Research project In this collaborative project, researchers are working to solve some of the remaining bottlenecks in order to electrify production of cement clinker on an industrial scale, and thereby paving the road for more climate-smart building materials.
The project aims to generate new thermodynamic data and develop equilibrium models to describe the incorporation and transformation of these in clinker phases (alite, belite, aluminate, ferrite) under electrified and conventional conditions. Experimental validation will be performed using laboratory, pilot plasma kilns, and conventional industrial kilns. Advanced analytical techniques will be applied to assess phase composition, solid solution formation, and trace element volatility and leachability.
Project budget 10.9 MSEK.
Funded by Impact Innovation / Swedish Metals and Minerals / Vinnova, Heidelberg Materials Cement Sverige AB, The Swedish Mineral Processing Research Association (MinFo), and Umeå University.
The project addresses the transformation of cement clinker production through electrification using plasma torch heating with CO₂ carrier gas. This novel approach eliminates fossil fuel combustion, thereby reducing direct CO₂ emissions and generating a high-purity CO₂ process gas suitable for carbon capture, utilization, and storage. Electrification introduces a fundamentally different process environment. These changes significantly affect the thermochemical behavior of minor and trace elements in the raw meal, which are known to influence clinker phase formation, cement reactivity, and environmental leaching behavior.
The project aims to generate new thermodynamic data and develop equilibrium models to describe the incorporation and transformation of these in clinker phases (alite, belite, aluminate, ferrite) under electrified and conventional conditions. Experimental validation will be performed using laboratory, pilot plasma kilns, and conventional industrial kilns. Advanced analytical techniques will be applied to assess phase composition, solid solution formation, and trace element volatility and leachability.
The outcomes will support the industrial upscaling of electrified clinker production at Heidelberg Materials and contribute to the design of low-carbon cement products. The project aligns with the Agenda 2030 sustainability goals.
