Specification
BINDER COMPOSITION
This invention relates to a cement binder suitable for use in construction
products.
Emissions of 'greenhouse gases', and predominantly carbon dioxide (C0 2),
are thought to contribute to an increase in the atmospheric and surface temperatures
of the Earth - a phenomenon commonly referred to as 'global warming'. Such
temperature increases are predicted to have serious environmental consequences.
The main contributor to this increase in man-made C0 2 is the burning of fossil fuels
such as coal and petroleum.
Portland cement is the most common type of cement in general use at this
time. It is an essential element of concrete, mortar and non-speciality grouts.
Portland cement consists of over 90% Portland cement clinker, up to 5% gypsum and
up to 5% other minor constituents. Portland cement clinker is a hydraulic material
consisting mainly of di-caicium silicate {2CaO.Si0 ), tri-calcium silicate (3CaO.Si0 2),
tri-calcium aluminate (3CaO.A! 0 3) and calcium aluminoferrite (4CaO.AI20 3 Fe20 3)
phases. Magnesium oxide (MgO), can also be present in Portland cement, although
its amount must not exceed 5% by mass as its delayed hydration is believed to give
rise to unsoundness in concrete. Gypsum (CaS0 .2H20 ) is added to Portland
cement clinker to control its setting time, and the mixture is ground to give a fine
powder. On reaction with water, the constituents of the cement hydrate forming a
solid complex calcium silicate hydrate gel and other phases.
The manufacture of Portland cement is a highly energy intensive process that
involves heating high volumes of raw materials to around 1450°C. n addition to the
C0 2 generated from burning fossil fuels to reach these temperatures, the basic raw
material used in making Portland cement is calcium carbonate (limestone, CaC0 3) ,
and this decomposes during processing to calcium oxide, releasing additional
geologically sequestered C0 . As a result, the manufacture of Portland cement
typically emits approximately 0.8 tonnes of carbon dioxide for every tonne of cement
produced and is responsible for approximately 5% of all anthropogenic C0 2
emissions.
Apart from the intrinsic benefit of reducing C0 emissions, it is likely that C0 2
emissions by the cement industry will be regulated in an attempt to reduce
environmental damage. Therefore, there is a real need to develop a new range of
cementitious binders that are associated with minimal or even negative C0 2
emissions.
Binders based on systems other than calcium oxide and silicates are known.
For example, Sorel cement (magnesium oxychloride cement or magnesia cement) is
an example of a cement binder that comprises a mixture of magnesium oxide (burnt
magnesia, gO) and magnesium chloride together with filler materials like sand or
crushed stone. It sets to a very hard abrasive-resistant material and so is used for
grindstones, tiles, artificial stone (cast stone) and cast floors, in which application it
has a high wear resistance. However its chief drawback is its poor resistance to
water, making it unsuitable for external construction applications.
Other magnesium based cements include magnesium oxysulfate cement and
magnesium phosphate cements but both these have drawbacks, the former having a
poor water resistance and the latter sets very fast so that it is difficult to work with.
GB 1160029 discloses cements based on mixing magnesium oxide (MgO),
sodium chloride (NaCI) or sodium nitrate (NaN0 3) and calcium carbonate (CaC0 3).
CaC0 3 is used as a "moderating substance" to enable the salt and the MgO to
perform the chemical reactions necessary to set, which are similar to those of the
other Sorei cements. These cements require the use of hard-burnt MgO, which is
generally produced by high-temperature treatment (~1000°C) of magnesite (MgC0 3),
which causes C0 2 emissions not only from the calcining of magnesite but also from
the burning of fossil fuel.
US 5897703 discloses binder compositions based on mixing MgO with a
hardening agent, propylene carbonate. The magnesium oxide used can be any
mixture of soft-burnt and hard-burnt MgO. It is known that in the presence of water,
propylene carbonate decomposes to carbon dioxide and propylene glycol and so the
addition of the propylene carbonate provides a source of C0 to carbonate the
magnesium oxide.
US 6200381 discloses a dry powdered cement composition derived from
dolomite (a magnesium and calcium carbonate mineral; MgC0 3 aC0 3) . The
dolomite is heated to decarbonate the MgC0 3 so that the composition contains
CaC0 3 and a partially decarbonated MgC0 3, i.e. a mixture of MgC0 3 and MgO.
Certain additives may be included in the composition (e.g. aluminium sulphate
(AI2(S0 4)3) , citric acid, sulphuric acid (H2S0 ) , NaCI, etc.), which assist the
composition to set on addition of water; the water may be contaminated water, e.g.
sea water. The CaC0 3 component of the cement composition reacts with several of
the specified additives that are used. For example, the addition of H S0 wi!l react
with CaC0 3 yielding hydrated CaS0 4 (e.g. CaS0 .2H20 ) and C0 2. The C0 2
released assists the carbonation of MgO and Mg(OH)2. NaCI may be added before
the thermal treatment of dolomite to decrease the decarbonation temperature of
MgC0 3, and in the binder composition as an additive, where it appears to assist in
achieving an early strength to the composition, which is probably due to reactions
with MgO (Sorel cement type reactions). CaC0 3 acts as a "moderating substance" to
enable NaCI and the MgO to perform the necessary chemical reactions (see GB
1160029 above).
US 1867180 describes a cement composition based on slaked lime
(Ca(OH)2) that contains less than 1% MgO and NaCI.
US 1561473 discloses that, when a wet mixture of aggregates and
magnesium oxide is treated with gaseous or dissolved C0 2, its tensile strength is
improved. The composition must be exposed to C0 2 when wet and the patent
discloses the exposure of the wet mixture to a special atmosphere of moist C0 2.
WO 01/55049 discloses a dry powdered cement composition containing MgO,
a hydraulic cement component, such as Portland cement, Sorel cements or calcium
aluminate cements, and optionally various pozzolanic materials. The cement
composition taught can also contain various additives such as ferrous sulphate
(FeS0 ), sodium or potassium silicates or aluminates, phosphoric acid (H3P0 ) or
phosphoric acid salts, copper sulphate (CuS0 4) , and various other organic polymers
and resins, such as polyvinyl acetate (PVA), vinyl acetate-ethylene, styrene-butyl
acrylate, butyl acrylate-methylacrylate, and styrene-butadiene. The magnesium
oxide is obtained by low temperature calcining.
GB 529128 discloses the use of magnesium carbonate as an insulating
material; it is made from concentrated sea water containing magnesium salts by
precipitating the salts with alkali metal carbonates, which forms needle-like crystals
that can set. A slurry of such crystals, when paced in a mould, will set to provide a
slab or block that is useful as insulation. If there are any bicarbonate ions in the alkali
metal carbonate, magnesium bicarbonate will form in the above reaction, which
slows down the setting reaction. In order to counteract this, 1-5% magnesium oxide
may be added, which will precipitate the bicarbonate as magnesium carbonate.
US 819893 and US 1971909 both disclose the use of magnesium hydroxide
or a mixture of magnesium hydroxide and calcium carbonate as an insulating
material since such magnesium hydroxide is light and highly flocculated.
US 5927288 discloses thai a mixture of hydromagnesite and magnesium
hydroxide, when incorporated into a cigarette paper, reduces side-stream smoke.
The hydromagnesite/magnesium hydroxide compositions have a rosette morphology
and the hydromagnesite/magnesium hydroxide mixture is precipitated from a solution
of magnesium bicarbonate and possible other soluble magnesium salts by adding a
strong base, e.g. potassium hydroxide.
EP 03938 3 and WO 01/51554 relate to flame retardants for plastics. EP
0393813 discloses that a mixture of a double salt of calcium and magnesium
carbonate (e.g. dolomite), hydromagnesite, and magnesium hydroxide can provide
flame resistance to thermoplastics, e.g. a sheath of an electric wire. WO 01/51554
teaches the addition of various magnesium salts, including hydromagnesite and
magnesium hydroxide, to polymers.
US 2009/0020044 discloses the capture of carbon dioxide by sea water to
precipitate carbonates, which can be used in hydraulic cements; up to 10% of a pH
regulating material, including magnesium oxide or hydroxide, can be added to the
cement to regulate the pH.
JP 2006 076825 is concerned with reducing the amount of C0 2 emitted from
power stations and by the steel industry. It proposes capturing the C0 2 by reacting
with ammonium hydroxide to form ammonium carbonate:
2NH4OH + C0 ® (NH4) C0 3 +H20
Meanwhile magnesium chloride is made by reacting magnesium oxide and
hydrochloric acid:
MgO + 2HCI MgCI + H20
The magnesium chloride is reacted with the ammonium carbonate, which precipitates
magnesium carbonate leaving a liquor containing dissolved ammonium chloride:
Documents
Application Documents
| # |
Name |
Date |
| 1 |
Specification.pdf |
2013-04-02 |
| 2 |
ISR.pdf |
2013-04-02 |
| 3 |
Form 5.pdf |
2013-04-02 |
| 4 |
Form 3.pdf |
2013-04-02 |
| 5 |
304.pdf |
2013-04-02 |
| 6 |
2819-DELNP-2013.pdf |
2013-04-15 |
| 7 |
2819-delnp-2013-Correspondencre Others-(30-04-2013).pdf |
2013-04-30 |
| 8 |
2819-delnp-2013-Assignment-(30-04-2013).pdf |
2013-04-30 |
| 9 |
2819-delnp-2013-Form-3-(02-08-2013).pdf |
2013-08-02 |
| 10 |
2819-delnp-2013-Correspondence Others-(02-08-2013).pdf |
2013-08-02 |