rexresearch
rexresearch1
Damian STEFANIUK, et al.
EC3 Cement
https://news.mit.edu/2025/concrete-battery-now-packs-ten-times-power-1001
Concrete “battery” developed at MIT now packs 10 times the power
Improved carbon-cement supercapacitors could turn the concrete around us into massive energy storage systems.
Andrew Paul Laurent | Concrete Sustainability Hub
The material combines cement, water, ultra-fine carbon black, and electrolytes. Inside, it forms a conductive nanonetwork that stores energy... MIT’s latest research shows energy density in ec3 has jumped by tenfold. In 2023, meeting a household’s daily power needs required 45 cubic meters of ec3. With the new electrolyte mix, only about 5 cubic meters are needed, roughly the size of a basement wall...
Concrete already builds our world, and now it’s one step closer to powering it, too. Made by combining cement, water, ultra-fine carbon black (with nanoscale particles), and electrolytes, electron-conducting carbon concrete (ec3, pronounced “e-c-cubed”) creates a conductive “nanonetwork” inside concrete that could enable everyday structures like walls, sidewalks, and bridges to store and release electrical energy. In other words, the concrete around us could one day double as giant “batteries.”...
https://www.concrete.org/portals/0/files/pdf/webinars/ws_F23_Stefaniuk.pdf
Carbon-cement supercapacitors: A disruptive technology for renewable energy storage
Damian Stefaniuk, Nicolas Chanut, James C. Weaver, Yang Shao-Horn, Admir Masic, and Franz-Josef Ulm
[ PDF ]
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2511912122
High energy density carbon–cement supercapacitors for architectural energy storage
Damian Stefaniuk, James C. Weaver, Franz-Josef Ulm
...Through nanoscale 3D imaging, electrolyte optimization, and multicell stacking, we demonstrate the production of high-voltage, energy-storing concrete components capable of powering devices and supporting mechanical loads. Our approach bridges architecture and energy systems, advancing ecˆ3 as a transformative material system for decarbonizing construction and enabling resilient infrastructure in the era of clean energy....
Abstract
Electron-conducting carbon concrete (ecˆ3) is a multifunctional cement-based composite material that combines mechanical robustness with electrochemical energy storage. To further expand our understanding of structure–function relationships in this complex multiphase material system and provide a roadmap for transitioning this technology from a simple proof-of-concept to a viable large-scale energy storage alternative, we report insights into the nanoscale connectivity of the electrode’s conductive carbon network, explore different electrolyte compositions and material integration strategies, and highlight opportunities for device scaling. Through the use of FIB-SEM tomography, the electrode’s percolating fractal-like nano-carbon black network has been visualized at the nanoscale, providing insights into the theoretical energy storage capacity of this material. To reduce the required times for the production of functional electrodes, we also present a cast-in electrolyte approach, where centimeter-thick electrodes could be produced without the need for postcuring steps. In these prototypes, device performance scales linearly with electrode thickness and cell count, and a simple analytical model was developed to explain these scaling phenomena. Furthermore, the exploration of alternative ionic and organic electrolytes further contribute to improved electrochemical behavior, with the fabricated designs ultimately achieving a 10-fold increase in supercapacitor energy density compared to previous designs. Finally, we were able to fabricate a 12 V, 50 F supercapacitor module and a 9 V arch prototype that integrate energy storage into load-bearing architectural elements. These functional prototypes highlight the potential for real-time structural health monitoring, while demonstrating the potential of our ecˆ3 technology for the production of a scalable, high-voltage concrete energy-storing infrastructure.
US11897813 -- Electron Conducting Carbon-Based Cement [ PDF ]
[ US10875809 (B2), US11512022 (B2), US11897813 (B2), US2019218144 (A1), US2021276921 (A1) ]
Abstract -- A nanoporous carbon-loaded cement composite that conducts electricity. The nanoporous carbon-loaded cement composite can be used in a variety of different fields of use, including, for example, a structural super-capacitor as an energy solution for autonomous housing and other buildings, a heated cement for pavement deicing or house basement insulation against capillary rise, a protection of concrete against freeze-thaw (FT) or alkali silica reaction (ASR) or other crystallization degradation processes, and as a conductive cable, wire or concrete trace.
US2024047146 -- Method for Synthesizing High-Rate Capability Cement-Carbon Supercapacitor [ PDF ]
Abstract -- A structural supercapacitor, and methods of manufacturing, composed of a conductive composite is described herein. An embodiment of the composite has a controllable transport porosity, that enables transport of electrical charge, via electrolyte solution, to a distributed conductive network within the composite. The distributed conductive network has a controllable storage porosity that enables the storage of electrical charge. The conductive composite can be used in a variety of different fields of use, including, for example, a structural super-capacitor as an energy solution for autonomous housing and other buildings, a heated cement for pavement de-icing or house basement insulation against capillary rise, a protection of concrete against freeze-thaw (FT) or alkali silica reaction (ASR) or other crystallization degradation processes, and as a conductive cable, wire, or concrete trace.
US2021094879 -- SELF-HEALING AND DURABLE CEMENT PASTE, MORTARS, AND CONCRETES [ PDF ]
Abstract -- Admixture for cementitious building materials can provide a self-healing mechanism to improve material longevity. In certain embodiments, the admixture can include the combination of both a quicklime-based replacement for fine and coarse aggregates and an SCM replacement for OPC in standard mortar and concrete.