A team of engineers at the University of Southern California has developed a new method to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) captured from the atmosphere into durable and fire-resistant building materials. The process is inspired by the way corals convert CO2 into hard, stony skeletons through biomineralization. The team 3D-prints polymer scaffolds with a conductive layer and immerses them in a calcium chloride solution. CO2 is added, which reacts with calcium ions to form calcium carbonate, filling in the lattice structure over 4 days. The resulting material has “extraordinary mechanical strength and fracture toughness” and can absorb 2,720kg of CO2 per ton of structure. The material also has the ability to be repaired by hooking it up to low-voltage electricity and has fire-suppressing qualities, with a 30-minute fire-resistance. The researchers claim that the structures have a negative carbon footprint, with the amount of CO2 captured exceeding the emissions associated with its manufacture and use. The team envisions a future where buildings are constructed from prefabricated, modular, carbon-negative units that continuously sequester CO2 from the atmosphere to strengthen their mechanical strength and resistance. This breakthrough could help reduce global carbon emissions from building materials, which currently account for around 11% of global emissions.
Mimics the elegance of coral, a new building material absorbs and stores carbon dioxide.
