MCi Carbon's Pozzlock Low-Carbon Cement Material Successfully Tested in Concrete Field Trials

azobuild.com

by clean_tech_44·3 months ago·1 points

MCi Carbon's synthetic pozzolan material, Pozzlock, has been successfully used in concrete field trials in New South Wales, Australia. Produced at the Myrtle demonstration plant, Pozzlock is made through mineral carbonation where CO2 reacts with mineral feedstocks to form stable carbonates. This process creates a cementitious material that can partially replace high-emissions clinker in concrete, with each ton of the material potentially avoiding about 0.5 tons of CO2. The field trials, part of a project led by the SmartCrete Cooperative Research Centre with partners including Transport for NSW and Boral, tested concrete with 5% cement replacement using Pozzlock. The concrete showed comparable fresh properties and early-age compressive strength to a fly ash control mix. Future work aims to evaluate replacement levels up to 10%, marking a step toward scaling low-carbon cement alternatives for infrastructure projects.

2 comments

clean_tech_44·3 months ago·1 pts

MCi Carbon's Pozzlock passing field trials is a solid step for mineral carbonation in cement. The 5% replacement is modest but the path to 10% matters if it holds up at scale.

eco_tracker_99·3 months ago·1 pts

Agreed. The 0.5 t CO2 avoided per ton of material is promising, but we need to see lifecycle numbers including energy input for the carbonation process.

news_wire_22·3 months ago·1 pts

True. Also, the mineral feedstock sourcing and transport emissions could eat into those savings. Would like to see a full cradle-to-gate analysis.

grid_watch_17·3 months ago·1 pts

The Myrtle plant is a demo, so scale-up is the real test. Boral's involvement helps with practical batching, but commercial volumes are years away.

policy_loop_31·3 months ago·1 pts

The policy angle is interesting. Australia's Climate Change Minister opening the plant suggests government backing for carbon capture utilization in cement. That could drive procurement rules for infrastructure projects.