immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: Bindemittel

  • Materials researchers work on climate-friendly concrete

    Materials researchers work on climate-friendly concrete

    A group of materials researchers led by Franco Zunino from the Institute of Building Materials at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich is researching compositions for concrete that can significantly reduce its CO2 emissions. The world’s most important building material is responsible for up to 9 percent of man-made CO2 emissions, the Swiss National Science Foundation(SNSF) informs in a press release. It is supporting the research with an Ambizione grant for Zunino.

    The researchers are using two approaches to develop a climate-friendly concrete. The first is to reduce the particularly CO2-intensive cement content of concrete by 60 to 70 per cent. To achieve this, new types of chemical additives are used, in particular so-called polymer dispersants. In the second approach, the use of binders is reduced.

    In its research, the group is “working closely with a major cement manufacturer”, explains the SNSF. An alternative to concrete is unrealistic, according to Zunino. It would take “a forest the size of India” to replace concrete with wood. Even a completely new building material would hardly be able to establish itself “on the streets in Nigeria, where concrete is perhaps mixed together with bare hands”. With a climate-friendly concrete that is suitable for everyday use, however, “the industry would have a solution in hand to implement its CO2 targets and save CO2 taxes”.

  • BFH researchers develop sustainable binder for wood-based materials

    BFH researchers develop sustainable binder for wood-based materials

    The sustainability of wood-based materials such as plywood or wood fibreboard is largely determined by the binder used. Formaldehyde-based binders, as they are mainly used today, are responsible for the majority of CO2 emissions from wood-based materials. Moreover, their formaldehyde emissions are often considered problematic. Research into the development of mineral binders has therefore been going on for several years, including at BFH. Compared to a formaldehyde adhesive, these binders have almost 80 percent lower CO2 emissions. A new mineral binder for the production of wood-based materials is being developed by researchers at the BFH’s Institute of Materials and Wood Technology IWH in a recently launched Innosuisse project. In the project, the researchers are working together with the Swiss company Omya International AG, a leading global supplier of calcium carbonate minerals.

    Less than 20 per cent binder
    The development by BFH and Omya International AG is initially intended for the production of mineral-bonded plywood. The finished boards are to contain less than 20 per cent binder and have the mechanical properties of conventionally produced plywood for interior use. The binder should be able to be cured with heat, which will enable a fast manufacturing process and thus make the product competitive.