Objective
Concrete, made from Portland cement (PC), water, aggregates, mineral additions and chemical admixtures, is the most manufactured world commodity, 5 t/person/yr. PCs are environmentally contentious, accounting for 8% of anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Hence, developing more durable concretes with lower embodied carbon contents is central to maintaining our well-being. The main drawback of the most ambitious proposals for sustainable low-carbon cements is their slow hydration kinetics in the first three days.
Following our breakthrough in synchrotron ptychographic nanotomography for building materials, syn4cem will tailor coherence-based submicron 4D (3D+time) techniques for in situ hydration studies. These techniques should simultaneously provide: - spatial resolution better than 100 nm, - time resolution better than 100 minutes, and – very good electron density contrast. If attained, it will allow a better understanding of cement hydration at early ages. Chiefly, the transition from the accelerated to the decelerated stage will be understood which should allow a rational enhancement of the early age reactivity through admixtures like C-S-H seeding and alkanolamines.
Based on the 4D understanding of cement hydration, syn4cem will develop binders with lower CO2 footprints. The focus will be on limestone calcined clay cements, where the highest possible amount of clinker will be replaced by these abundant supplementary cementitious materials. The hydration reactions of these systems must be accelerated to have competitive mechanical strengths at one day which is key for on-site applications.
The proposed approach will allow ground-breaking interdisciplinary advances like a) quantification of etch-pit growth rates as a function of the particle sizes, b) mass transport in confined spaces, and c) water/air porosity evolution. The X-ray tools will zoom in during early hydration to optimise the admixture performances for attaining more sustainable buildings and infrastructures
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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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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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.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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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) ERC-2023-ADG
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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.
29016 MALAGA
Spain
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.