Achieving a zero "product carbon footprint" (PCF) seems like an impossible task. Nonetheless, there exists a concept to either capture, store, and/or utilize carbon independently to remove greenhouse gases (GHG) from the atmosphere or to opt for purchasing carbon credits, paying carbon taxes, leveraging the efforts of others to offset their own GHG emissions, thereby achieving "net-zero carbon emissions."

However, the primary objective of compliance is to assist manufacturers in reducing the carbon footprint of their products. Selling products with a low carbon footprint benefits both consumers and manufacturers.

In the current market landscape dominated by two major trends: "artificial intelligence" and "net-zero carbon emissions," COCOONCO2 Pte. Ltd. stands at the forefront of the latter. By converting captured carbon into carbon-utilized chemicals and integrating them into customers' manufacturing processes, COCOONCO2 Pte. Ltd. ensures efficiency enhancement in "Scope 1", specifically within the cement and concrete industries, the significant contributors to high GHG emissions.

Recent publications highlight that current cement performance is still underutilized by 15%, prompting the exploration of new designs or recipes for improvement. Finer grinding can accelerate cement's late strength development, enabling the addition of inert substances to reduce carbon emissions. Green limestone cement has emerged as a possible solution, although it consumes more energy during grinding and may lower productivity. Its late-stage strength is not as good as ordinary Portland cement. After all, the inert substances impair the performance.

In addition to physical option of grinding to limestone cement, chemical additives are also being developed to further enhance cement's performance, albeit not yet fully integrated into leading chemical kinetic mechanisms.

Notably, COCOONCO2 Pte. Ltd. has filed a patent of "Additives, Cementitious Compositions Containing Additives and Their Application," including ettringite, which boosts initial strength development, its unsound but rapid lattice formation will collapse the subsequent strength development to the concrete. The Additive controls the unrestricted growth of ettringite. The innovative Additive also converts carbon-utilized chemicals into calcium carbonate in concrete, enhancing strength and addressing water starvation issues. The presence of water molecules allows the C-S-H colloid to be generated to stabilize the strength development to concrete continuously. Simultaneously, the Additive chelates inorganic ions (including calcium, aluminum, silicon, iron, etc.), enabling chemical reactions fully within cement’s micro structures, favoring a denser concrete, then the overall strength performance is superior than ever.

With these advancements, cement plants can incorporate inert substances more safely, maintaining productivity efficiency without having to grind it more finely; concrete plants can reduce the usage of cementitious materials, indirectly reducing the dosed amount of cement, or increasing the use of slags, fly ashes, and other natural materials of lower PCF and saving some material costs... etc. Green limestone cement can potentially reduce carbon emissions by 8 to 15% per ton compared to regular one; to concrete based on full cement as cementitious material (binder), carbon emissions can be reduced by 10 to 50% per cubic meter. Today, global cement production capacity exceeds 4 billion tons per year, while concrete demand exceeds 1 billion cubic meters. It is offering substantial business opportunities in the face of global cement and concrete demand.

Let us embrace this innovative approach to reduce "product carbon footprint, PCF" in the cement and concrete industries.

Founder
Keith Wu