A concrete composition that includes (i) a treated palm oil fuel ash, wherein the treated palm oil fuel ash is the only binder present, (ii) a fine aggregate, (iii) a coarse aggregate, and (iv) an alkali activator containing an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate. A cured concrete made from the concrete composition is also disclosed with advantageous compressive strength properties.

The present disclosure provides systems for carbon capture in combination with production of one or more industrially useful materials. The disclosure also provides methods for carrying out carbon capture in combination with an industrial process. In particular, carbon capture can include carrying out calcination in a reactor, separation of carbon dioxide rich flue gases from industrially useful products, and capture of at least a portion of the carbon dioxide for sequestration of other use, such as enhanced oil recovery.

Provided herein are methods and compositions for carbonation of recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) to produce carbonated RCA. In addition, uses of the carbonated RCA, such as in building materials, and building materials containing RCA, are included. Carbonation of RCA may be used alone or may be used in combination with other carbonation processes associated with concrete manufacture, such as carbonation of wet concrete mixes and/or carbonation of concrete wash water.

Methods and systems for calcining dewatered tailings and/or mine waste are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the method comprises (i) processing dewatered tailings comprising clay minerals, (ii) calcining the processed tailings to produced calcined tailings, and (iii) altering a composition and/or one or more characteristics of the calcined tailings to produce a cementitious product. Altering the composition can include blending the calcined tailings with one or more additives, such as lime, dolomitic lime, lime kiln dust, argillaceous limestone, limestone, pulverized quicklime, ground calcium carbonate, quicklime, gypsum, natural pozzolans, artificial pozzolans, water, flow aids, or the like.

A method of cementing an annular space between a pipe string and a well bore, the method comprising the steps of (a) providing a cement composition including a calcium-deficient calcium silicate; (b) mixing the cement composition with water to form a cement slurry; (c) mixing the cement slurry composition with carbon dioxide form a foamed cement; and (d) placing the foamed cement in the annular space between the pipe string and the wellbore.

A method of curing a concrete product having a cavity is described and includes positioning the concrete product on a base, sealing an opening to the cavity using a cover plate, introducing carbon dioxide (CO2) gas into the cavity to execute carbonation of the concrete product, and, in response to the concrete product attaining a target specification, unsealing the opening. A system for curing a precast concrete product is also described.

Various examples are provided related to manufacturing portland cement with thermal plasma. In one example, a method includes providing a raw kiln feed to a plasma arc gasification kiln; and forming clinker by heating the raw kiln feed in the plasma arc gasification kiln. The raw kiln feed can be heated with a plasma plume supplied with argon gas to a temperature in a range from about 1800° C. to about 3000° C. In another example, a system includes a kiln feed system and a plasma arc gasification kiln that receives raw kiln feed from the kiln feed system and heats the raw kiln feed with a plasma plume to form clinker. The system can include a clinker processing system configured to process the formed clinker to produce portland cement.

The invention provides novel methods and novel additive compositions and use thereof in a wide range of concrete production for improving properties of concrete materials, such as durability and aestheticity. The methods and compositions of the invention may be applied in a variety of cement and concrete components in the infrastructure, construction, pavement and landscaping industries.

Methods of conducting ureolysis-induced calcium carbonate precipitation with a heat-treated cell preparation, methods for preparing the heat-treated cell preparation, and related materials. The methods of conducting ureolysis-induced calcium carbonate precipitation include precipitating calcium carbonate at a location by introducing urea, calcium, and a heat-treated cell preparation comprising active urease enzyme to the location. The urease enzyme hydrolyzes the urea to ammonium carbonate, and the calcium reacts with the carbonate to form a calcium carbonate precipitate at the location. The methods of preparing the heat-treated cell preparation include heating a urease-producing cell preparation at a temperature and for a time sufficient to inactivate at least a portion of the cells in the urease-producing cell preparation while maintaining at least some urease activity of urease made by the cells in the urease-producing cell preparation

Some implementations herein described improvements to concrete products and processes for producing concrete products that may provide a positive environmental impact and that can be stronger relative to the percent of cement used. Particular examples include improvements to zero-slump to near-zero-slump concrete mixture design, material storage and handling, batching, mixing, sequencing and curing processes, as well as forming and curing techniques.