CO₂-Lock Materials / CarbonLock Platform

CarbonLock is not defined only by low-carbon positioning language.

It is structured around measurable validation windows, product geometry, density class, strength-to-density balance, moisture behaviour, thermal response, carbonation evidence, and MRV / LCA discipline.

The current visible routes are development and validation directions, not final certified commercial claims.

All indicators below should be treated as selected reference targets, validation envelopes, or development benchmarks pending independent testing, MRV / LCA confirmation, and jurisdiction-specific assessment.

C-SERIES CELLULAR MINERAL BLOCK INDICATORS

The C-Series is the cellular mineral block ladder inside CarbonLock.

It is designed around three controlled density classes:

- C400 — lightweight / thermal-balance grade

- C500 — anchor AAC-500 comparison grade

- C600 — strength / robust / acoustic grade

This structure matters because a single density class cannot serve every wall-material requirement.

Lower density can support thermal balance and handling weight, but increases strength and moisture risk.

Higher density can improve robustness, handling and acoustic potential, but usually increases thermal conductivity.

The C-Series ladder exists to control that trade-off rather than hide it.

C400 DEVELOPMENT ENVELOPE

C400 is the lightweight / thermal-balance direction of the C-Series.

It is intended for low handling weight, thermal profile, and low-carbon wall-system routes where density and lambda matter strongly.

Representative C400 target indicators:

- dry density: 380–430 kg/m³

- density COV: ≤5–6% initial target

- typical compressive strength: 4–6 MPa

- minimum compressive strength: ≥3.5–4.0 MPa

- strength COV: ≤10–12% initial target

- dry thermal conductivity: 0.075–0.090 W/m·K

- design / in-use thermal conductivity: 0.090–0.105 W/m·K

- volumetric water absorption: better than comparable AAC target

- capillary uptake: reduced versus baseline target

- dimensional tolerance: thin-joint ready direction

- carbonation completion: bulk-relevant carbonation evidence required

- CO₂ uptake: MRV-defined, reported per m³ and per tonne where feasible

- durability screen: wet/dry and freeze–thaw where relevant

C400 is attractive because it can support a lower-density thermal direction.

Its technical risk is also clear: if pore architecture is not stable, the material can become too fragile, too absorbent, or too moisture-sensitive.

That is why C400 must be judged by the full bundle:

- density

- strength

- lambda

- absorption

- drying behaviour

- carbonation depth

- repeatability

C500 DEVELOPMENT ENVELOPE

C500 is the anchor grade of the C-Series.

It is positioned as a 500 kg/m³-class carbon-cured cellular mineral block direction for fair comparison against AAC 500 or an equivalent local cellular mineral block reference under aligned conditioning.

Representative C500 target indicators:

- dry density: 480–520 kg/m³

- density COV: ≤5% target

- typical compressive strength: 7–9 MPa

- minimum compressive strength: ≥6.5 MPa

- strength COV: ≤10% target

- dry thermal conductivity: 0.090–0.100 W/m·K

- design / in-use thermal conductivity: 0.105–0.115 W/m·K

- volumetric water absorption: 20–30% target

- capillary uptake: reduced versus AAC-500 baseline target

- dimensional tolerance: thin-joint ready direction

- residual moisture at pack: plant-specific maximum, controlled by validation

- carbonation completion: bulk-relevant carbonation evidence required

- CO₂ uptake: MRV-defined, reported per m³ and per tonne where feasible

- CO₂ permanence: ageing / leaching / cycling evidence required

- durability screen: freeze–thaw where relevant

- test reference: AAC 500 or equivalent cellular mineral block

C500 is the cleanest proof route because it sits in a familiar market class.

The question is not whether it can show one good number.

The question is whether a 500 kg/m³-class carbon-cured cellular mineral block can combine:

- useful compressive performance

- controlled density

- moisture-aware lambda

- manageable absorption

- bulk-relevant carbonation

- repeatable geometry

- MRV-ready carbon data

That is the correct C500 proof standard.

C600 DEVELOPMENT ENVELOP

C600 is the strength / robust / acoustic bracket of the C-Series.

It is designed for higher robustness than C500 without jumping fully into dense masonry block territory.

Representative C600 target indicators:

- dry density: 580–630 kg/m³

- density COV: ≤5% target

- typical compressive strength: 9–12+ MPa

- minimum compressive strength: ≥8.0–9.0 MPa

- strength COV: ≤10–12% initial target

- dry thermal conductivity: 0.105–0.130 W/m·K

- design / in-use thermal conductivity: 0.125–0.150 W/m·K

- volumetric water absorption: 20–28% target

- capillary uptake: reduced versus comparable robust block target

- dimensional tolerance: thin-joint ready direction

- carbonation completion: bulk-relevant carbonation evidence required

- CO₂ uptake: MRV-defined, reported per m³ and per tonne where feasible

- acoustic performance: priority development direction

- durability screen: freeze–thaw and wet/dry where relevant

C600 gives CarbonLock a stronger and more robust cellular block direction.

It is relevant where handling strength, wall robustness, acoustic mass, and durability confidence matter more than the lowest possible density.

Its technical challenge is to retain the carbon-mineralised story while avoiding excessive thermal penalty, moisture retention, or carbonation-depth weakness.

C-SERIES KPI SUMMARY

Across the C-Series, the platform is governed by measurable indicators rather than low-carbon language alone.

Core C-Series KPI families include:

- dry density

- density COV

- compressive strength

- minimum strength

- strength COV

- dry lambda

- conditioned / design lambda

- water absorption

- capillary uptake

- dimensional tolerance

- residual moisture

- carbonation completion

- CO₂ uptake

- CO₂ permanence

- freeze–thaw durability where relevant

- acoustic performance for C600-type routes

The most important C-Series discipline is that density, strength, lambda, water behaviour, and carbon evidence must be read together.

A block is not strong because one number looks good.

A block is not low-carbon because mass gain looks good.

A block is not thermally useful because dry lambda looks good.

The serious product is the full controlled envelope.

CSB440 DENSE MASONRY INDICATORS

CSB440 is the dense masonry extension of CarbonLock.

Where the C-Series is built around controlled cellular density classes, CSB440 is built around dense masonry geometry, higher mass, strength potential, low transport behaviour, dimensional stability, and full-volume carbonation discipline.

Baseline geometry:

440 × 220 × 100 mm

Representative CSB440 development indicators:

- baseline unit geometry: 440 × 220 × 100 mm

- thickness direction for carbonation proof: 100 mm section

- density class: dense masonry route, to be locked by validation

- first validation strength direction: 15–30 MPa class target window

- higher-strength upside direction: 30–40+ MPa subject to validation

- dimensional stability: required before and after conditioning

- water absorption direction: lower-than-reference target, validation required

- sorptivity / transport direction: low-transport route, validation required

- wet/dry cycling: required for durability confidence

- carbonation-depth mapping: required through section cuts

- core-versus-surface comparison: mandatory for serious carbon evidence

- mass-gain kinetics: tracked by time, batch, and conditioning state

- CO₂ uptake reporting: kg CO₂ per tonne and kg CO₂ per m³ where feasible

- MRV sheet: required per validation batch

In this branch, the key risk is false confidence.

A dense block can look strong on the surface while still failing as a serious carbon-mineralised product.

That is why CSB440 should not be validated only by surface hardness, colour change, or short-term mass gain.

The serious proof route is deeper:

- section evidence

- core relevance

- strength population

- mass balance

- carbonation-depth mapping

- transport behaviour

- moisture discipline

- uncertainty-controlled carbon accounting

C-THERM PANEL INDICATORS

C-THERM PANEL is the mineral insulation panel extension of CarbonLock.

It moves the platform beyond blocks into carbon-locked mineral panel systems for wall, facade, retrofit, cavity, and public-building routes.

Current visible panel formats:

- CT-100 — 1200 × 600 × 100 mm

- CT-50 — 1200 × 600 × 50 mm

C-THERM is not a simple mineral board and not a foam imitation.

Its value is the controlled relationship between:

- mineral skeleton

- microcellular pore architecture

- carbon-phase radiation suppression

- moisture discipline

- facer / interface behaviour

- fire / smoke route

- CO₂ mineralisation

- system-level lambda after conditioning

CT-100 GEOMETRY AND HANDLING INDICATORS

CT-100 is the primary deeper insulation-panel route.

Representative CT-100 indicators:

- length: 1200 mm ±2 mm

- width: 600 mm ±2 mm

- thickness: 100 mm ±2 mm

- squareness: ≤2 mm diagonal

- warpage: ≤2 mm target

- dry mass unfaced: 4.5–8.5 kg ±10%

- expanded wet density: 0.16–0.24 g/cc

- shipping moisture: 2.0–4.0% target

- hard moisture limit: ≤5.5%

- green strength: 0.8–1.5 MPa

- expansion plateau time: 90–180 s

- collapse at 10 minutes: ≤3%

CT-100 is the deeper thermal-core version and the main route for stronger CO₂ uptake basis, system-lambda development, and facade / wall-panel validation.

CT-50 GEOMETRY AND HANDLING INDICATORS

CT-50 is the thinner retrofit / system-layer panel route.

Representative CT-50 indicators:

- length: 1200 mm ±2 mm

- width: 600 mm ±2 mm

- thickness: 50 mm ±1.5 mm

- squareness: ≤2 mm diagonal

- warpage: ≤2 mm target

- dry mass unfaced: 2.2–4.5 kg ±10%

- expanded wet density: 0.18–0.26 g/cc

- shipping moisture: 2.0–4.0% target

- hard moisture limit: ≤5.5%

- green strength: 0.8–1.5 MPa

- expansion plateau time: 90–180 s

- collapse at 10 minutes: ≤3%

CT-50 is useful where thinner build-up, retrofit layering, easier handling, or system combination matters.

Its risk is different from CT-100: thinner panels are more sensitive to warpage, edge damage, interface behaviour, and jointed system performance.

C-THERM THERMAL AND MOISTURE INDICATORS

C-THERM must be judged by both core performance and system performance.

A dry core coupon alone is not enough.

Representative Gen1 / Gen2 thermal and moisture indicators:

- lambda_core_dry Gen1 acceptance: ≤0.033 W/m·K

- lambda_core_dry Gen2 target: ≤0.025 W/m·K

- lambda_core warning: >0.035 W/m·K no core claim

- lambda_system_design Gen1 acceptance: ≤0.038 W/m·K

- lambda_system_design Gen2 target: ≤0.028 W/m·K

- lambda_system warning: >0.040 W/m·K Gen1 fail

- Gen2 jointed warning: >0.032 W/m·K jointed fail

- water absorption 24h Gen1 acceptance: ≤10 vol%

- water absorption 24h Gen2 target: ≤6 vol%

- water absorption warning: >12 vol% HOLD

- capillary uptake Gen1 acceptance: ≤0.20 kg/m²·s⁰·⁵

- capillary uptake Gen2 target: ≤0.12 kg/m²·s⁰·⁵

- capillary warning: >0.25 kg/m²·s⁰·⁵ HOLD

- shipping moisture target: 2.0–4.0%

- shipping moisture hard limit: >5.5% HOLD

This is why CarbonLock should not use dry-only thermal language.

The stronger route is moisture-aware validation.

A panel must be judged by how thermal performance behaves after moisture exposure, conditioning, drying, handling, joints, and realistic wall-system logic.

C-THERM MECHANICAL AND FIRE-ROUTE INDICATORS

Representative C-THERM mechanical and fire-route indicators:

- compressive strength at 10% deformation Gen1 acceptance: ≥200 kPa

- compressive strength at 10% deformation Gen2 target: ≥350 kPa

- compressive warning: <180 kPa no release

- tensile perpendicular Gen1 acceptance: ≥120 kPa

- tensile perpendicular Gen2 target: ≥180 kPa

- tensile warning: <100 kPa no faced claim

- reaction-to-fire direction: A2 route minimum

- reaction-to-fire target: A2-s1,d0 route

- A1 route: only under strict validated configuration

- fire warning: any drip or smoke drift triggers HOLD

- warpage target: ≤2 mm

- warpage warning: >3 mm HOLD

C-THERM is therefore not only a lambda product.

It is a system product.

The panel must hold thermal performance, moisture behaviour, mechanical handling, edge integrity, interface bond, fire-route discipline, and carbon-mineralisation evidence together.

C-THERM CO₂ AND CARBON-LOCK INDICATORS

Representative carbon-lock indicators for C-THERM:

- CO₂ uptake at 100 mm Gen1 acceptance: 0.10–0.18 kg/m²

- CO₂ uptake at 100 mm Gen2 target: 0.18–0.35 kg/m²

- carbon claim warning: inconsistent mass gain means no carbon claim

- measurement route: mass gain + TGA / LOI where available

- depth profile: required for stronger carbon-lock claim

- front/back uptake symmetry: ±8% target

- dewpoint stack stability: ΔTdp ≤1.0°C target

- moisture packout: 2.0–4.0% target, ≤5.5% hard limit

This gives the panel route a measurable carbon story without pretending that carbon-negative status is already proven.

The correct statement is:

C-THERM PANEL is designed for moisture-aware thermal performance, non-combustible mineral system development, and verified CO₂ mineralisation potential, subject to system-specific testing, LCA, and MRV confirmation.

CARBON AND MRV INDICATORS

Across CarbonLock, the carbon story is treated as a measurement discipline, not a slogan.

Representative MRV / LCA indicators include:

- kg CO₂ per tonne of material

- kg CO₂ per m³ of product

- kg CO₂ per m² of panel where relevant

- mass-gain correction

- moisture correction

- dry-equivalent mass basis

- carbonate proxy

- carbonation-depth evidence

- surface-versus-bulk relevance

- core-versus-surface comparison

- front/back uptake symmetry

- TGA / DTG evidence where available

- XRD or carbonate-phase proxy where available

- batch-level carbon ledger

- sample ID traceability

- conditioning log

- plant-specific boundary definition

- energy input boundary

- comparative baseline against AAC, dense block, or panel equivalent

- uncertainty treatment

- no unsupported carbon-negative claim

This is essential.

A product can only carry a serious carbon story if CO₂ uptake is measured, corrected, bounded, and linked to product performance.

CarbonLock is therefore designed around measured carbon mineralisation, not vague carbon language.

PLATFORM-LEVEL TECHNICAL GATES

CarbonLock should move through clear technical decision gates rather than open-ended development.

Gate 1 — Physical Identity

Required evidence: density, dimensions, visual quality, macro-void screening, and sample traceability.

Gate 2 — Mechanical Envelope

Required evidence: compressive performance, handling strength, edge integrity, and post-conditioning strength retention.

Gate 3 — Moisture Behaviour

Required evidence: absorption, capillary uptake, residual moisture, drying curve, and conditioned performance.

Gate 4 — Thermal Behaviour

Required evidence: dry lambda, conditioned lambda, and system lambda where relevant.

Gate 5 — Carbonation Depth

Required evidence: mass balance, carbonate proxy, carbonation-depth map, and surface-versus-core comparison.

Gate 6 — Repeatability

Required evidence: repeat batch or n-repeat dataset under documented conditions.

Gate 7 — Claim Boundary

Required evidence: selected product route, locked indicator set, MRV outline, uncertainty statement, and clear separation between target, validated result, and future claim.

That gate discipline is part of the platform.

It keeps CarbonLock serious.