The School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering’s SMASH (Sustainable Materials at Sheffield) research group had strong representation at this year’s Cement and Concrete Science Conference (run by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining), featuring presentations by Ava Sjoberg, Ella Cliff, William McMahon, Madeline Rihner, and Shubham Jain. Both Madeline and William were awarded prizes in the ‘best student oral presentation’ category, with William taking first prize and Madeline the runner-up prize.
William’s PhD is titled Understanding the chemistry and engineering of low-carbon alkali activated cement. William explains that “8% of global CO2 emissions come from cement production (more than aviation and deforestation combined). Yet, global cement production is forecast to increase. My work focuses on a lower carbon and more sustainable alternative cement, called alkali-activated cement, which is made from steel making slag (a byproduct of steel production) and a strong alkali. I specifically look at the reaction mechanisms and kinetics of the formation of the cement, with the ultimate aim of the work being to further the real-world application of these cements.”
This is the second year William has attended the conference, following up last year’s best poster award by winning the best student oral presentation this year with his talk, Unpacking the chemistry of alkali-activated slag: A multi-technique mechanistic study. William said he was “pleased with how my talk was received, especially as it was the first talk the morning after the conference dinner! It was also great to meet new colleagues as well as catch up with some former members of the SMASH research team.”
Madeline's research looks at decarbonisation strategies for the UK cement and concrete sector within the context of energy-intensive industries. Using life cycle assessment, she analysed the sector’s carbon emissions and demonstrated the potential for significant reductions through decarbonisation strategies. At the conference she presented her work titled, Thousand cuts: a realistic route to decarbonise the UK cement and concrete sector by 2050 which was recently published in Sustainable Production and Consumption.
Madeline explained, “This study aims to balance the expectations placed on low-maturity strategies (i.e., using a lower clinker factor) and high-maturity strategies (i.e., carbon capture technologies) to determine a realistic route in which the UK cement and concrete sector is able to achieve Net Zero 2050. The results show that the sector is unlikely to confidently meet the UK's net-zero carbon targets unless annual concrete demand is reduced by 43%. Unlocking the full potential of reusing the UK’s existing building stock will require direct public incentives, as well as shifts in economic models and policy frameworks.
“The best part about the conference was having the opportunity to present my research findings and to make new connections with those in similar lines of research. It was also great to meet up with those who I collaborated with on this particular study at the University of Leeds including my co-supervisor Hisham Hafez.”
About the conference
This two-day meeting is an annual opportunity for scientists and engineers from both industry and academia to come together to discuss the latest developments in our field. The meeting's residential setting and its tradition as a forum for the presentation of the very latest research encourages informal and stimulating discussion.