Feature

Nouryon and E5 Incorporated: Partnering for sustainability in the built environment

Concrete is the most consumed material on the planet – second only to water. The production of cement, a primary component of concrete, is responsible for more than 8% of the world’s carbon emissions.

June 2024

Our customer, E5 Incorporated, a highly innovative concrete technology company, has leveraged Nouryon’s excellence in manufacturing to ensure the highest quality nano silica materials for its proprietary admixture formulations. E5® proprietary products and processes enable production of concrete that is not only higher performing but is also more environmentally friendly than traditional concrete.

E5® Internal Cure® is the world’s first admixture to provide for self-curing of concrete. Internal Cure® controls water within the concrete mix to ensure a proper cure, densifies the concrete, and allows for easier placement and finishing of the concrete – all of which results in a more durable concrete structure. This increased durability extends the service life of concrete, resulting in less cement required for replacement of deteriorating concrete structures.

bridge symbolising building and construction

E5® Liquid Fly Ash® (LFA) is a ground-breaking supplementary cementitious material (SCM), which, like Internal Cure, densifies the concrete, but also allows for reduction of up to 15% of cement in concrete mixes. This decrease in cement usage directly translates into a substantial reduction in CO2 emissions. Furthermore, the use of LFA® significantly reduces the need for transportation. In fact, one full truck load (FTL) of LFA equates to 28 FTLs of traditional fly ash – meaning 27 trucks are taken off the road for each FTL of LFA used, thereby avoiding the associated emissions, and contributing to cleaner air.

One of the largest cement and ready-mix concrete producers in the world said it best – “The most sustainable concrete is the most durable concrete.” “Put simply, a more durable concrete means a longer lifespan, reducing the need for frequent replacements. This, in turn, means less resource consumption and waste generation, thus reducing the overall environmental impact of concrete consumption,” stated Joe Shetterley, CEO of E5 Inc.

E5® products manufactured by Nouryon provide significant environmental benefits, including:

  • a properly cured, denser concrete matrix for substantial improvement in concrete durability and, therefore, longevity;
  • reduction of cement and supplementary cementitious materials in concrete mixes;
  • elimination of curing compounds, burlap, visqueen and scarce water resources required for wet cure and higher volume SCMs (and the trucks that haul these materials); and;
  • potentially, based on on-going research being conducted at Purdue University, active absorption of more greenhouse gases from the atmosphere (without negative carbonation impact on the structure) by concrete structures containing E5® as compared to structures without E5®.
worker finishing surface of newly poured concrete

Dr. Luna Lu, Associate Dean for the Faculty at Purdue University, Reilly Professor at the Lyles School of Civil Engineering, and Inaugural Director of the Center for Intelligent Infrastructure, who leads the research at Purdue University, elaborated on this point. “Our initial study indicated that concrete containing E5® nano silica has a potentially substantially greater sponge effect than concrete without E5® nano silica. We are currently undertaking an expanded study of this phenomena, which, if further validated, presents a significant opportunity for the concrete industry to contribute to world-wide carbon reduction efforts.”

In short, E5® products improve the sustainability and durability of concrete. The effectiveness of E5® products has been proven in the field in hundreds of Department of Transportation projects and millions of square feet of commercial structures and validated by multiple, highly reputable, independent laboratories.

E5 Inc. is actively developing Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for its products and is in the process of registering for carbon credits. Both initiatives will provide substantiated and verified data on the carbon impacts and benefits of its products and operations, providing transparency and accountability in its sustainability efforts.

Did you know?

With the help of superior quality Nouryon manufacturing, our partner E5 Incorporated has risen to the top as the industry leader in nano silica utilization in concrete, which is driving sustainability in the built environment and setting a benchmark for others to follow.

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