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Philosophy – Blu Homes

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Researchers at George Washington University have bolted together an ungainly contraption that they say efficiently uses the energy in sunlight to power a novel chemical process to make lime, the key ingredient in cement, without emitting carbon dioxide. The device puts to work about half of the energy in sunlight (solar panels, in comparison, convert just 15 percent of the energy in sunlight into electricity).Cement production alone emits 5 to 6 percent of total man-made greenhouse gases, and most of that comes from producing lime. Some of the greenhouse-gas emissions from conventional cement production come from using fossil fuels to heat up limestone to high temperatures—about 1,500 ⁰C. Replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy is straightforward, but not necessarily economical. The new work focuses on a harder problem. About 60 percent of the carbon-dioxide emissions from cement production is inherent to the process. Lime is made by heating up limestone—that is, calcium carbonate—until it releases carbon dioxide.The new process changes the chemistry. Rather than emitting carbon dioxide, it converts the gas, using a combination of heat and electrolysis to produce oxygen and either carbon or carbon monoxide, depending on the temperatures employed. Both carbon and carbon monoxide are useful products that might otherwise have been made using fossil fuels.To make the electrolysis practical, the researchers mixed solid calcium carbonate with liquid lithium carbonate, which is molten at the temperatures that are optimal for the process—about 900 ⁰C. The liquid form is conducive to electrolysis. The elevated temperatures lower the amount of electricity needed to electrolyze, and cause the lime to precipitate out of the mixture, making it easy to collect. (At lower temperatures, the lime is more soluble, so it doesn’t precipitate.)

New Cement-Making Method Could Slash Carbon Emissions – Technology Review

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Fly ash from municipal solid waste incinerators (MSWI) is classified as hazardous in the European Waste Catalogue. Proper stabilization processes should be required before any management option is put into practice. Due to the inorganic nature of MSWI fly ash, cementitious stabilization processes are worthy of consideration. However, the effectiveness of such processes can be severely compromised by the high content of soluble chlorides and sulphates. In this paper, a preliminary washing treatment has been optimized to remove as much as possible soluble salts by employing as little as possible water. Two different operating conditions (single-step and two-step) have been developed to this scope. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that stabilized systems containing 20% of binder are suitable for safer disposal as well as for material recovery in the field of road basement (cement bound granular material layer). Three commercially available cements (pozzolanic, limestone and slag) have been employed as binders.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2011.12.013

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A startup in Germany has developed a new kind of solar panel made of small, organic molecules deposited on polyester films. The technology is similar to what’s used for OLED displays for phones and flat-screen TVs. The panels are flexible, and far lighter than conventional solar panels, yet in some locations—particularly where it’s hot or cloudy—they can generate just as much electricity as a conventional solar panel.Heliatek, based in Dresden, is funded by Bosch, BASF, and others, and has raised 28 million euros so far. The company, which recently started making its panels on a small, proof-of-concept production line, hopes to raise an additional 60 million euros, part of which will be used to build a 75-megawatt factory. This is fairly small for a solar panel factory—at such a small scale, Heliatek’s panels will cost more per watt than conventional solar panels, says CEO Thibaud de Séguillon. But in four to five years, by which time Heliatek should reach large-scale production, the cost could drop to around 40 to 50 cents per watt, which would make them competitive with conventional solar panels, he says.

Tinted Windows that Generate Electricity – Technology Review

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Commonly used materials in the construction of the building façades located in warm climates, often entrap a great amount of heat from the incoming solar radiation, leading to a respective thermal increase in the interior. The aim of the present study is to examine mineral-based coatings as a passive solar technique that contributes to buildings’ energy efficiency. A series of mineral based samples are developed and tested. Their thermal performance is estimated by infrared thermography and surface temperature measurements. Their optical properties are also measured while the energy efficiency is quantified using simulation techniques. The results revealed that renders based on hydraulic and/or hydrated lime with additions of calcium carbonate powder, as well as mineral paints comprised either of lime wash or silicate minerals can behave as cool coatings and contribute to a significant reduction of the cooling demand in warm climates.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2012.02.032

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Presently, appropriate waste management is one of the main requisites for sustainable development; this task is tackled by the material construction industry. The work described herein is focused on the valorization of granite waste through incorporation, as a filler-functional admixture, into cement-based mortar formulations. The main components of the waste are SiO2 (62.1 %), Al2O3 (13.2 %), Fe2O3 (10.1 %), and CaO (4.6 %). The presence of iron oxides is used to develop the photocatalytic properties of the waste. Following heating at 700 °C, α-Fe2O3 forms in the waste. The inclusion of the heated sample as a filler admixture in a cement-based mortar is possible. Moreover, this sample exhibits a moderate ability in the photodegradation of organic dye solutions. Also, the plastering mortars, in which the heated samples have been used, show self-cleaning properties. The preparation of sustainable building materials is demonstrated through the adequate reuse of the granite waste.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cssc.201100552

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