Calix re-invents the 5,000 year-old kiln to develop more environmentally friendly solutions for a broad range of industries.
Leading edge technology
Calix’s technology involves grinding minerals to between one hundredth and one thousandth of a millimetre in size, and then “flash” heating them in an externally heated reactor in a very short time, at up to 950 °C. As trapped gases in the minerals “bubble out” of the particles, they create highly porous honeycomb-like structures in the particles. Calix technology allows for the direct separation of CO2, allowing it to be used for carbon dioxide reduction in traditionally carbon dioxide intensive industries, such as lime and cement production.
Three key Benefits
1
Highly-active materials
Materials produced by our technology are proving to have similar properties to highly active nano-materials, without the safety concerns and high cost, but with all the benefits. This allows for applications in advanced battery materials, biotechnology, and water.
2
CO2 capture
When processing limestone, cement meal, or magnesite, gas exhaust is pure CO2. This allows carbon dioxide reduction in traditionally carbon dioxide intensive industries, such as lime and cement production.
3
Renewable energy-ready
Calix’s technology facilitates mineral and industrial processing to transition towards renewable energy, while maintaining flexibility with process integration and energy source.
AWARD-WINNING INNOVATION
Because there is only one Earth. Mars is for quitters!
FIVE FOCUS AREAS
Calix's technology enables efficiency and performance improvement for five key sustainability-focused areas:
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- What does "nano-active" mean?
Research into nano-particles (defined as particles between 1 and 100 nanometers, or billionths of a meter, in size) is rapidly increasing, due to the unique physical and chemical properties these materials manifest, and the potential high value applications in health, electronics, catalysts, 3d printing and batteries.
However, problems associated with fixing these particles in place to allow practical use, as well as the expense in producing them, has restricted more widespread use.
Calix’s CFC technology can be used to produce “nano-active” particles…particles which, because of their high surface area, display many of the unique properties of nano-particles, while being a thousand times larger (and therefore more easily and cheaply produced and utilised).
- What is industrial carbon capture?
Carbon capture is the process of selectively removing and capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) from industrial processes. It can then be used (eg as an industrial gas, or via technologies under development such as fuel recycling, etc) or permanently stored (eg sequestered in saline aquifers, or via technologies under development such as in building products or plastics).
Both the cement and lime industries have relatively high CO2 emissions with around 60% of their total CO2 emissions being released directly, and unavoidably, from the processing of limestone (which is 50 % by weight CO2). Carbon capture is the only means by which these industrial processes can dramatically reduce their emissions
- What is Calix technology used for?
Calix technology has been successfully scaled to commercial (30kTpa) production, and we are continuing to find new materials and applications with a rich development pipeline.
New materials produced by our Calix technology are proving to have similar properties to highly active nano-materials, without the safety concerns and high cost, but with all the benefits that nano technology is developing into numerous solutions, applications and industries.
