Project description
Tweaking cement composition for sustainable construction
Concrete is one of the most consumed materials on the planet. It is cost-effective and efficient for the construction of buildings and infrastructure, making it almost irreplaceable in the construction sector. Unfortunately, cement (material used to bind concrete together) has an enormous carbon footprint, emitting large amounts of CO2 during its production. The EU-funded ngCon project aims to address this challenge by researching and introducing several disruptive cement production processes that are more friendly for the environment. By using a novel smart nano-additive that reduces the carbon footprint of cement production, it will enable a shift in the construction industry towards a more sustainable approach, reducing costs and energy demand.
Objective
Concrete is the most consumed manufactured substance on the planet. Concrete is affordable, strong, durable and resilient to fire, floods and pests. In fact, there is no other material currently available in the quantities necessary to meet the demand for buildings and infrastructure. Concrete is therefore today irreplaceable, and cement works as the glue that binds the concrete’s aggregates together.
However, cement also has a massive carbon footprint. The chemical process of making cement emits staggeringly high levels of CO2 being the source of 8% of the world's CO2 emissions. The biggest challenge and opportunity lie in tweaking the recipe for cement in order to establish a much more environmentally friendly manufacturing process.
Our ngCon additive innovation allows to formulate new classes of sustainable cements capable of tuning the bulk physical properties of concrete during preparation while improving its performance. First, ngCon additive offers a game-changing innovation in the cement production by reducing the calcination temperature from 1400°C to 800°C, hence cutting energy demand by 50%. ngCon also reduces the amount of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) required by 30%, which is the major responsible for the CO2 emissions after combustion. Second, ngCon additive drastically improves the compressive strength of concrete up to 50%. Whether it is for drying time, hardness or uniformity, the innovative ngCon additive developed by Nanogence can give to the construction material the desired consistency, all in one shot. As the cement industry is responsible for 8% of the world’s CO2 emissions, ngCon is addressing these two critical challenges, helping the sector to improve performance while meeting environmental legislations.
Thanks to a scalable business case and through collaborations with leading cement manufacturers, Nanogence is entering the global market with a first focus on Europe and Asia.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology mechanical engineering manufacturing engineering
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry inorganic compounds
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry alkaline earth metals
- natural sciences physical sciences astronomy planetary sciences planets
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.3. - PRIORITY 'Societal challenges
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.2.3. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs
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H2020-EU.2.1. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
SME-2 - SME instrument phase 2
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
CH-1015 Lausanne
Switzerland
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.