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Resource Circulation Materials Lab
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The lab studies resource circulation and the environment through rocks, minerals, and cement.
AboutAbout the lab
Circulating resources with minerals and cement.
The Resource Circulation Materials Lab studies rocks, minerals, cement, and concrete, focusing on materials related to resource circulation and waste disposal.
Each faculty member belongs to one of two groups: one handles rocks and minerals, and the other handles cement and concrete materials.
Research combines field surveys at inactive and abandoned mines and geothermal power plants, laboratory experiments, and computer simulations.
Themes include negative emission technologies that reduce carbon dioxide, geological disposal of radioactive waste, and the mechanisms by which cement hardens.
Key terms
- Hydration reaction
- The chemical reaction in which cement reacts with water and hardens
- Negative emissions
- The idea of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere so that net emissions become negative
- Acid mine drainage
- Acidic water from mines that contains metals and other substances
NewsLab news
A paper was published in Cement and Concrete Research
A paper was published in Construction and Building Materials
A review paper was published in Cement and Concrete Composites
A student received the Excellent Presentation Award at the Cement Technology Conference
A paper was published in the Journal of Sustainable Cement-Based Materials
ResearchResearch themes
Two groups, one for rocks and minerals and one for cement and concrete materials, study materials related to the effective use of resources and the disposal of waste. Their work includes modeling cement reactions and fine-scale structures, making effective use of by-products, and removing carbon dioxide through rock weathering.
*Illustrative imageHow cement hardens
The lab investigates the structure of calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H), which forms through the hydration reaction of cement, by combining various analytical methods. The ultimate aim is to evaluate the properties of concrete.
*Illustrative imagePredicting properties from 3D images
Based on electron microscope images, the lab builds three-dimensional reconstructions of how components are arranged inside hardened cement, and develops models that predict its strength and how easily substances diffuse through it. This research is aimed at evaluating the durability of structures that come into contact with groundwater, such as radioactive waste disposal facilities.
*Illustrative imageEffective use of coal ash and slag
This research uses by-products from thermal power plants, such as coal ash (fly ash) and slag, as concrete materials. Fly ash can replace part of the cement, but too much prevents the concrete from hardening, so the lab has also worked on methods for estimating how much is mixed in.
*Illustrative imageRemoving carbon dioxide through rock weathering
The lab studies negative emission technologies that reduce carbon dioxide by promoting rock weathering. It also works on methods that use acid mine drainage to promote rock weathering, and on passive treatment, which treats mine drainage by imitating natural purification processes.
MembersFaculty
The Resource Circulation Materials Lab consists of faculty members, visiting faculty, researchers, technical staff, secretaries, and doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students.As of 2026
- ProfessorTsutomu Sato
- Associate ProfessorKiyofumi Kurumisawa
VoicesStudent voices
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Laitier de haut fourneau à Fos-sur-Mer” Borvan53 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- How cement hardens: “Energetically Modified Cement (EMC) Luleå Sweden 08 2020” Denslenovo / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Predicting properties from 3D images: “Failed Concrete Cylinder” Xb-70 at English Wikipedia / Public domain (cropped)
- Effective use of coal ash and slag: “Granulated slag — Гранульований шлак 1” Blast furnace chip worker / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Removing carbon dioxide through rock weathering: “Acid mine drainage at Tilt Cove” Scio c / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (環境地質学): “AMD Joggins” Michael C. Rygel / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (廃棄物処分工学): “Naka Waste Incineration Plant 01” Taisyo / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (資源再生工学): “Froth flotation” Andreslan / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (循環共生システム): “Biogas Photovoltaik Wind” Florian Gerlach (Nawaro) / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
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