End of world as we know it

A new coagulated material made from solid waste recently invented by Chinese scientists is expected to replace cement in the construction industry. This was concluded by a group of Chinese scientists led by Ye Danian, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in a recent appraisal on the new technology.

Sun Henghu, one of the main inventors of the environment-friendly building material, said the coagulated material is formed by processing a mix of solid waste materials. The new material is better than cement in all performances, especially in some areas, such as sea dams or backfilling mines, said Sun, a professor at Qinghua University. The research team, with help from investors, has established three production lines of the new material, each with a yearly capacity of 900,000t (sic). Compared with cement, the new material costs 30-50 per cent of the price cement and consumes at least 30 per cent less energy, according to Professor Danian.