Scientists develop recyclable building material that absorbs CO2 instead of emitting it

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🗞️ Driving the news: Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) have developed a groundbreaking carbon-negative building material called enzymatic structural material (ESM)
• Unlike traditional concrete, which contributes to CO2 emissions, ESM captures carbon dioxide during its production and sequesters it as solid mineral particles
• This innovation not only offers a greener alternative to conventional materials but also cures much faster, reducing energy consumption

🔭 The context: Concrete, a ubiquitous material in construction, is responsible for nearly 8% of global CO2 emissions
• As the world seeks to curb emissions and improve sustainability in building practices, the development of materials like ESM presents a transformative solution
• By leveraging biological chemistry, this new material opens the door for eco-friendly, carbon-sequestering alternatives in construction

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: ESM represents a potential shift in the building industry, moving from carbon-intensive practices to carbon-negative construction
• By capturing CO2 during its production, ESM not only mitigates the environmental footprint of buildings but also plays an active role in reducing atmospheric carbon levels
• The material’s rapid curing, recyclability, and versatility offer significant advantages for sustainable, resilient infrastructure development

⏭️ What's next: Further testing and scaling are needed to bring ESM into widespread use, particularly in large-scale applications like affordable housing, climate-resilient infrastructure, and disaster relief zones
• The continued development of this material could revolutionise global construction practices, supporting efforts to meet decarbonisation goals while addressing critical housing and infrastructure challenges

💬 One quote: "If even a fraction of global construction shifts toward carbon-negative materials like ESM, the impact could be enormous," said Nima Rahbar, leading the research team at WPI

📈 One stat: Producing a single cubic meter of ESM sequesters more than 6 kilograms of CO2, in stark contrast to the 330 kilograms emitted by conventional concrete

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