Iman Mehdipour, Ph.D.
VP-Technology and Engineering
CarbonBuilt
ReversaTM Mineral Carbonation Process for Scalable Production of Low-Carbon Concrete Products
Concrete, a mixture composed of a cementation agent, mineral aggregates, and water has the potential to serve as a gigaton-scale sink for carbon dioxide (CO2). The CarbonBuilt’s Reversa process, developed at UCLA exploits simple acid-base chemistry to mineralize CO2-dilute flue gas emissions into mineral carbonate-based cementation agents at ambient pressure, at flue gas temperatures, and without a need for carbon capture. The Reversa technology was upscaled and demonstrated using a modularized pilot-plant at two national carbon capture test centers using coal- (~12 vol. % CO2) and natural gas (~4 vol. % CO2) flue gas streams. The field demonstration led to the production of over 15,000 concrete blocks and achieved: (1) a CO2 utilization efficiency in excess of 75%, (2) CO2 uptake of 2% mass solid, (3) carbon intensity reduction by up to 75%, and (4) fulfilling compliance with all relevant industry specifications. The success of these demonstrations suggests that the pioneering Reversa technology is ready for commercialization.
Iman Mehdipour, Ph.D. Bio
Iman is VP Technology and Engineering of CarbonBuilt startup and a former project scientist at UCLA. He has over 10 years of experience in developing solutions for carbon intensity mitigation of concrete materials. His current focus is on developing scalable technologies for concrete carbon dioxide mineralization. He co-led project demonstration and operation for UCLA team at coal-fired track in Gillette, WY that led to winning $7.5M grand prize NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE. He has published 2 book chapters and 30 peer-reviewed scientific publications. He is the recipient of ACI Charles Pankow Student Fellowship and ACI Missouri Chapter Honorary Abdeldjelil “DJ” Belarbi Scholarship. Iman holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology.