Items filtered by date: Tuesday, 16 July 2024
US: Premier Graphene has despatched test samples of its proprietary graphene suspension to ‘one of the largest essential materials companies.’ Graphene-Info News has reported that Premier Graphene expects the samples to confirm its findings of a 32% increase in compressive strength after 28 days, compared to concrete produced without its graphene.
President Pedro Mendez said "Our internal tests have confirmed multiple advantages that position our green cement product strongly in the market. These include increased strength with reduced cement usage, substantial carbon footprint reduction and enhanced durability. We anticipate strong market adoption driven by our cost-effective graphene production methods and established, remarkable efficacy. Our strategy encompasses both graphene colloids for customised mixing by manufacturers and the development of graphene-based products like epoxies and lubricants. This phased approach minimises capital expenditure while maximising product innovation.”
US: Cemex USA has entered into a joint venture for the production and distribution of aggregates in the Mid-South region with Couch Aggregates and Premier Holdings. Cemex USA has a pre-existing strategic partnership with Couch Aggregates. The group says that the vertical integration of this, along with Premier Holdings’ Gulf Coast marine terminals, will accelerate its regional growth. Cemex aims to raise the total US contribution to its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) from 29% to 40% in the ‘medium-term’ future.
President Jaime Muguiro said "This joint venture will create significant opportunities for both parties by utilising vertical integration and leveraging each other's capabilities for growth. We remain committed to increasing our capacity to serve the US market with more sustainable and innovative solutions."
Cemex USA’s Mid-South region covers 27 ready-mix concrete plants in Alabama, 24 in Georgia, 11 in Tennessee and one in Virginia, and aggregates sites in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina.
Europe: In 2023, 29.7Mt of slag entered the built environment in building materials in the EU and the UK. 20.3Mt (68%) of the slag was granulated blast furnace slag, of which 18.3Mt (90%) was ground for use in cement production, with the other 2Mt (10%) serving as aggregates. The remaining 9.4Mt of the slag was steelwork slag, of which 600,000t (6.4%) was used in cement and concrete production, with the rest used for roadbuilding.
Between 2000 and 2023, slag substituted for 752Mt of limestone, clay and sand in clinker production and for 405Mt of aggregates across the EU and UK construction sectors.
Thomas Reiche, chair of the European slag association EuroSlag and managing director of the FEhS Building Materials Institute, said "Despite the tensions on the European steel market, ferrous slags were once again able to make an important contribution to resource conservation, climate protection and the circular economy in 2023."
