FIBCEM

Nanotechnology Enhanced Extruded Fibre Reinforced Foam Cement Based Environmentally Friendly Sandwich Material for Building Applications

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'Fibre Reinforced Cement (FRC) is a durable, fire and corrosion resistant material widely used in the construction industry. Coupled with the low cost of Portland cement, these properties make it ideally suited for applications such as roofing tiles and sidings. However the production of cement is associated with a large CO2 ‘footprint’, for each tonne of cement produced nearly one tonne of CO2 is emitted. This has resulted in FRC becoming stigmatised as a ‘dirty’ material. In addition the high density of cement and hence FRC products results in high transport costs for the producers and high end user installation costs. In order to improve the poor environmental impact of FRC and improve its specific properties, we will develop a cement based, nanotechnology enhanced material produced by a low energy consuming process. The material will consist of a cement based sandwich consisting of a foam cement core and fibre reinforced cement ‘skins’. The foam core will be produced using a nanoscale foaming agent to ensure the formation of an optimum closed cell foam structure with a micro-scale cell size with a narrow cell size distribution. Both the foam and the ‘skins’ will be reinforced with nanoclays to improve both the mechanical and transport properties of the material. The foam cement core will result in a lower density compared to existing FRC, whilst the reinforced skins will ensure the mechanical properties are improved. Added functionality in the form of decreased thermal conductivity and increased sound insulation properties will result from the foam core. The material will be produced by a low energy multilayer extrusion process in which both the foam cement core and fibre reinforced skins are simultaneously formed such that no discontinuity is formed between them. By using a foam core and replacing part of the cement with materials such as fly ash and silica fume, the CO2 footprint of the material will be significantly reduced compared to existing FRC.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Researchers are developing a novel type of Fibre Reinforced Cement (FRC) for use in roofing tiles and side panels for buildings. This enhanced material will offer improved properties and reduced environmental impact compared to existing FRC based products.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Fibre-reinforced cement (FRC) is vital to the construction industry as it is a tough and damage-resistant building material. But, for every tonne of cement manufactured, nearly a tonne of carbon dioxide (CO2) waste is generated.

The EU-funded http://www.fibcem.com (FIBCEM) project is currently researching a nanotechnology-enhanced cement based product that is lighter, more durable and more eco-friendly than existing FRC products. In addition, the new product will have improved heat and sound insulation.

A cement foam core layer is sandwiched between layers of FRC 'skin' to create this novel material. The entire product will be extruded simultaneously through a specially designed low-energy extrusion process.

Researchers have already identified the most appropriate cement compositions. They chose raw materials that gave them the best balance between minimal environmental impacts and maximal performance.

Next, two different types of foaming agent were investigated to produce the cement foam core: Chemical foaming agents and superabsorbent polymers. Nanoclay particles were tested for use in the cement skin, and researchers experimented with modifications that would enhance various properties of the material.

Work has also started on designing and modelling the low-energy extrusion process. In the coming months, researchers will concentrate on producing lab scale samples and test and validate the performance of the FIBCEM material. This will have important implications for FIBCEM business partners as well as the competitiveness of the European construction sector.