Development of non-sintered artificial lightweight aggregate based on industrial by-products using CCUS technology.
KCM Co., Ltd., an eco-friendly construction materials company in Ulsan, announced on the 28th that it won the Gold Award in the SME New Product Development category at the 51st National Quality Innovation Competition.
KCM competed with the theme of ‘Development of non-sintered artificial lightweight aggregate based on industrial by-products with CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage) technology’ and was recognized for its innovative achievement in simultaneously achieving resource circulation of industrial by-products and carbon neutrality.
The National Quality Innovation Competition, now in its 51st year, is the most prestigious quality innovation contest in Korea, organized by the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Korean Standards Association. Known as the ‘National Sports Festival of the industrial sector’ due to its fierce competition, a total of 317 teams and approximately 2,500 people from all over the country participated to showcase their innovative achievements.
The artificial lightweight aggregate developed by KCM is produced without sintering cement, using various industrial by-products such as steel slag and bottom ash.
A particularly notable feature is that it applies mineral carbonation (CCUS) technology to chemically fix carbon dioxide inside the aggregate, which can reduce carbon emissions by more than 90% compared to existing aggregates.
This technology was praised by evaluators for its potential to increase the sustainability of the construction industry while contributing to solving the contemporary challenges of resource circulation and greenhouse gas reduction. The award is a remarkable achievement as the company advanced from the Ulsan regional preliminaries to the finals and ultimately secured the Gold Award.
Jang Yoon-ho, CEO of KCM, stated that this Gold Award is “an official national recognition of KCM’s technology and innovativeness,” and that the company “will continue to lead research and development and commercialization of eco-friendly construction materials using industrial by-products to realize a carbon-neutral society.”
Meanwhile, the official award ceremony for the Gold Award will take place at the ’51st National Quality Management Competition’ on November 19 at COEX in Seoul.
Reported by Lee Jeong-min.
Original article : http://www.ujeil.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=372845
