Scientists Discover Ways to Use Burnt Coffee to Make Concrete Stronger

Adding burnt coffee to concrete makes it 30% stronger

                                                          

Scientists Discover New Benefits of Coffee: What's the Relationship with Concrete?

Scientists in Australia have revealed that burnt coffee beans can make concrete up to 30 percent stronger. The world produces approximately 10 billion kilograms of coffee waste each year, most of which ends up in landfills.

Engineer Rajiv Roychand of RMIT University said, "Disposal of organic waste poses an environmental challenge because it releases large amounts of greenhouse gases, including methane and carbon dioxide, which contribute to climate change." With the booming global construction market, there is also an ever-increasing demand for resource-intensive concrete, creating a host of other environmental challenges.

For his part, Jie Li of RMIT University emphasized that the ongoing extraction of natural sand around the world to meet the rapidly growing demand in the construction industry is having a significant impact on the environment. 

He pointed out that there are critical, long-term challenges in maintaining a sustainable supply of sand due to the limited nature of the resource and the environmental impacts of sand extraction. He added, "By adopting a circular economy approach, we can keep organic waste out of landfills while conserving our natural resources like sand."

According to Science Alert, the team is currently testing how the hybrid cement made from coffee performs under freezing and thawing conditions, water absorption, corrosion, and other environmental stresses. The team is also working on producing other types of biochar from various organic waste sources, including wood, food, and agricultural waste.