Green360 Technologies (ASX:GT3) has developed a low-carbon cement after completely immobilising uranium and thorium in red mud by treating it with kaolin.

The company, which has a $40.4 million market capitalisation, says it has achieved a “major breakthrough” that unlocks the commercial potential of red mud for use in sustainable concrete applications.

Red mud is the industrial byproduct produced during the extraction of alumina from bauxite ore. For every tonne of alumina produced, about 1 to 1.5 tonnes of red mud is generated.

Green360 has developed a proprietary material transformation process capable of producing a red mud-kaolin low-carbon cement blend that meets the international standards used to assess the leaching behaviour of industrial byproducts.

The company says recent testing confirms the cement product shows “dramatic reductions” in the leachability of certain hazardous elements.

Specifically, total chromium levels dropped by over 95%, and both uranium and thorium were fully immobilised, meeting stringent inert waste and drinking water standards.

A 30% substitution of Portland cement with the red mud-kaolin blend achieved a 28-day compressive strength of 30 megapascals, representing over 85% of the reference mortar’s strength.

Executive Chairman Aaron Banks says Green360 has not only addressed a significant environmental challenge by repurposing red mud, but also unlocked its commercial potential in sustainable construction.

“The results we’ve achieved in both environmental safety and strength properties validate our vision for a circular, low-carbon materials future,” he says.

“Alongside PERMAcast, we are rapidly developing alternatives to traditional Portland cement that still perform to commercial standards and are suitable for real-world applications.”

This paves the way for Green360 and joint venture partner PERMAcast to begin commercial-scale validation of proprietary low-carbon cement blends.

 

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