The first ever bio-based tile that grows with the help of bacteria. This is your solution to lower your CO₂ footprint. Powered by Biomason® technology.
The first ever bio-based tile that grows with the help of bacteria. This is your solution to lower your CO₂ footprint.
The primary component of traditional concrete is Portland cement. Portland cement is manufactured from crushed limestone (calcium carbonate). There are two main stages in the manufacturing of portland cement.
The first stage, calcination, requires heating limestone to temperatures greater than 800 degrees Celsius (~1,500 F), resulting in calcium oxide and carbon dioxide gas.
The second stage, clinker formation, combines calcium oxide with silicates at furnace temperatures greater than 1,300 degrees Celsius (~2,400 F).
Manufacturing 1 KG of Portland cement releases approximately 1 KG of carbon dioxide into the environment. Half of this comes from the calcination of the limestone, and the other half from the combustion of fossil fuels necessary to achieve the required kiln temperatures. Additional atmospheric byproducts of portland cement production include dioxin, NOx, SO₂, and particulates.
No. Throughout the years, our partner Biomason developed their own binder that we use for the BioBasedTiles. The process relies on bacteria for the growth of cement rather than burning fuels for calcination resulting in a lighter, stronger, and thinner material.
Instead of Portland cement, we use biocement to bind loose sand and rock. Portland cement is a calcium-silicate hydrate material that originally comes from liberating carbon from limestone through intensive heating, emitting carbon dioxide as a byproduct.
Biocement is a reversal of this process, where carbon and calcium are combined to produce a biologically formed limestone material. This means that high heat and fossil fuels are not required in the process, and BioBasedTiles use carbon as a building block, just like nature!
The final material consists of approximately 85% natural aggregate, and 15% biologically grown limestone.
Bacteria are everywhere in the world around us. Generally speaking, they need two things to survive: nutrients and moisture. BioBasedTiles do retain trace bacteria from the growth process. However, these exist in a dormant state and require conditions beyond those commonly found in the built environment to become active.
The size of the BioBasedTiles does not change from the time it is formed in production. During production, they increase in density. The “growing” happens as biologically produced calcium carbonate forms bridges between the aggregate grains, strengthening the unit from within. BioBasedTiles do not warp during production.
It takes less than 72 hours for our BioBasedTiles to reach full cure strength, and this is continuously improving through Biomason’s rapid research and development. As a note—traditional concrete can take up to 28 days to cure!
The short answer is no. Not yet.
The factory that will produce the BioBasedTile on a large scale is located in Denmark. The Biomason EPD team is working closely together with the engineers in Denmark to calculate the environmental profile of the actual product made over here.
To prevent the circulation of multiple EPDs of the BioBasedTiles, we will be waiting for the new publication which represents the commercial product we are selling.
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