A new method inspired by coral reefs can capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and transform it into durable, fire-resistant building materials, offering a promising solution for carbon-negative construction.
The approach, developed by USC researchers and detailed in a study published in npj Advanced Manufacturing, draws inspiration from the ocean's coral reefs' natural ability to create robust structures by sequestering carbon dioxide. The resulting mineral-polymer composites demonstrate extraordinary mechanical strength, fracture toughness and fire-resistance capabilities.
"This is a pivotal step in the evolution of converting carbon dioxide," said Qiming Wang, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. "Unlike traditional carbon capture technologies that focus on storing carbon dioxide or converting it into liquid substances, we found this new electrochemical manufacturing process converts the chemical compound into calcium carbonate minerals in 3D-printed polymer scaffolds."
>> In Other News: Ocean Dumping – or Climate Solution? An Industry Bets on the Ocean to Capture Carbon
Existing carbon capture technologies generally focus on storing carbon dioxide or converting it into liquid substances. However, this is generally expensive and inefficient. This new method offers a less expensive solution by integrating carbon capture directly into building materials.
Wang attributed the "magic of ocean coral" as fundamental to the study's breakthrough. "As an organism, coral can use photosynthesis to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and convert it into a structure," Wang said.
The method was directly inspired by how coral creates its aragonite skeletal structures, known as corallites. In nature, coral builds corallites through a process called biomineralization, in which coral sequesters carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by the process of photosynthesis. It then combines the chemical compound with calcium ions from seawater to precipitate calcium minerals around organic templates.
The research team replicated this process by creating 3D-printed polymer scaffolds that mimicked coral's organic templates. They then coated them with a thin conductive layer. These coated structures were then connected to electrochemical circuits as cathodes and immersed in a calcium chloride solution.
When carbon dioxide was added to the solution, it underwent hydrolysis to be broken down into bicarbonate ions. These ions reacted with calcium in the solution to form calcium carbonate, which gradually filled the 3D-printed pores. This resulted in the final product, a dense mineral-polymer composite.
The most surprising trait of the experimental composite material may be its reaction to fire. While the 3D-printed polymer scaffolds lack inherent fire-resistant properties, the mineralized composites maintained their structural integrity under the research team's experimental flame tests.
"The manufacturing method revealed a natural fire-suppression mechanism of 30 minutes of direct flame exposure," Wang said. "When exposed to high temperatures, the calcium carbonate minerals release small amounts of carbon dioxide that appear to have a fire-quenching effect. This built-in safety feature provides significant advantages for construction and engineering applications where fire resistance is critical."
In addition to fire resistance, cracked fabricated structures can be repaired by connecting them to low-voltage electricity. Electrochemical reactions can rejoin the cracked interfaces and restore the mechanical strength.
After a rigorous life cycle assessment, the researchers found that the manufactured structures featured a negative carbon footprint, revealing that the carbon capture exceeded the carbon emissions associated with manufacturing and operations.
The researchers also demonstrated how the manufactured composites could be assembled into larger structures using a modular approach, creating large-scale load-bearing structures; the composite materials could potentially be used in construction and other applications requiring high mechanical resistance.
Wang said the researchers plan to focus on commercializing the patented technology. With building materials and construction responsible for around 11% of global carbon emissions, the study's new manufacturing method lays the groundwork for the possibility of carbon-negative buildings.
Follow the money flow of climate, technology, and energy investments to uncover new opportunities and jobs.
Inside This Issue ⚡ Energy Department Removes Barriers for American Energy Producers, Unleashing Investment in Domestic Hydrogen 🛳️ MASH Makes Powers First Vessel Trial With Biofuel From a Carbon-...
Inside This Issue 🛢️ Conestoga Energy Completes Drilling of Class VI Carbon Capture & Sequestration Well, Advances Toward EPA Application 🏗️ How Microsoft and Sublime Systems Are Reinventing C...
Inside This Issue 💸 EDF Slams Repeal of 45V Hydrogen Credit, Citing $32Bn in Higher Household Energy Costs and Job Losses 🤝 Johnson Matthey to Sell Blue Hydrogen Business to Honeywell as Part of £...
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office today removed barriers for the American hydrogen industry by updating its 45VH2-GREET modeling tool. The latest vers...
NETL Patents New Process for Extracting Critical Resources from Coal Fly Ash at High Quantities
NETL researchers developed a new process for extracting economically and strategically vital rare earth elements (REE) and critical minerals (CM) from America’s coal fly ash at high quantities and ...
World’s First Plant That Captures CO2 From Air to Make Building Materials Opens
Aggregates produced using CO2 captured by Mission Zero Technologies ‘Direct Air Capture’ technology (Image courtesy of Mission Zero Technologies) A demonstration project that uses direct air captu...
Plug Power’s Georgia Hydrogen Plant Sets U.S. Production Record Using Plug Electrolyzer Technology
April 2025 Marks Industry-Leading Milestone with 300 Metric Tons of Liquid Hydrogen Produced WOODBINE, Ga., -- Plug Power Inc. (NASDAQ: PLUG), a global leader in comprehensive hydrogen solutions, ...
Follow the money flow of climate, technology, and energy investments to uncover new opportunities and jobs.