Dezeen · Architectuur

Finnish company launches "world's most carbon-storing building material"

Finnish firm Elementic has introduced MO6, a wall-surfacing material made from forestry industry by-products that is predominantly carbon. Launched as MO6 Eternal, the product consists of thick, lightweight tiles with a rough texture and an off-black color.

MO6 claims to be the most carbon-negative building material globally, with carbon comprising 90% of its composition. It utilizes lignin, a by-product of the forestry and timber industry that is typically burned for energy. Through a proprietary, secretive process, impurities are removed from lignin in a bioreactor, resulting in a durable, fire-resistant material with a distinct aesthetic. The tiles are already being delivered to projects, including a spa in Paris. MO6 is currently marketed for dry indoor spaces, with ambitions for wider applications, including structural materials and bricks.

According to MO6 general manager Johanna Normiala, the material is challenging but valuable due to its high carbon content. The manufacturing process involves transforming lignin into a dough-like substance that is then baked into a hard, lightweight material. While its thermal and acoustic properties are comparable to wood, Elementic aims to improve these through future manufacturing process tweaks.

Carbon negativity means removing more carbon dioxide equivalent from the atmosphere than is emitted. For building materials, this considers emissions during manufacture and end-of-life. The construction industry's significant carbon emissions have led to increased interest in carbon-storing materials. Timber has gained attention for its carbon sequestration properties. MO6 states that one kilogram of its material stores approximately 2.4 kilograms of atmospheric carbon dioxide, roughly double that of wood, and can store carbon for potentially thousands of years due to its non-decaying nature and recyclability.

AI-samenvatting op basis van de bron.