India’s leading companies involved in the construction, infrastructure, and ready-mix concrete sectors have been given the green light to trial EdenCrete (a carbon nanotube enriched liquid) with geopolymer cement. By exploring the potential of the carbon-strengthened additive, India aims to combine EdenCrete with high pozzolan (fly ash, silica fume, slag) concrete mixes to optimise performance and increase cement efficiency. In effect, this may enable an increase in the ratio of waste material such as slag, to cement during concrete production. With the assistance of EdenCrete, the percentages can be altered to create an eco-friendlier low-cost product without hindering the concrete performance characteristics.

Samples of Indian cement and fly ash were sent to Eden’s Colorado laboratory for testing where after three days, the test cylinders showed significant improvement in the concretes early strength development – a characteristic that’s prevented when the proportion of pozzolanic material is too high and without the additive of EdenCrete.

Groups within the concrete industry are putting these well-received results to the test in their own concrete mixes that include fly ash or blast furnace slag. In the process of identifying suitable applications for these mixes, the advantage of EdenCrete is the carbon nanotubes providing greater bearing capacity for slabs, columns, and footings. 

Generating electricity; fertiliser plants; cement furnaces and brick kilns is the non-coking coal that is mainly used in India’s coal-fired thermal power stations. As non-coking coal contains high levels of silica, a significant amount of fly ash is produced. Minimising air pollution, this is captured in the smokestacks of the furnaces and sold at very low prices or given away for free.

With a population exceeding 1.3 billion and a rapidly growing concrete market, India is taking steps to reduce its carbon footprint. Large quantities of waste materials such as slag and fly ash are being repurposed into an affordable and beneficial resource that can replace a higher ratio of cement with the addition of EdenCrete, which will result in a lower overall cost of concrete, without being produced at the expense of the environment.