Low Carbon Materials

Carbon emissions are the bane of the present world. And technologies of the developed world are contributing most to this global phenomenon of high-carbon emissions. Innovation of energy-efficient hi-tech is very important to increase productivity in the industrial sector and also reduction of carbon emissions. Bangladesh is the best place in South Asia for investment, and in this regard we have to innovate green-technology for more efficient and less polluting industrial processes. The term "technology" refers to the application of knowledge for practical purposes and the field of "green technology" encompasses a continuously evolving group of methods and materials, from techniques for generating energy to non-toxic cleaning products.
Bangladesh is still grappling with problems like illegal brick kilns, use of firewood for brick baking, brickfields on cropland and the loss of top soil and cutting of hills blamed on brick manufacturing. A large number of brick kilns lack of standard level as required by the related law while many others do not have the clearances from the Department of Environment (DoE). Bricks are being manufactured in these kilns by burning firewood. Furthermore, the smoke emitted from brick kilns causes respiratory problems and asthma in children and elderly people in nearby areas. According to a UNDP survey, these brickfields cause air pollution, land degradation and deforestation. Brick producers are major polluters, but today there is a cleaner alternative coming on-stream called green bricks. Bangladesh has adopted smokeless brick making technology introduced by the UN Development Programme. The innovative technology that is being used to replace the existing century-old system will make brick manufacturing more environment-friendly in Bangladesh. This technology requires less human intervention than the traditional. Lower loss of firewood, less use of coal, low demand for clay, low human intervention etc. are the different good sides to green brick manufacturing. After presenting such facts regarding traditional brick system, the paper also examines the potentiality of green brick technology with details. This paper also sensitizes the people by creating awareness against traditional kilns and makes the technology simply available to the brick manufacturers and thus helps to promote the use of green bricks.

This paper presents a summary of the major findings from the studies conducted at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras on Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC3), in comparison with plain portland cement and fly ash-based binder. The study attempts to delineate the chemical and physical effects of binder components in LC3 on hydration and hardening, property development, binder chemistry and durability indicators to evolve fundamental understanding on the performance of such low clinker binders. Such an assessment can drive the practical adoption and extend the applicability of such binders in various domains of cement-based materials. The experimental strategy involved the assessment of the pore structure evolution and electrical properties on cementitious pastes, along with measurement of the durability parameters on concrete for resistance to ingress of moisture by absorption, and chloride ions by migration and diffusion mechanisms. The synergistic interactions of the blend of calcined clay and limestone impact the physical structure positively at early ages as opposed to fly ash systems, which require prolonged curing to realise their potential. The study reveals a combination of calcined clay and limestone can be a potential combination for producing high-performance concrete, more specifically in a chloride laden environment, along with the beneficial alternative resource utilisation and sustainability prospects.

World sustainable development concerns finding new solutions for mitigation of waste accumulation on landfills and global warming increase. New clean technologies, which can reuse pollutant materials and sequestrate industrial waste and greenhouse gases, are potential solutions to mitigate global environmental threats. The feasibility of developing cement-free steel slag-based construction materials activated by carbonation was reviewed in this study, by analysing different steel slag, its chemical composition and carbonation reaction. The influence of carbonation conditions by controlling parameters such as humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, partial pressure, compacting pressure, slag fineness, temperature and carbonation duration was also reviewed. Good compressive strength and carbon dioxide uptake results demonstrated that slag-based materials activated by carbonation are potential for replacing precast Portland cement-based materials, they are also an environmentally friendly solution against Global Warming.

Since ancient times, reeds have been used as a low-tech building material in several construction
purposes. Reed is a natural building materials that possess many useful benefits in contemporary
building practices. Reeds grow around lakes, swamps and other water canals and have no
environmental impact if dismantled after construction as they are biodegradable. Reeds are also easy
to cut and handle making for a flexible material easily used in construction. Similar to several other
building traditions, reed construction is disappearing in many parts of the world, especially now that
there are no serious preservation or documentation attempts. In Egypt, this ancient and traditional
building craft has been common for millennia, and was the predominant building technique in certain
regions until recently. As previously the dwellings and the communal prayer areas of several fishing
villages in Egypt were entirely built using reeds, there is still great potential for reintroducing reed
building techniques to respond to different environmental and economical conditions in specific
regions. This research paper demonstrates how we can revitalize this craft through learning how to
use reeds as a low carbon contemporary building practice.

Infrastructure threatens to lock-in societies to fossil fuels, unless something is done about it now. This is because infrastructure lasts for such a long-time, meaning that any infrastructure built or rebuilt now will last well into the 21st century – even until the end of the century in some cases. Consequently, there is a need to integrate climate change, especially adaptation, into infrastructure now or societies will be left with infrastructure designed around an unsustainable socio-technical system (e.g. combustion engines, roads, suburbanization, etc.). Such change is conceptualized in the literature as a sustainability transition. However, any attempts at such transitions have to address the materialities of infrastructure systems (e.g. physical form, environmental context, etc.). In this paper I develop the concept of socio-material systems and apply it to transport infrastructure in Ontario, Canada.

h i g h l i g h t s Optimal conditions are investigated and discussed for steel slag CO 2 cured binders. Clinker-free binder can performance a 24 h strength of 151.5 MPa. Steel slag fineness & temperature are critical parameters for strength development. CO 2 cured binders have potential to replace OPC on precast building applications.

Funding details:
CO2 emissions are responsible for climate change and these will have adverse consequences particularly on low and middle income countries. Malaysian CO2 emissions have seen a growth of 300% in the last 20 years. Malaysia's dependence on non-renewable energy sources is increasing as a result of the growing population (2% annual growth) and urbanisation in the country. Portland cement production is responsible for about 8% of the total CO2 emissions in the world, and an increase in production would be required in order to cope with the

16MnCr5 low  alloy  steel  was  carburized at  9250C.  Carbon  enriched  up to  0.6%  in  case. The effective  case  depth  is  0.47  -  0.50 mm.  The tensile  strength  and hardness  measured is 387.077N/mm2  and  720  HV.  SEM  analysis  and fractography  results  shown are  ductile fracture  at the  core  and  brittle  fracture  in  the  case.

Alternative binders may reduce greenhouse gases emissions, energy and water consumption. Waste-based carbon dioxide cured binder represents a potential solution as an environmental friendly construction material. To achieve efficient mechanical properties and optimal mixture design, a preliminary comparison about the effect of compacting pressure and carbonation duration on carbon dioxide cured binders was studied. An electric arc furnace slag from the national steel industry in Portugal and a Portland cement CP-I were used as binders and subjected to carbon dioxide curing environment. This work shows the compressive strength development of a slag-based and Portland cement-based binders under different compacting pressures and carbonation durations. Compressive strength present stronger development due higher compacting pressures and longer carbonation duration however, its development ratio was decreasing after two hours under carbon dioxide atmosphere. The carbon dioxide curing has highly dependence on both studied factors, compacting pressure and carbonation duration, which enhance the compressive strength development.

The carbons known today as fullerenes, nanotubes, and graphene were all observed or theorized well before becoming emblematic nanomaterials. However, by the 1990s, their mode of existence was shifted from bench or brand objects to technoscientific objects. After focusing on the separate life-stories of these carbons, this chapter recounts how, by eventually interweaving their trajectories and mutually referring to each other, these objects have reborn as a family  of  low-dimensional  nanocarbons  unfurling  a  space  of  indefinite  technological possibilities saturated by promises of radical novelty: the “nanoworld”. The co-shaping of nanoworld and nanocarbons is reminiscent of that of the three basic figures composing the world of painting according to Kandinsky: point, line, and plane.

Keywords: carbon, nanotubes, materials chemistry, fullerene, graphene, modes of existence, nanomaterials, nanotechnology, objects, technoscience.

Les carbones aujourd’hui connus sous le nom de fullerènes, de nanotubes et de graphène furent  tous  observés  et  théorisés  bien  avant de devenir des nanomatériaux  emblématiques, mais  au cours des années 1990  ils  changent  de  mode  d’existence  et  passent  du  statut d’objets scientifiques ou de produits commerciaux à celui d’objets technoscientifiques. En partant des récits de genèse de chacun de ces carbones, ce chapitre raconte comment ces objets, en finissant par entremêler leurs trajectoires et à s’impliquer mutuellement, ont contribué à déployer un  espace  de  possibilités  technologiques  indéfinies  saturé  de  promesses de nouveauté radicale, le « nanomonde ». La co-constitution du nanomonde et des nanocarbones n’est pas sans évoquer celle des trois figures de base composant le monde de la peinture selon Kandinsky : le point, la ligne et le plan.

Mots-clés  :  carbone,  nanotubes  de  carbone,  chimie  des  matériaux,  fullerène,  graphène, modes d’existence, nanomatériaux, nanotechnologies, objets, technoscience.

One of the requirements of architectural buildings is to reduce the negative effect it has in the surrounding environment. In designing programs has been successfully applied the concept of biological facades. Interpreting the architectural façade in an analogy with the biological organism 's skins, it has been represented a multiple-choice catalogue with different functions which are half full filled by technological facades in architecture. Such a situation allows and leads to promising and innovative concepts. Biological organisms have different strategies to adapt with internal and external changes. The skin and the outer shell of these organisms plays an important role in disconnection and connection of the structures that are used to protect them, to adapt to temperature, lightning, humidity etc. The focus of this research paper is to make an analogy between intelligent biological skins and technological skins. According to the analysis of different adaptive skins, in this research we have proposed an adaptive façade system in the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism in Tirana that reacts towards climate. This system will provide better condition with optimal comfort parameters for different activities that might take place there using, by reducing the energy consumption.

The global transition to a low-carbon economy will involve changes in material markets and supply chains on a hitherto unknown scale and scope. With these changes come numerous challenges and opportunities related to supply chain security and sustainability. To help support decision-making as well as future research, this study employs a problem-oriented perspective while reviewing academic publications, technical reports, legal documents , and published industry data to highlight the increasingly interconnected nature of material needs and geopolitical change. The paper considers a broad set of issues including technologies, material supplies, investment strategies, communal concerns, innovations, modeling considerations, and policy trends to help contextualize policy decisions and regulatory responses. Policy options are outlined for each topical section, as well as areas for further research. Together, these recommendations serve to help guide the complex, interdis-ciplinary approach to materials required for a low-carbon transition.

We have synthesized a nitrogen doped activated hybrid material containing carbon derived from empty fruit bunch (EFB) pulp as a waste material, and graphene oxide (GO) by using KOH and urea via one step thermal treatment at 800 1C. The results show an excellent attachment of GO to the carbon matrix with a spongy-like structure of final product (NACG), possessing the high surface area (2261.2 m 2 /g) and high nitrogen content (11.53%). A significant enhancement in thermal conductivity (10.16%) as well as in electrical conductivity (11433%) of dispersed NACG in the ethylene glycol (EG) confirms its potential application towards nanofluids.

""Discussion on climate change, it's impact on the built environment and the sustainable approach of eco-friendly, low carbon passive solar architecture.

Event organised by Free&Real.org and Anelixi.org" and supported by the General Secretariat for Youth in Greece"

The present investigation aims at evaluating overall conditions for being self-sufficient regarding construction materials, in the Portuguese region of Évora. After identifying and quantifying the most important and widely used materials in construction (today and in possible future periods) within the region, the study makes a first estimate of each material need and generation potential, so as to evaluate and compare them. The study develops strictly within regionally defined boundaries, resorting to municipality level statistics as much as possible. As a preliminary study, evaluation quantifies needs and generation potentials, but does not detail on infrastructural, technological, hu-man labor or cost implications. Materials analyzed amount to around 98% in mass of all listed ma-terials, which was considered a good start as far as a preliminary self-sufficiency resource manage-ment study is concerned. This research concludes that attaining construction materials regional self-sufficiency requires an up-start philosophical change from new construction to maintenance and retrofit. It also states that reuse and recycling are major sources of materials, which combined with the previous conclusion can guarantee natural occurring deposit (e.g.: sand, limestone, soils) life-times of hundreds up to thousands of years. Moreover, materials such as wood and soils can be cru-cial to the whole industry self-sufficiency, rising up to as much as 33% of all construction materials use, in mass (replacing large amounts of concrete, sintered ceramics, metals and plastics).

The aim of this work is to study the heat treatment effect, milling time effect and indirect mechanosynthesis effect on the structure of the mixture limestone/clay (kaolinite). Indirect mechanosynthesis is a process that combines between mechanical activation and heat treatment at 900 • C. XRD, TGA, FTIR and particle size distribution analysis and SEM micrograph are used in order to follow thermal properties and structural modification changes that occur. It is shown that the indirect mechanosynthesis process allows the formation of the equivalent clinker in powder with the main constituents of the clinker (Alite C 3 S, belite C 2 S, tricalcium aluminate C 3 A and tetracalcium aluminoferrite C 4 AF) at 900 • C, whereas, these constituents in the conventional clinker are obtained at 1450 • C.

The adoption of any binder system for structural concrete depends on the performance characteristics desired for addressing the long-term deformation and durability concerns. The major properties influencing the performance includes the shrinkage characteristics governing the long-term deformation, and durability characteristics related to various transport mechanisms, governing the performance in different service conditions. This paper describes the potential of Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC3) for use in structural concrete in comparison
with Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) and fly ash based blended cement (FA30). Three types of concrete mixtures were designed for the study, two based on achieving an equivalent strength grade (M30 and M50 concrete grade) with each binder, and the third with equal binder content and w/b ratio. Mechanical properties
such as compressive strength and elastic modulus, and autogenous and drying shrinkage, along with various durability parameters of the different concretes were assessed. Oxygen permeability, rapid chloride penetration, chloride migration, resistivity development and water sorptivity were the various parameters considered for evaluation of durability performance. The results indicate the superiority of LC3 binder over other binders in producing durable concrete, especially in a chloride laden environment. The major reason for the better performance was attributed to the more compact and dense microstructure of the system with the LC3 binder against OPC and FA30. The drying shrinkage performance was seen to be similar for concrete with all three binders.

Climate change means that countries like Canada need to find suitable transition pathways to overcome fossil-fuel dependence; one such pathway is the so-called 'bio-economy'. The bio-economy is a term used to define an economic system in which biological resources (e.g., plants) form the basis of production and production processes. For example, it would involve the replacement of petroleum energy, inputs, chemicals, and products with bioenergy, biological inputs, bio-chemicals, and bio-products. A number of countries and jurisdictions have established policy strategies in order to promote and support the development of a bio-economy, exemplified by the European Union where the bio-economy represents a key pillar in its broader Horizon 2020 strategy. Other countries, like Canada, do not yet have an over-arching bio-economy strategy, but have a series of diverse, and often competing, policy visions and frameworks. It is useful to analyse countries like Canada in order to understand how these policy visions and policy frameworks are co-constituted, and what this might mean for the development of an over-arching bio-economy strategy. This raises a number of questions: How is the bio-economy imagined by different social actors? How are these imaginaries and policy frameworks co-produced?

We have synthesized a nitrogen doped activated hybrid material containing carbon derived from empty fruit bunch (EFB) pulp as a waste material, and graphene oxide (GO) by using KOH and urea via one step thermal treatment at 800 degrees C. The results show an excellent attachment of GO to the carbon matrix with a spongy-like structure of final product (NACG), possessing the high surface area (2261.2 m(2)/g) and high nitrogen content (11.53%). A significant enhancement in thermal conductivity (10.16%) as well as in electrical conductivity (11433%) of dispersed NACG in the ethylene glycol (EG) confirms its potential application towards nanofluids. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Link to Full-Text Articles :
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167577X15004942

Experiments were carried out according to the Nordtest protocol to study the moisture buffer potential of hemp-lime walls with a range of different internal linings and surface treatments. It was observed that the moisture buffer value was 'Excellent' when the inner surface of hemp-lime was exposed. 'Excellent' moisture buffer values were also obtained for hemp-lime with lime plaster. All other assemblies demonstrated 'Good' moisture buffer value. Moisture buffer values of the assemblies, after application of paint on the upper surfaces, were also determined. It was observed that application of synthetic pigment based trade paint could reduce the moisture buffer performance of the assembly consisting of hemp-lime and lime-plaster from 'Excellent' to 'Good' while between 61 and 69% reduction of moisture buffer value was observed for the other assemblies. However, the reduced buffer values of the assemblies are still comparable with other moisture buffering building materials. It was further observed that moisture buffer performance was improved when clay based organic paint was used instead of trade paint.