Luke Sanita
Research Mentor: Susan Fancy
Mentor Department: Global CO2 Initiative, Engineering
Author(s): Stephen McCord, Daniel Cooper, Susan Fancy
Session: Session 1 (9:00 AM – 9:50 AM)
Presentation Type: Poster 103
Abstract
Freight rail transportation is a significant but underexplored source of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions that could be used as an industrial feedstock, yet most carbon capture research prioritizes stationary industrial sources over mobile systems. This project will address the gap between CO2 capture on freight trains and its practical, local utilization by examining whether captured CO2 can be economically used in the global building materials sector. More specifically, this project will focus on concrete, steel, and engineered wood products that do not require extensive purification. To investigate this opportunity, this research will build on prior research for CO2-utilizing building product markets through a combined technical and market-based approach. CO2 purity requirements and material compatibility will be compared against the composition of freight-train exhaust. Global concrete production, ready-mix facilities, and aggregate suppliers will be evaluated alongside potential applications in wood products, including biochar integration and carbon-enhanced engineered wood materials. Geographic proximity to rail corridors, construction hubs, and existing industrial infrastructure will be assessed using public datasets, lifecycle assessment frameworks, and case studies from leading carbon utilization companies. The initial results indicate that concrete mineralization and carbonated aggregates may represent the most viable near-term applications for captured freight train CO2. These offer permanent storage and compatibility with existing supply chains. Metal-based applications, while promising for long-term carbon storage and circular material systems, face greater scalability and processing challenges. Together, these building product pathways present clearer market potential than uses such as fuels or food-grade applications. This research will demonstrate that focusing on localized building materials markets is the most likely option to significantly improve the feasibility of freight train-based carbon capture. By identifying demand, infrastructure alignment, and material constraints, this work supports the development of regionally scalable, low-carbon construction materials and examines the feasible markets for integrating mobile carbon capture into the built environment.
