A new coagulated material made from solid waste recently invented by Chinese scientists is expected to replace cement in the construction industry.
This was concluded by a group of Chinese scientists led by Ye Danian, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in a recent appraisal on the new technology.
Sun Henghu, one of the main inventors of the environment-friendly building material, said the coagulated material is formed by gluing solid wastes of different kinds together in accordance with the principle of landification under natural conditions.
The new material is better than cement in all performances, especially in some areas, such as sea dams or backfilling mines, said Sun, a professor at Tsinghua University.
The research team, with help from investors, has established three production lines of the new material, each with a yearly capacity of 900,000 tons.
Compared with cement, the new material costs 30-50 percent of the price cement and consumes at least 30 percent less energy, according to Professor Sun.
(Xinhua News Agency August 16, 2005)