Reduction of natural resource consumption in cement production in Japan by waste utilization

Abstract

According to Japanese government policy, the input of natural resources should be minimized and input resources should be utilized to the greatest extent possible so that, eventually, minimum waste is generated. The cement industry of Japan has worked hard to maximize waste utilization. Focusing on the cumulative amounts of the elements needed for clinker and gross calorific values, this study estimated the extent to which waste utilization has directly or indirectly reduced natural resource consumption and greenhouse gas emissions associated with cement production at 32 factories in Japan and clarified the effect of waste utilization in the cement industry on the resource productivity of Japan based on information for fiscal year 2008. Had no wastes been utilized, the cement industry consumption of limestone would have been 18% higher; of clay, 2,899% higher; and of energy, 22% higher. The utilization of wastes in the mixing and burning process of cement production directly reduced greenhouse gas emissions (12% emitted gas reduction) by a larger amount than the indirect reduction achieved by their utilization during the admixing process (10% reduction). Waste utilization for cement production contributed to an increase in resource productivity of about 8,000 Japanese Yen/ton.

Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Different Portland Cement Types in South Africa

“…Moreover, innovative materials in cement production, such as blended Portland cement, might also be significant in producing sustainable cement [42,60]. Several studies have investigated the environmental impacts of cement production in the United States [29,61], Europe [48,[62][63][64][65], India [66], Africa [67][68][69][70], Canada [71], Japan [72][73][74], Hong Kong [54], and China [75][76][77][78][79]. LCA is a vital tool for assessing the environmental impact of cement production and for developing and selecting potential methods.…”

A Material Flow Analysis (MFA)-based potential analysis of eco-efficiency indicators of China's cement and cement-based materials industry

“…The lower resource productivity of China was mainly caused by a lower substitution rate of raw material and fuel by non-resource materials, such as fly ash, steel slag and tires. The rate of waste utilization in cement production had increased to 448 kg per ton of cement product (Kawai and Osako, 2012); however, the rate of waste utilization was no more than 290 kg per ton of cement product in China in 2010.…”

“…Ireland was approximately 44.12 USD per ton (estimated based on Kawai and Osako, 2012) and 50 USD per ton (estimated based on Woodward and Duffy, 2011), respectively. The lower resource productivity of China was mainly caused by a lower substitution rate of raw material and fuel by non-resource materials, such as fly ash, steel slag and tires.…”

Coal bottom ash characterization aiming the incorporation in cellular concrete

“…Alongside the development of special concretes, it is studied the insertion of residues in concretes, whether as a partial or a total substitution of cement or natural aggregates [2,5,6]. The exploration of great volumes of natural resources, the high energetic intake and the emission of greenhouse effect gases deliver environmentally negative characteristics to the cement industry [7][8][9][10].…”