Christian Martín won an award at the "fib PhD Symposium"

The November 22, 2021

Answering questions about CO2 capture as a solution to climate challenges, Christian Martín explains: "As a civil engineering student, I started to study this topic in my final year work and it immediately caught my attention. In the context of the climate crisis, CO2 capture and storage is needed as a short/medium term solution. To ensure that the CO2 does not escape, good cementing of the wells is required. This is the core interest of my thesis. I was able to develop a comprehensive research work on the global influence of hollow glass microspheres in cements used for cementing CO2 storage wells."

He also adds: "When you think about the possible application of the research I am working on to the industrial sector, there are two major advantages. On the one hand, hollow glass microspheres are currently used in the hydrocarbon industry to cement extraction wells. On the other hand, some depleted hydrocarbon reservoirs can be used for geological storage of CO2. In view of this situation, the results of my research will verify that hydrocarbon extraction wells cemented with hollow glass microsphere modified cements will be suitable for CO2 injection and storage. In addition, the durability of the grout under conditions of geological storage of carbon dioxide could be fully determined based on the results obtained in this research. Therefore, the application is immediate."

He concludes, "Although I have had the opportunity to work for industry, I have always found the academic side more interesting, both as a teacher and as a researcher (intern in my case), because there is always something new to work on. I also think there is a huge field of application if you look at the building materials sector and in particular the cement industry. This material is present almost everywhere and is one of the main solutions for current structures of all kinds."

Read the original interview here