System and method of applying carbon dioxide during the production of concrete

Abstract

The present disclosure involves systems and methods for applying CO2 to concrete, which may be performed in-situ or through a separate, stand-alone process. According to another embodiment disclosed herein, a system and method for applying CO2 to one or more materials used in the production of concrete is also provided.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]The present application claims the benefit of priority from co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 760,319, filed Feb. 4, 2013, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to systems and methods used in the production of concrete. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to systems and methods for using carbon dioxide during the production of concrete.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]The production of cement and concrete are well known in the art. Concrete has many uses that are highly beneficial in many industries and can be produced to perform many functions. For example, concrete is widely used in commercial construction and for municipal projects. The concrete used in these projects may be pre-heated, pre-stressed, and reinforced.[0004]Unfortunately, both the production of the cement used in ...

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Benefits of technology

[0006]Among the many benefits of embodiments of the present invention are a reduction in the amount of cement needed during concrete production and decreased energy consumption for the production of concrete. The addition of CO2 to concrete in accordance with embodiments of the present invention results in a reduction in the cement component weight per unit of concrete, typically measured in pounds cement per cubic yard of concrete or kilograms cement per cubic meter of concrete. By weight and by volume, cement is typically the most expensive part of the large components of the concrete mix. By treating the concrete with CO2, the total cost of a cubic meter or cubic yard of concrete is reduced. In addition to reducing the amount of cement required to produce concrete and the corresponding reduction in the cost associated with cement in the concrete mix, the total cost of production of concrete is reduced by adding CO2 to the concrete, allowing a cubic yard of concrete or cubic meter of concrete to be produced at a lower total cost.

[0007]A further benefit of the addition of CO2 to the concrete mix is an increase in the ratio of water to cement that may be used to produce the concrete. Freshly mixed concrete produced using the methods and systems of the present invention achieves a required slump, a measure of the workability of freshly mixed concrete, although the ratio of water to cement used to produce the concrete is greater than is possible for concrete produced using known methods. Thus, the present invention improves the consistency and workability of the freshly mixed concrete.

[0008]It is one aspect of the present invention to provide systems and methods of producing concrete with increased break strength and increased break strength consistency compared to concrete produced using known methods. The addition of CO2 to concrete according to embodiments of the present invention measurably improves the break strength of the concrete, a key physical property of concrete, compared to control samples of concrete produced using known methods. Break strength tests of concrete samples produced and treated with CO2 using the methods and apparatus of embodiments of the present invention show that the variability of break strength is reduced between 50% and 80% compared to concrete produced using other known methods. Further, treating concrete with CO2 results in a more consistent concrete mix. Thus, the present invention allows concrete producers and users to formulate more precise concrete mix designs for the desired structural properties of the concrete treated with CO2.

[0009]Another benefit of the present invention is a reduction in the temperature of the fresh mix concrete. When liquid carbon dioxide is injected from a tank or storage container into a mixer, the liquid carbon dioxide changes phase to both gaseous and solid carbon dio

Problems solved by technology

By weight and by volume, cement is typically the most ex

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