The urban heat island effect has become a critical issue in urban areas, intensifying heat-related problems and increasing energy consumption. A sustainable cement formulation that combines ordinary Portland cement (OPC) with a carbonated aggregate derived from Periwinkle shell powder for the development of an efficient cool material is presented. Through a carbonation process, the aggregate undergoes a transformation, capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) and converting it into calcite. The resulting cement mixture exhibits high solar reflective properties, making it a potential candidate for cool pavement and roof applications. In this study, the raw materials, including the Periwinkle shell powder, were characterized, and the carbonation process was evaluated to quantify the CO2 capture efficiency. Additionally, a real test of the efficiency of this new cement on a roof demonstrated that the material achieved a significant cooling effect, being 6 °C cooler than that with standard OPC at the peak of solar radiation.

The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement no. 964450 (MIRACLE project). Moreover, this work is part of the project TED2021-132074B–C31, funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and the EU “NextGenerationEU”/PRTR. A.I. and A.A. acknowledge the grant PID2021-123438NB-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by “ERDF A way of making Europe”, grant TED2021-130107A-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and Unión Europea “NextGenerationEU/PRTR”, as well as the financial support of Eusko Jaurlaritza, code: IT1566-22. MBO acknowledges the financial support from the Women for Africa Foundation (Fundación Mujeres por frica), Marid, Spain for the research visit and is grateful to the Director, Centro de Fsica de Materiales, CSIC-UPV/EHU, San Sebastián, Spain for making available the research facilities for the study. We also thank the LTC Green Concrete and the UPV/EHU for the funding of an E. Saeed PhD grant.

Peer reviewed