All projects presented in the website are proprietary to Designs by Natural Processes, Inc.

CURRENT FUNDED PROJECTS

Making Cement at Ambient Temperature using Municipal Solid Waste Ash

Designs by Natural Processes, Inc. (Winona, MN), Dr. Carolyn Dry

Supported by DOE ARPA-E

This novel approach to making cement at ambient temperatures uses 55% Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) incinerator ash and adds chemicals and wastes to sequester environmentally problematic combustion gases, chemicals and heavy metals during incineration, that in turn eliminates undesired chemicals in the final product leachate. The main project objective is the development of a novel cement product based on using large volumes of MSW ash (55%) as an alternative to traditional ordinary Portland cement (OPC) which cannot sequester nearly as much ash (16%). A magnesium oxide (MgO)-containing co-feed, and other mineral co-feeds can be added before combustion for a twofold effect:

  1. Acting as an anti-slagging agent or flocculant to protect against slag buildup on an incinerator’s heat transfer boiler tubes

  2. Sequestering gases, harmful chemicals, and heavy metals, while simultaneously being co-calcined

This cement is a chemically based cement rather than OPC, in which heat of 1300°C is required and sets up in about a month for a compressive strength of average 3000 psi. Our cement uses no heat, gives off no CO2, hardens quickly and averages high strength. This project addresses the ARPA-E goals of making municipal solid waste ash into a value added product that uses no more energy to manufacture.


Belite Cement, and concretes; novel low-energy approaches to making concrete extremely durable

University of Kentucky, Center for Applied Energy Research (Lexington, Kentucky), Principal Investigator Robert Jewell

Subrecipient and partner, Designs by Natural Processes, Inc. (Winona, MN), Dr. Carolyn Dry

The overarching project objective is the commercial development of a novel extremely durable concrete packaged product that is low-energy consuming and low carbon releasing. This is a belite-based cement alternative to ordinary Portland cement (OPC). Belite-rich cement clinkers can be produced in the cement kiln at much lower operating temperatures than OPC, however by eliminating the higher temperature last phase of the calcining process, the alite phase, the slower strength forming belite requires unique chemicals to push for faster strength development. The time is right for such an alternative that uses less energy, releases less CO2 and yet excels in performance over time, durability. The research and development team is made of a university research center, a DOE lab, a small business and cement company advisors. The team has researchers experienced in alternative belite formation, those experienced in alternative additives for fast reacting cements, and those experienced in durability and radiation exposure testing, and those experienced in the cement and concrete industry.


PROJECTS WITH FUNDING PENDING

 

All projects presented in the website are proprietary to Designs by Natural Processes, Inc.