The process reduces reaction time for concrete hardening, because the concrete does not need to cure over a period of weeks. The technology offers the global construction and materials industry a way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the production of cement and provide concrete manufacturers a sustainable way to make concrete that is stronger, cheaper to produce and faster to cure.
U.S. Patent No. 9,095,815 describes, "Systems and Methods for Capture and Sequestration of Gases and Compositions Derived Therefrom," a process of creating a solid ceramic form by requisitioning greenhouse gases with a chemical, non-hydraulic bond.
"We have worked to develop a way to make a very complex technology simple and easy to adopt by providing the construction and building materials industries a real competitive edge, with immediate cost savings, superior performance, and an enhanced sustainability profile," said Solidia President and CEO Tom Schuler.
The patent represents the final piece of the intellectual property package developed in 2007 at Rutgers University by co-inventors Richard (Rik) Riman, Rutgers distinguished professor of materials science and engineering, and Vahit Atakan, Solidia’s R&D director and former Rutgers graduate student and research associate. The patents were licensed to Solidia Technologies in 2008.
Solidia’s patented technologies start with Solidia Cement™ and cure concrete with CO2 instead of water, reducing carbon emissions up to 70 percent and recycling 60-100 percent of the water used in production, the company said. Targeting the estimated US$1 trillion concrete and US$300 billion cement markets, Solidia’s processes offer manufacturers significant cost savings compared to water-based curing of conventional cement based on faster curing times, lower energy and raw material consumption, reduced waste generation, and reduced labor requirements.
Currently in commercialization for large- and small-scale applications, Solidia’s R&D collaborators include LafargeHolcim, The Linde Group, CDS Group, DOT’s Federal Highway Administration, DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory, the EPA, Rutgers University, Purdue University, Ohio University, and the University of South Florida These collaborative efforts include applied research, materials testing and characterization, manufacturing logistics, general marketing and R&D funding. For over 50 years, scientists have tried to cure concrete with CO2 knowing the resulting product would be stronger and more stable. Solidia Technologies is the first to make this commercially viable.
In late 2014, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KCPB), Bright Capital, BASF, and BP recommitted to Solidia and were joined in the U.S. start-up’s Series C Round by LafargeHolcim, Total Energy Ventures, Bill Joy and other private investors.