More information
Description
UP Catalyst is an Estonian based startup established in 2019, which produces sustainable carbon nanomaterials directly from CO2 or from waste biomass for a vast range of applications ranging from green advanced battery technologies to biomedicine. SafeRock is a Norwegian company established in 2019 with focus on low CO2 emission geopolymer technology.
The goal of the project is to create a technological solution that turns CO2 into valuable sustainable carbon nanotubes for making CO2 negative concrete with enhanced mechanical properties. As part of this project, carbon nanotubes will be tested, and a scalable pilot reactor unit will be designed and built. The testing will be done by the project’s partner SafeRock, who tests carbon nanotubes in its patented geopolymer concrete.
As a result of the Green ICT project, a new product will be developed and tested that enables to produce concrete with mechanical properties that are more enhanced than those of other products. The new method for CNTs enables to capture CO2 and produce more nanoparticles compared with the main production methods used today. Most commonly, CNTs are produced by chemical vapor deposition method that is environmentally harmful and has low productivity rates. A new sustainable CNT based product enhances the mechanical properties of concrete at least twofold, making it stronger. This is immensely important as, in the future, concrete could be twice as thin while having the same strength properties.
Summary of project results
No major issues.
Project activities focused in following aspects:
- building a second-generation reactor with improvements on the first-generation reactor,
- producing carbon nanotubes from CO2 emissions with Molten Salt Carbon Capture Electrochemical Transformation technology (MSCC-ET), production of carbon nanotube dispersions for the testing in geopolymer based concrete,
- optimizing, testing and verifying carbon nanomaterial (CNTs produced by UP Catalyst) as additives in geopolymer concrete technology, and
testing geopolymer concrete with CNT additives under real conditions.
All aspects of the implementation plan were fulfilled and project goals were achieved. Partnership with Saferock is likely to continue as parties have fulfilled their objectives and tasks successfully. Project presented remarkable social and environmental impact.
Summary of bilateral results
Partnership with Saferock proved to be vital for the project as partner conducted tests on geopolymer basedconcrete production and tests on mechanical properties. Cooperation is assessed as fruitful and is likely to continue in the future.