Carbon Infuse is a climate-tech startup providing a unique one-step integrated carbon capture, utilization, and storage solution to transform CO2 and waste into carbon-negative building materials, contributing to decarbonizing heavy industries and the built environment.
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Diandian Zhao
Diandian Zhao is the co-founder and CEO of Carbon Infuse, which provides a one-step integrated carbon capture, utilization, and storage solution to convert CO2 into building materials. He is currently completing his Ph.D. in civil engineering at Columbia University. He has over eight years of interdisciplinary research experience involving civil, environmental, and chemical engineering and materials science. These cross-disciplinary experiences empower him with a diverse toolkit to address real-world challenges effectively.
TECHNOLOGY
Critical Need
Global warming demands urgent action, and carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) are crucial technologies for mitigating CO2 emissions. However, existing CCUS technologies face challenges such as cost and inefficiency. Both CCU and CCS are prohibitively expensive with minimal economic returns. Additionally, the fragmented nature of CCUS processes hampers supply chain efficiency. Without addressing these challenges, the decarbonization of heavy industries like cement, steel, and electric power generation will continue to lag, exacerbating the climate crisis.
Technology Vision
Carbon Infuse is developing an innovative solution that integrates CCUS processes into a single step, converting CO2 emissions and industrial waste into cementitious materials. The process can operate under ambient conditions, and thus, it is low-cost and highly scalable. The resultant materials substitute carbon-intensive cement to decarbonize concrete further and permanently store mineralized CO2 in our infrastructure. Carbon Infuse addresses the economic and efficiency barriers inherent in current CCUS technologies, contributing to the decarbonization of heavy industries and the built environment through this innovation.
Potential for Impact
The widespread deployment of Carbon Infuse’s innovation has the potential to sequester billions of tons of CO2 within our built environment. Effectively converting CO2 emissions from heavy industries like cement production and industrial waste helps mitigate climate change and promotes a circular economy. Furthermore, driving innovation in carbon management could catalyze economic growth and create new opportunities for green technologies, fostering a more resilient and environmentally conscious society.
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Carbon Infuse