Inspired By Nature: BioCement

Inspired By Nature: BioCement

Biotechnology Company Offers A Sustainable Alternative To One of Construction's Biggest Carbon Contributors

E ight percent of the world’s carbon emissions come from one source. That is more than every country on the planet, apart from the United States and China, and exceeds the carbon emissions of 170 million cars. The culprit? Cement.

It is in our homes, spread throughout our communities. Concrete, of which cement is a key component, is the second-most consumed substance on earth after water.

Apart from the production process, manufacturing cement can cause damage to the areas where it is laid. Through ecological disruption and erosion

Portland cement has been the primary cement product since the early 1800s. Producers combine a mix of mined materials, largely crushed limestone, and heat them to high temperatures (roughly 150°F). The heat extracts calcium oxide, which is then combined with silicates. During that time, large amounts of carbon dioxide are released into the environment through the calcination process and combustion of fossil fuels. Apart from the production process, manufacturing cement can cause damage to the areas where it is laid, through ecological disruption and erosion.

North Carolina-based Biomason is offering an alternative to Portland cement, called biocement. Biomason’s biocement technology uses carbon as a building block, combining carbon and calcium to create controlled, structural cement products in ambient temperatures. The patented process eliminates the need to emit carbon dioxide by mimicking the way coral grows in nature, harnessing carbon rather than emitting it as a byproduct. Biomason uses biotechnology to recreate this natural process in less than 72 hours; and its biocement products perform better than standard materials, including in compressive strength testing.

Biomason co-founder and CEO Ginger Krieg Dosier has said her childhood vacations to the ocean helped spark the ideas and develop the research. She was fascinated by the way sand, seashells, and coral formed. Dosier started developing the concept of “growing” cement more than a decade ago while teaching architecture at a university abroad. She established Biomason in 2012 upon her return to the United States.

Since then, Dosier has built a team representing more than 50 disciplines to expand biocement’s reach. A former vice president of Tesla even joined the team last year, helping lead the startup’s commercial offerings and accelerate distribution of biocement technology through manufacturing and licensing agreements.

And it’s not going unnoticed. This summer, Biomason announced a partnership with retailer H&M Group to create a low-carbon flooring option for its stores, offices, and facilities. The company also works with the US Department of Defense on developing novel applications of biocement technology.

Instead of working to simply limit the impact of traditional cement production, BioMason recreated the entire process

Biomason describes its technology as proactive rather than reactive. Instead of working to simply limit the impact of traditional cement production, Biomason recreated the entire process. It plans to continue scaling the biocement technology platform and growing licensing partnerships around the world. The goal? Remove 25% of carbon emissions from the global concrete industry by 2030.

Contact

Biomason

Tel: 1-80-BIOMASON

hello@biomason.com

www.biomason.com