Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have been identified as a major contributor to the phenomenon of global warming and ocean acidification. CO2 is a by-product of combustion and it creates operational, economic, and environmental problems. It is expected that elevated atmospheric concentrations of CO2 and other greenhouse gases will facilitate greater storage of heat within the atmosphere leading to enhanced surface temperatures and rapid climate change. CO2 has also been interacting with the oceans driving down the pH toward 8.0. CO2 monitoring has shown atmospheric CO2 has risen from approximately 280 parts per million (ppm) in the 1950s to approximately 380 ppm today, and is expect to exceed 400 ppm in the next decade. The impact of climate change will likely be economically expensive and environmentally hazardous. Reducing potential risks of climate change will require sequestration of CO2.
SUMMARY
In some embodiments, the invention provides a method for producing a formed building material comprising producing a CO2-sequestering component from divalent cations and a gaseous waste stream comprising CO2, and forming a building material comprising the CO2-sequestering component, wherein the formed building material comprises 5% to 90% (w/w) CO2-sequestering component. In some embodiments, the formed building material comprises 5% to 75% (w/w) CO2-sequestering component. In some embodiments, the formed building material comprises 5% to 50% (w/w) CO2-sequestering component. In some embodiments, the formed building material comprises 5% to 50% (w/w) CO2-sequestering component. The CO2-sequestering component of the formed building material comprises carbonates. In some embodiments, the gaseous waste stream further comprises NOx, SOx, VOCs, particulates, mercury, or a combination thereof. As such, in some embodiments the CO2-sequestering component further comprises co-products of NOx, SOx, VOCs, particulates, mercury, or a combination thereof resulting from conditions used to convert carbon dioxide to carbonates. In some embodiments, the formed building material has a carbon footprint that is neutral or negative. In some embodiments, the formed building material has a carbon footprint that is neutral. In some embodiments, the formed building material has a carbon footprint that is negative. Water for forming the formed building material may be provided by the CO2-sequestering component. In some embodiments, the CO2-sequestering component provides at least 50% of the water for forming the formed building material. Due to the high albedo of the formed building material, the formed building material may continuously reduce carbon emission via reduced lighting demands.
In some embodiments, the invention also provides a formed building material produced by any of the preceding methods. In some embodiments, the formed building material is a brick, a block, a tile, a cement board, a conduit, a beam, a basin, a column, drywall, fiber-cement siding, a slab, an acoustic barrier, or insulation.
In some embodiments, the invention also provides a formed building material comprising a CO2-sequestering component, wherein the formed building material comprises 5% to 90% (w/w) CO2-sequestering component. In some embodiments, the formed building material comprises 5% to 75% (w/w) CO2-sequestering component. In some embodiments, the formed building material comprises 5% to 50% (w/w) CO2-sequestering component. In some embodiments, the formed building material comprises 5% to 50% (w/w) CO2-sequestering component. The CO2-sequestering component of the building material comprises carbonates. In some embodiments, the CO2-sequestering component further comprises carbonate co-products from NOx, SOx, VOCs, particulates, mercury, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the CO2-sequestering component further comprises co-products from SOx. In some embodiments, the CO2-sequestering component further comprises co-products from mercury. The formed building material may be a brick, a block, a tile, a cement board, a conduit, a beam, a basin, a column, drywall, fiber-cement siding, a slab, an acoustic barrier, or insulation. In some embodiments, the formed building material is a brick or block. In some embodiments, the brick or block has a compressive strength of 5 to 100 MPa. In some embodiments, the formed building material is a tile. In some embodiments, the tile has a compressive strength of 5 to 75 MPa. In some embodiments, the formed building material is a slab. In some embodiments, the slab has a compressive strength of 10 to 100 MPa.
In some embodiments, the invention also provides a formed building material comprising a CO2-sequestering component. In some embodiments, the CO2-sequestering component is a carbonate compound composition. In some embodiments, the carbonate compound composition comprises a precipitation material from an alkaline earth metal-containing water. In some embodiments, the alkaline earth metal-containing water comprises CO2 derived from an industrial waste stream. In some embodiments, the CO2-sequestering component is a cementitious component. In some embodiments, the formed building material is a brick, a board, a conduit, a beam, a basin, a column, drywall, a tile, fiber siding, a slab, an acoustic barrier, or insulation.
In some embodiments, the invention also provides a method of producing a formed building material, the method comprising obtaining a CO2-sequestering component and producing a formed building material comprising the CO2-sequestering component. In some embodiments, the CO2-sequestering component is a carbonate compound composition. In some embodiments, the carbonate compound composition comprises a precipitation material from an alkaline earth metal-containing water. In some embodiments, the alkaline earth metal-containing water comprises CO2 derived from an industrial waste stream. In some embodiments, the CO2-sequestering component is a cementitious component. In some embodiments, the formed building material is a brick, a board, a conduit, a beam, a basin, a column, drywall, a tile, fiber siding, a slab, an acoustic barrier, or insulation.
In some embodiments, the invention also provides a method of fabricating a built structure, the method comprising employing a formed building material comprising a CO2-sequestering component. In some embodiments, the CO2-sequestering component is a carbonate compound composition. In some embodiments, the carbonate compound composition comprises a precipitation material from an alkaline earth metal-containing water. In some embodiments, the alkaline earth metal-containing water comprises CO2 derived from an industrial waste stream. In some embodiments, the CO2-sequestering component is a cementitious component. In some embodiments, the formed building material is a brick, a board, a conduit, a beam, a basin, a column, drywall, a tile, fiber siding, a slab, an acoustic barrier, or insulation.
In some embodiments, the invention also provides a method of sequestering carbon dioxide, the method comprising precipitating a CO2-sequestering carbonate compound composition from an alkaline earth metal-containing water and fabricating a formed building material comprising the CO2-sequestering carbonate compound composition. In some embodiments, the alkaline earth metal-containing water is contacted to an industrial waste stream prior to the precipitating step.