science

Nanocem

Nanocem is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Nanocem rather than just read about it. In short: Nanocem is a consortium of academic and private industry groups, founded in 2004 and headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland. The consortium researches the properties of cement and concrete on the nano- and micro-scales, with a particular focus on reducing carbon dioxide emissions at all stages of production.

Key takeaways

Nanocem belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Nanocem to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Nanocem from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Nanocem is a consortium of academic and private industry groups, founded in 2004 and headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland. The consortium researches the properties of cement and concrete on the nano- and micro-scales, with a particular focus on reducing carbon dioxide emissions at all stages of production. As of 2018, Nanocem includes 34 organizations and supports more than 120 researchers.

Description Nanocem is a consortium of academic and private industry groups that researches the properties of cement and concrete on the nano- and micro-scales. The research has a particular focus on reducing carbon dioxide emissions at all stages of production. The consortium is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland. As of 2018, it includes 34 organizations and supports more than 120 researchers. There are some 60 doctoral and postdoctoral research projects in the area of fundamental research that have been supported by Nanocem. The research is conducted at a fundamental level, though high levels of industry involvement allows for focus on solutions that can work in practice and not just in theory. This model of cooperation between industry and the academic community has led to the identification of common issues, shared knowledge, and clear benefits for all those involved. For instance, Nanocem has been able to help map the research needs for lower carbon concrete. This guidance helped focus research by companies and third parties.

History Nanocem was founded as an independent consortium in 2004 after a rejection of a 2002 bid to the Network of Excellence (European Framework Programme). Nanocem's eleven completed core projects have included studies of interactions between admixtures and cement, concrete durability, the kinetics of cement hydration, and the use of magnetic resonance imaging techniques in concrete analysis. Recent Nanocem-sponsored projects have included the use of nanotechnology in cementitious materials, the effects of sulfate on concrete, the development of a bipolar mineral organic composite that can bond with Portland cement on one pole and polymerize with the other, and studies of cement hydration at the molecular level. Its research has led to more than one hundred published papers and conference papers. There are some 120 academic researchers in the team who between them are in the process of managing some 60 PhD and PostDoctoral research projects in the area of fundamental research.

Participating organizations Nanocem consists of 34 academic and private industry partners. The members of Nanocem collectively have access to a large range of state of the art equipment for the study of cementitious materials.

Academic Aarhus University Bauhaus-Universität Weimar Czech Technical University in Prague Danish Technological Institute École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne ETH Zurich Eduardo Torroja Institute for Construction Science French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission French institute of science and technology for transport, spatial planning, development and networks Imperial College London Lund University Norwegian University of Science and Technology Polytechnic University of Catalonia Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology Technical University of Denmark Technical University of Munich University of Aberdeen University of Burgundy University of Leeds University of Sheffield University of Surrey vdz gGmbH Vienna University of Technology

Industrial Aalborg Portland BASF CHRYSO CRH HeidelbergCement GCP Applied Technologies LafargeHolcim Siam Cement Sika AG Titan Cement

References

External links Official website List of Nanocem publications and conference papers

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Nanocem

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Nanocem claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Nanocem before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Nanocem ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Nanocem

In research: Nanocem appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Nanocem in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Nanocem is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2004 establishments in Switzerland, Concrete, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Nanocem outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Nanocem in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Nanocem means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Nanocem out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Nanocem in simple terms?

Why does Nanocem matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Nanocem?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Nanocem.