About Project Aether

Aether trials to demonstrate industrial feasibility

The industrial trials, the first of which was successfully completed in February 2011, are being carried out at Lafarge cement facilities in Europe. Pilot tests run beforehand at ICiMB’s specialist cement-testing facilities in Krakow, Poland, make it possible to test certain parameters and predict conditions for Aether clinker production in real industrial installations.
Selected cements made from semi-industrial clinkers, with different fineness and sulphate content, are analyzed for setting time, water demand, soundness, compressive and flexural strength, heat of hydration, workability and consistency.

These measurements are complementary to analyses carried out by BRE of concrete made with industrial Aether cements. The results of these analyses will allow the evaluation of new concrete behavior in the real environment. They will provide the basis for the quality assessment of cements produced in industrial conditions and finally for the validation of Aether cement as a new binder.

Independent testing to assess trial results

BRE, the UK’s leading centre of expertise on building and construction, is carrying out tests on Aether clinkers and cements, as well as concretes and mortars made with these new cements.

CO2 emissions reductions

BRE is assessing the total CO2 emissions associated with the manufacture of cement using Aether clinker, compared to Portland Cement, analyzing:
CO2 emissions per tonne of cement,
CO2 emissions per tonne of concrete – the ‘end product’ - based on mix design to provide concrete of pre-defined properties.

Cement properties

BRE is also carrying out a technical assessment of concrete and mortars made using the new Aether cement, compared to otherwise equivalent concrete and mortars made using Portland cement. BRE is looking at fresh concrete workability and the influence of admixtures, plus long-term durability, by the study of compressive/flexural strength development and resistance to chemical attack.