Comparison of the electrochemical decarbonation of different-grade limestones used in cement manufacturing

Ramirez-Amaya, Dario; Dreyse, Paulina; Martinez, Natalia P.; Troncoso P, Felipe; Navarrete, Ivan; Noël, Martin; Canales, Roberto; Gonzalez, Marcelo

Keywords: electrolysis, cement, calcium hydroxide, Limestone, raw material, Electrochemical decarbonation

Abstract

Electrochemical decarbonation (ED) of CaCO3 is a promising method to reduce CO2 emissions from limestone calcination for cement manufacturing. Most cement plants are located near accessible deposits of limestone; therefore, the feasibility of ED deployment depends on the efficiency of natural limestone decarbonation, which has variable CaCO3 content. Accordingly, this research compares the ED efficiency of different limestones (CaCO3 content between 84 % and 68 %) and the chemical and physical characteristics of precipitate materials (PM) obtained from this process. The obtained PMs were comprised mainly of Ca(OH)2 (~59 %) and had similar particle size distributions. At the same time, the efficiency of Ca(OH)2 precipitation, energy consumption, and CaO recovery were comparable to the ED of a pure CaCO3 reagent (>99 %). The PMs were found to have higher CaO content and lower loss on ignition than the feedstock material, independent of the type of limestone, facilitating the future ED implementation in cement manufacturing.

Más información

Título de la Revista: Cement and Concrete Research journal
Volumen: 174
Fecha de publicación: 2023
Idioma: inglés
Financiamiento/Sponsor: NID FONDEF/CONCURSO IDeA I+D, FONDEF/ANID 2021 ID21I10323; ANID- Subdirecci´on de Capital Humano/Doctorado Nacional/2023-21230724
URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2023.107307