Sustainable materials manufacturer Solidia Technologies and Rutgers University have obtained two new patents for concrete curing methods that use gaseous carbon dioxide instead of water, reducing the carbon footprint of the manufacturing process and shortening curing times.

The U.S. Patents Office recently issued two new patents to New Jersey's Rutgers University for concrete products that cure and harden by consuming carbon dioxide (CO2) instead of water.

The products were created by and are licensed to Solidia Technologies, a New Jersey-based start-up developing sustainable building materials.

Solidia's concrete is manufactured with the same mixing and forming processes as those used to produce concrete made with ordinary Portland cement, but is cured and hardened by a previously patented chemical reaction between Solidia Cement and gaseous CO2. The company claims that the production method can reduce the carbon footprint of concrete products up to 70 percent.

"Solidia Concrete can be adapted easily by manufacturers of conventional concretes, fitting into the industry's existing infrastructure and raw materials supply chains anywhere in the world," said Solidia chief technology officer Nicholas DeCristofaro, Ph.D.

The production allows for precise control of the curing process, permits the incorporation of a broad range of sands, aggregates, and reinforcements, reduces water consumption by as much as 80 percent, and enables manufacturers to operate at higher speeds while minimizing material waste. The concrete cures in less than 24 hours, as compared to the 28 days required for Portland cement-based concrete to harden fully.

Solidia's licensing agreement with Rutgers includes more than 50 U.S. and foreign patents and patent applications for technologies co-invented by Solidia founder and Rutgers materials science professor Richard (Rik) Riman, Ph.D., and Vahit Atakan, Ph.D., Solidia's research and development director and former Rutgers graduate student and research associate.