Integration of electrochemical decarbonation of limestones into an innovative chain for low carbon foot print cement production

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dc.catalogadoryvc
dc.contributor.advisorGonzález Hormazabal, Marcelo Andres
dc.contributor.authorRamírez Amaya, Darío Alonso
dc.contributor.otherPontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Escuela de Ingeniería
dc.date.accessioned2025-10-10T20:07:13Z
dc.date.available2025-10-10T20:07:13Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.descriptionTesis (Doctor in Engineering Sciences)--Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, 2025
dc.description.abstractConcrete is the most widely used human-made material, but its use faces pressing challenges related to reducing CO2 emissions. These emissions are primarily associated with the cement production processes, which involve the calcination of calcium carbonate (CaCO3)-rich limeston esto produce quicklime (CaO), hydrated lime (Ca(OH)2), and clinker —the main active compound in Portland cement (PC). Due to the growing demand for concrete and, consequently, cement, the cement industry increasingly relies on disruptive technologies to meet CO2 stabilization targets for2050, which are essential for contributing to less severe global warming scenarios. Recently, an electrochemical process based on water electrolysis has been proposed as a disruptive technology with potential for the deep decarbonization of lime and cement production. In this process, introducing solid CaCO3 into an electrolysis cell triggers a decarbonation reaction in anaqueous medium at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, releasing H2, and a mixture of O2 and CO2. Calcium precipitates as solid Ca(OH)2 and is recovered from the electrolysis cell by filtration. This precipitated material (PM) has the potential to be used as a non-carbonate feedstock for lime and cement production (Ca(OH)2 Heat→ CaO + H2O), addressing the chemical emissions produced by limestone calcination (CaCO3 Heat→ CaO + CO2). For a future deployment of this technology in the cement industry, it is essential to understand the implications of electrochemical decarbonation (ED) in the manufacturing process and the final product's performance. Accordingly, this research focused on the integration of the ED into an innovative chain for low-carbon footprint cement production, advancing the understanding of the fundamentals of the electrochemical process, and investigating the effects of substituting natural limestone with its corresponding PM on the entire production chain and the properties of the resulting cement. The physical and chemical properties of limestones from cement plants were of interest in explaining the quality of the PM. For this purpose, different-grade limestones were decarbonated using an H-type cell, demonstrating that ED is possible on natural limestones of different CaCO3 purities. In all cases, the PM obtained was mainly comprised of Ca(OH)2, with a higher CaO concentration and lower loss on ignition (LOI) than their precursors, which is beneficial for cement and lime production. The quality of the PM as a feedstock for cement and lime production was assessed according to the state of practice in these industries. It was demonstrated that regardless of the CaCO3 purity and origin of the precursor limestone, the ED enhances the lime saturation factor due to an increase in the CaO concentration while reducing the rest of primary oxides and impurities of the precursor, which can be separated from the calcium component and isolated in the cell's anodic chamber by decantation. For most of the studied cases, PMs' chemical and physical characteristics supported the ED suitability for cement and hydrated lime production. In this sense, low fineness and specific surface area of the precursor, along with a high content of MgO, were linked to an increase in unreacted CaCO3 in the PM. The effect of using PMs on the cement manufacturing process was initially evaluated by identifying and quantifying the main hydraulic phases and free lime content in laboratory synthesized electrochemical clinker (E-CK). It was demonstrated that the raw meal for E-CK can be formulated by completely replacing the precursor limestone with its PM, reducing CO2 chemical emissions up to 90%. After the clinkerization stage, the resulting E-CK was mainly comprised of Alite (C3S), and the rest of the hydraulic phases remained in suitable proportions for Portland cement production. In addition, under the same thermal treatment, the raw meal formulations based on PM had a lower free lime content than conventional formulations based on the precursor limestones. It was suggested that the high reactivity of the alternative raw meal is due to the lower enthalpy and temperature of decomposition of the Ca(OH)2 dehydroxylation compared to CaCO3 decarbonation.
dc.fechaingreso.objetodigital2025-10-10
dc.format.extentix; 113 páginas
dc.fuente.origenSRIA
dc.identifier.urihttps://repositorio.uc.cl/handle/11534/106063
dc.information.autorucEscuela de Ingeniería; Ramírez Amaya, Darío Alonso; S/I; 1160697
dc.information.autorucEscuela de Ingeniería; González Hormazabal, Marcelo Andrés; S/I; 143922
dc.language.isoen
dc.nota.accesocontenido completo
dc.rightsacceso abierto
dc.subject.ddc620
dc.subject.deweyIngenieríaes_ES
dc.titleIntegration of electrochemical decarbonation of limestones into an innovative chain for low carbon foot print cement production
dc.typetesis doctoral
sipa.codpersvinculados1160697
sipa.codpersvinculados143922
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