic flows outside the ecology LIKE A GIANT ECOLOGICAL PUMP Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 37 The Gaia Engineering Process Gaia Engineering delivers profitable outcomes whilst reversing underlying undesirable moleconomic flows from other less sustainable techno-processes outside the tececology. Inputs: Atmospheric or industrial CO2, brines, waste acid, other wastes Outputs: Carbonate building materials, potable water, gypsum, sodium bicarbonate and other valuable commodity salts. Carbonate building components CO2 Solar or solar derived energy CO2 CO2 MgO Eco-Cement TecEco MgCO2 Cycle TecEco Kiln MgCO3 Coal Fossil fuels Carbon or carbon compounds Oil Magnesium compounds Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com CO2 Greensols Process 1.29 gm/l Mg .412 gm/l Ca 38 Gaia Engineering Introduction Gaia engineering is a combination of new technologies including – – – – The Greensols process TecEco’s Tec-Kiln technology and cements Carbon dioxide scrubbing technologies TecEco' Eco-Cements Gaia engineering profitably geomimics past planetary geological processes and adopted on a large scale will: – – – – Sequester significant amounts of atmospheric CO2 Add value to the salts recoverable from sea water Convert large volumes of waste to valuable resource Produce fresh water. Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 39 Gaia Engineering Summary Inputs include – – – – – Seawater or suitable brine CO2 Waste acid Other wastes of all kinds A small amount of energy Outputs include – – – – – Gypsum, sodium bicarbonate and various other valuable salts. Magnesium carbonate building components. TecEco Tec, Eco and Enviro-Cements. Waste utlisation. Fresh water. Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 40 Gaia Engineering Waste Acid CO2 from power generation or industry Other salts Na+,K+, Ca2+,Cl- Simplified TecEco Reactions Tec-Kiln MgCO3 → MgO + CO2 - 118 kJ/mole Reactor Process MgO + CO2 → MgCO3 + 118 kJ/mole (usually more complex hydrates) MgO Production using solar energy Magnesite (MgCO3) Solar Process to Produce Magnesium Metal (MgCO2) Cycle CO 2 Other Wastes 1.354 x 109 km3 Seawater containing 1.728 10 17 tonne Mg or suitable brines from other sources Greensols Seawater Carbonation Process. Eco-Cement Tec-Cement Tec-Reactor Hydroxide / Carbonate slurry process Bicarbonate of Soda (NaHCO3) Gypsum + carbon waste (e.g. sewerage) = fertilizers Gypsum (CaSO4) Sewerage compost CO2 + H2O => Energy rich biomass using blue green algae Magnesia (MgO) CO2 from power generation, industry or out of the air Sequestration Table – Mg from Seawater Tonnes CO2 sequestered per tonne magnesium with various cycles through the TecEco Tec-Kiln process. Assuming no leakage MgO to built environment (i.e. complete cycles). Billion Tonnes Tonnes CO2 sequestered by 1 billion tonnes of Mg in seawater 1.81034 Tonnes CO2 captured during calcining (same as above) 1.81034 Tonnes CO2 captured by eco-cement 1.81034 Total tonnes CO2 sequestered or abated per tonne Mg in seawater (Single calcination cycle). 3.62068 Total tonnes CO2 sequestered or abated (Five calcination cycles.) 18.1034 Total tonnes CO2 sequestered or abated (Ten calcination cycles). 36.20 Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 41 Gaia Engineering Inputs Brines Waste Acid Wastes CO2 Outputs Gypsum, Sodium bicarbonate, Salts, Building materials, Potable water Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 42 Seawater Reference Data g/l H20 Cation radius (pm) Chloride (Cl--) 19 167 Sodium (Na+) 10.5 116 Sulfate (S04--) 2.7 ? 1.28 86 Calcium (Ca++) 0.412 114 Potassium (K+) 0.399 152 Magnesium (Mg++) Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 43 Greensols Carbon Capture The hydrogen bonding in water keeps oppositely charged ions from combining. Water “dissolves” them. Strongly charged ions such as calcium, magnesium and carbonate attract hydration shells of water around them. For example magnesium and calcium ions polar bond to oxygen and the negative carbonate ion polar bonds to hydrogen. These bonds can propagate through several layers of water and are strong enough to prevent the formation of calcium and magnesium carbonates even from supersaturated solutions. The Greensols process uses waste acid to de-polarise a statistical proportion of water molecules by attaching a proton to them whereby positively charged sodium, calcium or magnesium ions as well as negatively charged ions including carbonate ions are released, can combine and thus precipitate. Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 44 Greensols Carbon Capture Hydration shelling of water occurs around calcium or magnesium ions because of the strong charge of especially magnesium to the oxygen end of water Similar hydration shelling occurs around the negative carbonate ion through polar bonding to the hydrogen ends of water Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 45 Greensols Carbon Capture The addition of a proton to water using strong waste acid results in its de polarisation whereby it no longer electronically holds as many ions (sodium, calcium, magnesium or carbonate etc.) statistically releasing them and allowing them to combine and precipitate as carbonates and other more valuable salts leaving behind essentially fresh water Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 46 Greensols Carbon Capture = + Mg ++ + CO3 __ => MgCO3 The statistical release of both cations and anions results in precipitation of for example magnesium carbonate as shown above. Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 47 Advantages of Greensols over Reverse Osmosis GREENSOLS REVERSE OSMOSIS DESALINATION Low energy costs - Does not work against the electronic forces in water. Relatively high energy costs - Works against the hydrogen bonding of water to separate it from its ions Low maintenance - The plant consists of low cost replaceable pumps High Maintenance - The membranes need cleaning and changing at regular intervals. No damaging or dangerous outputs Highly saline water is potentially damaging Value adds include fresh water, sequestration, valuable salts and building products The only value add is fresh water Tell somebody with influence today! Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 48 The Tec-Reactor Hydroxide Carbonate Slurry Process The solubility of carbon dioxide gas in seawater – Increases as the temperature approached zero and – Is at a maxima around 4oC This phenomenon is related to the chemical nature of CO2 and water and Can be utilised in a carbonate – hydroxide slurry process to capture CO2 out of the air and release it for storage or use in a controlled manner Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 49 The MgCO2 Process (Magnesium Thermodynamic Cycle) The MgCO2 (magnesium thermodynamic cycle) is very important for sequestration and results in the formation of valuable building product TOTAL CALCINING ENERGY Relative to MgCO3 Theoretical = 1480 kJ.Kg With inefficiencies = 1948 kJ.Kg-1 Tec-Kiln CO2 Eco-Cements CO2 + H2O => Hydrocarbons compounds using algae Magnesite Dehydration Calcination Representative of other hydrated mineral carbonates Magnesia Nesquehonite Carbonation Carbonation Mg(OH)2.nH2O +CO2 +2H2O => MgCO3.3H2O Brucite ΔH = - 37.04 kJ.mol ΔG = - 19.55 kJ.mol Calcification MgCO3 => MgO + CO2 ΔH = 118.28 kJ.mol-1 ΔG = 65.92 kJ.mol-1 Hydration MgO + H2O => Mg(OH)2.nH2O ΔH = - 81.24 kJ.mol ΔG = - 35.74 kJ.mol Tec, Eco and Enviro-Cements Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 50 The TecEco Tec-Kiln Technology Runs at low temperatures minimising the development of lattice CO2 + H2O => energy. Hydrocarbons MgO compounds using Can be powered by various Production algae using solar non fossil sources of energy energy such as solar energy or waste heat. Grinds and calcines at the same time thereby operating 25% to 30% more efficiently. Captures CO2 for return to the Greensols process, bottling or use for fuel manufacture using algae and other life forms or other purposes. The products – CaO and/or MgO can be used to sequester more CO2 in the MgCO2 process which can be repeated. Suitable for making the reactive MgO used in TecEco cements. Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 51 Eco-Cement CO2 Release and Capture Eco-Cement – With Capture during Manufacture Eco-Cement – No Capture during Manufacture CO2 capture (Greensols process etc) CO2 MgCO3.3H2O H 2O H 2O MgO Mg(OH)2 H 2O Carbon neutral except for carbon from process emissions H 2O MgCO3.3H2O CO2 from atmosphere H 2O MgO Mg(OH)2 H 2O Net sequestration less carbon from process emissions Use of non fossil fuels => Low or no process emissions Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 52 Gaia Engineering will Modify the Carbon Cycle CO2 in the air and water Cellular Respiration burning and Photosynthesis decay by plants and algae Cellular Respiration Decay by fungi and bacteria Limestone coal and oil burning Gaia Engineering, (Greensols, TecEco Kiln and Eco-Cements) Organic compounds made by heterotrophs Organic compounds made by autotrophs Consumed by heterotrophs (mainly animals) Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 53 Outcomes from Gaia Engineering As the proportion of man made carbonate used in the built environment increases. Critical 450 ppm, level => CO2 in the atmosphere will start to fall. Mass of CO2 (Gt) Global CO2 in the Atmosphere 3,500 3,300 3,100 2,900 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 M ass CO2 in the atmosphere without "CarbonSafe" sequestration (Gt) M ass CO2 in the atmosphere with "CarbonSafe" sequestration (Gt) Upper CO2 limit (Gt) These figures are obviously rubbery, but we hope you get the idea! Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 54 Emissions from Cement Production Chemical Release – The process of calcination involves driving off chemically bound CO2 with heat. CO2 CaCO3 →CaO + ↑CO2 CO2 Process Energy – Most energy is derived from fossil fuels. – Fuel oil, coal and natural gas are directly or indirectly burned to produce the energy required releasing CO2. The production of cement for concretes accounts for around 10% of global anthropogenic CO2. – Pearce, F., "The Concrete Jungle Overheats", New Scientist, 19 July, No 2097, 1997 (page 14). Arguments that we should reduce cement production relative to other building materials are nonsense because concrete is the most sustainable building material there is. The challenge is to make it more sustainable. Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 55 Embodied Energy of Building Materials Concrete is relatively environmentally friendly and has a relatively low embodied energy Downloaded from www.dbce.csiro.au/ind-serv/brochures/embodied/embodied.htm (last accessed 07 March 2000) Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 56 Average Embodied Energy in Buildings Most of the embodied energy in the built environment is in concrete. Because so much concrete is used there is a huge opportunity for sustainability by reducing the embodied energy, reducing the carbon debt (net emissions), incorporating waste and improving properties that reduce lifetime energies. Downloaded from www.dbce.csiro.au/ind-serv/brochures/embodied/embodied.htm (last accessed 07 March 2000) Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 57 Cement Production ~= Carbon Dioxide Emissions Exponential growth Metric Tonnes 2,500,000,000 2,000,000,000 1,500,000,000 1,000,000,000 500,000,000 2001 1996 1991 1986 1981 1976 1971 1966 1961 1956 1951 1946 1941 1936 1931 1926 0 Tec, Eco and Enviro-Cements TecEco can provide a viable much more sustainable alternative. Year Source data: USGS Minerals Yearbook Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 58 TecEco Binder Systems SUSTAINABILITY PORTLAND POZZOLAN Hydration of the various components of Portland cement for strength. DURABILITY Reaction of alkali with pozzolans (e.g. lime with fly ash.) for sustainability, durability and strength. TECECO CEMENTS STRENGTH TecEco concretes are a system of blending REACTIVE MAGNESIA reactive magnesia, Hydration of magnesia => brucite for strength, workability, Portland cement and dimensional stability and durability. In Eco-cements carbonation of brucite => nesquehonite, lansfordite and usually a pozzolan with other materials and are an amorphous phase for sustainability. a key factor for sustainability. Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 59 Tec & Eco-Cement Theory Portlandite (Ca(OH)2) is too soluble, mobile and reactive. – It carbonates, reacts with Cl- and SO4- and being soluble can act as an electrolyte. TecEco generally (but not always) remove Portlandite using the pozzolanic reaction and TecEco add reactive magnesia – which hydrates, consuming significant water and concentrating alkalis forming Brucite which is another alkali, but much less soluble, mobile or reactive than Portlandite. In Eco-Cements brucite carbonates forming hydrated compounds with greater volume Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 60 TecEco Cements Tec-cements (Low MgO) – contain more Portland cement than reactive magnesia. Reactive magnesia hydrates in the same rate order as Portland cement forming Brucite which uses up water reducing the voids:paste ratio, increasing density and possibly raising the short term pH. – Reactions with pozzolans are more affective. After all the Portlandite has been consumed Brucite controls the long term pH which is lower and due to it’s low solubility, mobility and reactivity results in greater durability. – Other benefits include improvements in density, strength and rheology, reduced permeability and shrinkage and the use of a wider range of aggregates many of which are potentially wastes without reaction problems. Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 61 TecEco Cements Eco-cements (High MgO) – contain more reactive magnesia than in tec-cements. Brucite in permeable materials carbonates forming stronger fibrous mineral carbonates and therefore presenting huge opportunities for waste utilisation and sequestration. The low pH and high hydrogen bonding make Eco-Cements ideal for binding other materials including most wastes. Enviro-cements (High MgO) – contain similar ratios of MgO and OPC to eco-cements but in non permeable concretes brucite does not carbonate readily. – Higher proportions of magnesia are most suited to toxic and hazardous waste immobilisation and when durability is required. Strength is not developed quickly nor to the same extent. Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 62 Strength with Blend & Porosity 150 Tec-cement concretes 100 Eco-cement concretes 50 High OPC 0 High Porosity Enviro-cement concretes STRENGTH ON ARBITARY SCALE 1-100 100-150 50-100 0-50 High Magnesia Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 63 Converting Waste to Resource TecEco cements represent a cost affective option for using localised low impact materials and wastes – Reducing transports costs and emissions Magnesium hydroxide in particular and to some extent the carbonates are less reactive and mobile and thus result in much more durable concretes – – – – Lower solubility Lower reactivity Bleed less Lower pH The incredible stick as a result of polar bonding also adds to their ability to bind wastes. TecEco Technology - Converting Waste to Resource Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 64 Carbonation of Eco-Cements Have high proportions of reactive magnesium oxide Carbonate like lime but generally used in a 1:5-1:12 paste basis because much more carbonate “binder” is produced. Consider nesquehonite the main phase: MgO + H2O <=> Mg(OH)2 + CO2 + 2H2O <=> MgCO3.3H2O Mostly CO2 40.31+ liquid <=> 58.31 + gas <=> 138.36 molar mass (at least!) and 11.2 + liquid <=> 24.29 + gas <=> 74.77 molar volumes (at least!) water 668% expansion relative to MgO or 308 % expansion relative to Mg(OH)2 (ex water or gas volume reduction) Total volumetric expansion from magnesium oxide to lansfordite is even more at 811%. MgO + H2O <=> Mg(OH)2 + CO2 + 4H2O <=> MgCO3.5H2O Because magnesium has a low molecular weight, proportionally a much greater amount of CO2 is captured per mole of MgO than lime or any other carbonate. Carbonation adds considerable strength and some steel reinforced structural concrete could be replaced with fibre reinforced porous carbonated concrete. As Fred Pearce reported in New Scientist Magazine (Pearce, F., 2002), “There is a way to make our city streets as green as the Amazon rainforest”. Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 65 Carbonation is Proportional to Porosity an Time % Carbonation Carbonation Rate Time Macro Porosity Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 66 Eco-Cement Strength Development Eco-Cements gain early strength from the hydration of PC. Later strength comes from the carbonation of brucite forming an amorphous phase, lansfordite and nesquehonite. Strength gain in Eco-Cements is mainly microstructural because of – More ideal particle packing (Brucite particles at 4-5 micron are under half the size of cement grains.) – The natural fibrous and acicular shape of magnesium carbonate minerals which tend to lock together. – Both the carbonates and hydroxide of magnesium have strong polar bonding. Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 67 Cements Net Emissions/Sequestration Compared Net Emissions (Sequestration) per kg Cement kg CO2-e/kg Net Emissions (Sequestration) per kg Cement 1.00 0.80 0.60 0.40 0.20 ent -C em M or t ar Lime t EcoCem en nt Cem e Tec- Lime esia Magn Envir o -0.60 nd C e -0.40 Portl a -0.20 ment 0.00 -0.80 Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 68 CO2 Abatement in Eco-Cement Blocks For 85 wt% Aggregates Portland Cements 15 wt% Cement Eco-cements in porous products absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Brucite carbonates forming lansfordite, nesquehonite and an amorphous phase, completing the thermodynamic cycle. 15 mass% Portland cement, 85 mass% aggregate Emissions .32 tonnes to the tonne. After carbonation. Approximately .299 tonne to the tonne. No Capture 11.25% mass% reactive magnesia, 3.75 mass% Portland cement, 85 mass% aggregate. Emissions .37 tonnes to the tonne. After carbonation. approximately .241 tonne to the tonne. Capture CO2 11.25% mass% reactive magnesia, 3.75 mass% Portland cement, 85 mass% aggregate. Emissions .25 tonnes to the tonne. After carbonation. approximately .140 tonne to the tonne. Capture CO2. Fly and Bottom Ash 11.25% mass% reactive magnesia, 3.75 mass% Portland cement, 85 mass% aggregate. Emissions .126 tonnes to the tonne. After carbonation. Approximately .113 tonne to the tonne. Greater Sustainability .299 > .241 >.140 >.113 Bricks, blocks, pavers, mortars and pavement made using eco-cement, fly and bottom ash (with capture of CO2 during manufacture of reactive magnesia) have 2.65 times less emissions than if they were made with Portland cement. Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 69 TecEco Technology in Practice By Taus Larsen, (Architect, Low Carbon Network Ltd.) => Earthship Brighton, UK The Low Carbon Network (www.lowcarbon.co.uk) was established to raise awareness of the links between buildings, the working and living patterns they create, and global warming and aims to initiate change through the application of innovative ideas and approaches to construction. England’s first Earthship is nearly completed in southern England outside Brighton at Stanmer Park and TecEco technologies have been used for the floors and some walling. Earthships are exemplars of low-carbon design, construction and living and were invented and developed in the USA by Mike Reynolds over 20 years of practical building exploration. They are autonomous earthsheltered buildings independent from mains electricity, water and waste systems and have little or no utility costs. For information about the Earthship Brighton and other projects please go to the TecEco web site. Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 70 Earthship Brighton The first building in the world made with Eco-Cement which sets by absorbing CO2 and wastes Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 71 Tec-Cement Slab Whittlesea, Vic. Australia – The formulation strategy was to adjust a standard 20 MPa high fly ash (36%) mix from the company as a basis of comparison. – Strength development, and in particular early strength development was good. Interestingly some 70 days later the slab is still gaining strength at the rate of about 5 MPa a month. – Also noticeable was the fact that the concrete was not as "sticky" as it normally is with a fly ash mix and that it did not bleed quite as much. – Shrinkage was low. 7 days - 133 micro strains, 14 days - 240 micro strains, 28 days - 316 micros strains and at 56 days - 470 microstrains. Tec-Cement Concrete Slabs Strength Development of Tec-Cement Concrete 30 Strength, MPa => On 17th March 2005 TecEco poured the first commercial slab in the world using tec-cement concrete with the assistance of one of the larger cement and premix companies. 25 20 Compressive Strength 15 10 5 0 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 Days w ater cured Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 72 TecEco Technology in Practice - Whittlesea, Vic. Australia => Eco-Cement Mud Bricks First Eco-cement mud bricks and mortars in Australia – Tested up twice as strong as the PC controls – Mud brick addition rate 2.5% – Addition rate for mortars 1:8 not 1:3 because of molar ratio volume increase with MgO compared to lime. Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 73 TecEco Technology in Practice – AMC Hire Tilt Up Panels => Tec-Cement Tilt Ups Our TecCement concrete tilt ups are free of plastic cracking, obvious bleed marking and other defects. Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 74 Tec & Eco Cement Foamed Concretes => Foamed Concretes BUILD LITE CELLULAR CONCRETE 4 Rosebank Ave Clayton Sth MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA 3169 PH 61 3 9547 0255 FX 61 3 9547 0266 Foamed TecEco cement concretes can be produced to about 30% weight reduction in concrete trucks using cellflow (or equivalents) or to about 70% weight reduction using a foaming machine with mearlcrete (or equivalents). Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 75 Tec & Eco Cement Foamed Concrete => Foamed Concretes Slabs Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 76 Tec & Eco Cement Foamed Concretes => Foamed Concretes Foam infill in steel frames. Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 77 TecEco Technology in Practice => Topping Coats Tec-Cement concretes exhibit little or no shrinkage. At 10% substitution of MgO for PC the shrinkage is less than half normal. At 18% substitution with no added pozzolan there was no measurable shrinkage or expansion. The above photo shows a tec-cement concrete topping coat (with no flyash) 20mm thick away from the door and 80 mm thick near the door. Note that there has been no tendency to push the tiles or shrink away from the borders as would normally be the case. Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 78 TecEco Technology in Practice => Waterproofing Render The Clifton Surf Life Saving Club was built by first pouring footings, On the footings block walls were erected and then at a later date concrete was laid in between. As the ground underneath the footings was sandy, wet most of the time and full of salts it was a recipe for disaster. Predictably the salty water rose up through the footings and then through the blocks and where the water evaporated there was strong efflorescence, pitting, loss of material and damage. The TecEco solution was to make up a formulation of eco-cement mortar which we doctored with some special chemicals to prevent the rise of any more moisture and salt. The solution worked well and appears to have stopped the problem. Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 79 TecEco Technology in Practice => Our First Slab Ever! Mike Burdon, Builder and Plumber. Mike works for a council interested in sutainability and has been involved with TecEco since around 2001 in a private capacity helping with large scale testing of TecEco tec-cements at our shack. Mike is interested in the potentially superior strength development and sustainability aspects. To date Mike has poured two slabs, footings, part of a launching ramp and some tilt up panels using formulations and materials supplied by John Harrison of TecEco. Mike believes that research into the new TecEco cements essential as he has found: 1. The rheological performance even without plasticizer was excellent. As testimony to this the contractors on the site commented on how easy the concrete was to place and finish. 2. The formulations are extremely easy to pump and place. Once in position they appeared to “gel up” quickly allowing stepping for a foundation to a brick wall. 3. Strength gain was more rapid than with Portland cement controls from the same premix plant and continued for longer. 4. The surfaces of the concrete appeared to be particularly hard and Mike attributes this to the fact that much less bleeding was observed than would be expected with a Portland cement only formulation Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 80 TecEco Technology in Practice => Concrete Bricks, Blocks and Pavers TecEco Tec and EcoCement bricks, blocks and pavers are now being made commercially in Tasmania and with freight equalization may be viable to ship to the mainland for your “green” project. Otherwise we may be able to get a local manufacturer to make them for you. Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 81 TecEco Eco-Cement Permecocrete => Permecocrete Permecocrete Allow many mega litres of good fresh water to become contaminated by the pollutants on our streets and pollute coastal waterways Or Capture and cleanse the water for our use? TecEco have now perfected porous pavements that can be made out of mono-graded recycled aggregates and other wastes and that sequester CO2. It does not get much greener! Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 82 TecEco Eco-Cement Permecocrete - Mimicking Nature Water feature keeps water clean All rainwater redirected to pavement filter. Permecocrete porous pavement Pump Water storage e.g. under drive Permecocrete is made with EcoCements that set by absorbing CO2 and can use recycled aggregates. It does not get any greener! Freedom from water restrictions – forever! Pure fresh water from your own block. Filtration through Permecocrete and water feature in garden will keep water pure and fresh. Cooler house and garden (cycle under slab for house cooling/heating option). Lower infrastructure costs for local council. TecEco Permecocrete – Biomicking Nature Pavements are not just for vehicles. They must do much more CO2 CO2 CO2 CO2 CO2 CO2 Sequestration Cleansing microbial activity and oxygenation Cooling Evaporation Moisture retention The substrate must be properly designed Optional groundwater recharge Optional impervious layer, underground drainage and storage. Dual water supply or parks etc. only. Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 84 Holistic Roads for the Future In Australia we run many duplicate services down each side of a road. Given the high cost of installing infrastructure it would be smarter to adopt a system whereby services run down the middle of a road down what amount to giant box culverts. Conventional bitumen or concrete footpath pavement Pervious EcoCement concrete pavement (Permecocrete) surface using recycled aggregates Possible leakage to street trees and underground aquifers Services to either side of the road. All in same trench of conduit Impermeable layer (concrete or plastic liner) angling for main flow towards collection drains Service conduit down middle of road Collection drains to transport drain or pipe in service conduit at intervals Pervious gravel under for collection, cleansing and storage of water Foamed Eco-Cement concrete root redirectors and pavement protectors. Roots will grow away from the foamed concrete because of its general alkalinity. It will also give to some extent preventing surface pavement cracking. Its time for a road re think! Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 85 So Far - Has Anything Really Changed? Building materials and methods have not really changed much in spite of all the pretense about sustainability. – So far mostly green wash. Big improvements in our understanding of the importance of design but No real paradigm shifts in technology with perhaps a few exceptions – Neon light globes – Solar panels etc. To solve sustainability problems of the magnitude we have we must change the paradigm from the bottom up. – We have to do things very differently!! TecEco’s answer is to convert waste and CO2 to resource by building with them. There is enormous scope for change in the built environment Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 86 Challenge in the Construction Business The challenge now facing people in the construction business is to: – Implement sustainable materials in more sustainable ways. As builders of cities we have – dense concentrations of people – the juxtaposition of many industries – concentrations of materials Real opportunities to reduce energy and material through-put! Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 87 What is Stopping Us? A lack of awareness The conservative nature of players in the industry Prescription standards, regulation etc. Lack of government leadership – Politics – Legacy subsidies for non sustainable materials and practices Failure by leaders in the market to buy sustainability – Economies of scale – Short term rather than long term A disconnect between builders and users A chronic lack of skills in the industry to take up new more sustainable technologies We are holding ourselves down! We must change from the bottom up! Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 88 A Sustainable Built Environment CO2 + H2O => Hydrocarbons compounds using bacteria CO2 CO2 CO2 GREENSOLS MAGNESIUM CARBONATE “There is a way to make our city streets as green as the Amazon rainforest”. Fred Pearce, New Scientist Magazine TECECO KILN MgO ECO-CEMENT CONCRETES RECYCLED BUILDING MATERIALS OTHER WASTES PERMANENT SEQUESTRATION & WASTE UTILISATION (Man made carbonate rock incorporating wastes as a building material) Pareto’s principle 80% of the build environment in non structural and could be carbonate from Greensols held together by EcoCements SUSTAINABLE CITIES Made with manufactured carbonate and waste! Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 89 A Post – Carbon Age As Fred Pearce reported in New Scientist Magazine (Pearce, F., 2002), “There is a way to make our city streets as green as the Amazon rainforest”. Downloadable from www.tececo.com & www.gaiaengineering.com 90