- Topic Submission
- Discussion & Evaluation
- Development
- Project
Materials
Environment
Is this related to or a continuation of a previous Iowa DOT research project?
No
Does this idea include matching funds?
No
Anticipated Benefits
The following are major benefits of this proposed study:
- Lowering carbon emission resulting from concrete construction
- Reducing hazardous, waste ashes produced by power plants (and other manufacturers in future)
- Generating new source materials (cementitious materials and sand) for concrete construction.
- Bringing about long-term environmental and economic benefits through the uses of both CO2 and waste ashes effectively.
Focus Area
Sustainability / Technology
Research Program
IHRB
Proposals Due
02/08/2021
Project Title
Beneficial Use of Iowa Waste Ashes in concrete through Carbon Sequestration
Project Number
TR-807
Contracted Agency
Iowa State University
Project Champion
Principal Investigator
Funding Program
Iowa Highway Research Board
Project Funding
$60,000
Project Funding Including External Sources
$60,000
Project Start Date
05/01/2022
Current Project End Date
09/30/2024
Project Abstract
By 2019, Iowa was the 16th in the nation in coal power generation, with 72 operating coal‐fired power units totaling 6,492 megawatts(MW). Presently, each of the power plantstill producessignificant amount of waste ashes, most of which have been deposited in landfills because they do not meet specifications for construction and other applications. The landfills pose serious risks for the surrounding environment, e. g., leaching of chemicals into ground and surface waters. Recently, research has shown that many of these power plant waste ashes are rich in silicate and/or calcium, and they could react with carbon dioxide (CO2) in atmosphere to produce calcium carbonate (CaCO3), thus altering the properties of these ashes. Based on this concept, the proposed study is to inject captured CO2 into selected Iowa power plant waste ashes (coal and RDF ashes, fly ash and bottom ashes) to treat or cure the waste ashes, change their properties (e.g., surface chemistry, morphology, and pore structure), and enable them to be beneficially used in concrete. The main tasks of the study will include (1) to optimize carbon curing procedure (pressure, moisture, and time) for the selected waste ashes, (2) to determine the effects of carbon curing on properties (the surface chemistry, morphology, pore structure, etc.) of the ashes, (3) to learn about the effects of carbon cured ashes on the properties (set time, flowability, hydration, strength etc.) of cement composites (e. g., paste and mortar), and (4) to investigate how much CO2 can be consumed by or sequestrated in the waste ashes, and (5) to assess the potential benefit‐to‐cost ratio of the carbon curing treatment for the waste ashes. It is expected that this study can generate profound environmental, economic, and social impacts as overabundant waste ashes in Iowa are extensively and beneficially used.
Project Manager
Delivering targeted solutions for Iowa's transportation future.
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