Frequently asked questions
WHO IS ASPIRING MATERIALS?
Aspiring Materials is a clean-tech company based in Ōtautahi Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand. They have developed a world-first process that produces carbon-free critical minerals and essential materials for the industrial sector from a single feedstock and process.
The company was founded by geologist Dr Christopher Oze after a decade of collaborative scientific research with an engineering colleague into developing construction materials that could be produced from the scarce resources available on Mars.
Today, the focus is all about Earth, pivoting decades of research and experience towards removing carbon dioxide from essential but hard-to-abate industries, using an abundant mineral called olivine, found in ultramafic silicate rocks.
Aspiring Materials has already been well recognised by the global climate and clean-tech sector. Founder Dr Chris Oze and CEO Mark Chadderton are Breakthrough Energy Fellows, and the company is an Elemental Impact Portfolio company, an APAC Cleantech25, a 2024 NZ Hi-Tech finalist, 1 of 10 PepsiCo APAC Greenhouse Accelerator participants and a nominee for 2025 The EarthShot Prize.
The company has been supported with seed investment from Icehouse Ventures, Outset Ventures, Motion Capital, and K1W1, among others.
WHAT ARE THE CRITICAL MINERALS AND MATERIALS WE PRODUCE?
From our patented process we produce magnesium, nickel/cobalt hydroxide and reactive silica. Magnesium and nickel/cobalt are identified as critical minerals by some of the world's largest and developed economies due to the crucial role they play in the energy sector and the high-risk of scarcity associated with disrupted supply chains. Reactive silica, while not a critical mineral, is in high demand for the significant role it can play in the decarbonisation of the cement manufacturing industry as a carbon-free Supplementary Cementous Material (SCM). In addition to magnesium, nickel/cobalt and silica, we also produce iron and green hydrogen.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY 'CLEAN' MINERALS AND MATERIALS?
When we say clean, we mean how we produce our products and what that enables for industrial operators.
Our patented production process releases no carbon, and all waste (acids and bases used to digest the rock) is recycled back into our process, so its not only zero-waste but very efficient. Careful chemistry design has enabled us to eliminate heavy metals and contaminants usually found in olivine rocks, resulting in high quality products that are up to 95% in purity. Not only that, but our clean materials are exact replacements for their fossil-fuel derived counterparts, allowing industrial operators to displace supply chain scope 3 emissions that come from the traditional sources and production processes.
For every tonne of our clean minerals and materials used in industrial applications, a total of up to 1.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions can be avoided.
HOW IS ASPIRING MATERIALS USING ROCKS TO CAPTURE CARBON?
Our carbon-free magnesium is an incredible medium for carbon dioxide removal. Our patented carbon mineralisation technology uses just water and magnesium hydroxide to mineralise carbon dioxide (CO2) and create a solid material called magnesium carbonate, the same material used as climbers' chalk. The chemical reaction that occurs is almost instant and durably bonds the CO2 to the magnesium. This technology can be used to sequester carbon dioxide at both point source (e.g. industrial smokestacks) or directly from the air.
HOW MUCH MAGNESIUM HYDROXIDE DOES IT TAKE TO CAPTURE 1 TONNE OF CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2)?
Our carbon mineralisation technology captures up to 1 tonne of CO2 per 1.3 tonnes of magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)2). It is an efficient and immediate method to capture and store carbon dioxide, especially when compared to other carbon removal or abatement options:
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48 mature trees growing for 1 year will capture 1 tonne of CO2.
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65 tonnes of CO2-cured cement will capture 1 tonne of CO2.
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190 tonnes of rock material used in ‘enhanced weathering’ technologies will capture 1 tonne of CO2.
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Just over 2 tonnes of olivine rock will capture 1 tonne of CO2.
WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH MAGNESIUM CARBONATE?
Magnesium carbonate, the material we've created by capturing carbon dioxide, is a useful input for a range of applications. A common use is climber's chalk, for magnesium carbonate's superior moisture absorption qualities. The inorganic material is non-toxic and poses no risk to humans, animals or the natural environment.
Magnesium carbonate is a fire retardant, used in fire extinguishers, to make refractory bricks (for high heat industrial applications such as steel making) and has the potential to be used as an SCM in cement manufacturing.
WHAT ARE ULTRAMAFIC ROCKS?
Ultramafic rocks are rich in magnesium, iron and silica and can be both igneous (solidified molten rock) and metamorphic (heated and pressurised rock). Ultramafic rocks originate from Earth’s mantle and have made their way to the surface over geologic time by way of volcanoes and other geologic processes.
IS THIS AN ENTIRELY NOVEL TECHNOLOGY?
No, scientists have known for some time that olivine is able to draw in carbon dioxide through a natural reaction between the olivine, carbon dioxide and water. But that happens over aeons and, until now, accelerating this process has required a lot of energy, generally meaning more emissions were created than were sequestered. Aspiring Materials has just taken inspiration from this natural process and found a way to accelerate it without generating any further emissions.
DOES THIS PROCESS MEAN WE NEED TO MINE FOR THE ROCKS?
Not yet. Olivine is the most abundant mineral on earth. It’s true that most of it is still underground but it’s in the order of trillions of tonnes. Today, there is a huge amount of olivine-rich rock already on or being brought to Earth’s surface through other mining activities (rare earth metals mining for example). Olivine is viewed as a low-value waste-rock material, commonly used as roading aggregate or in steel production. As an example of accessible volume, in NZ alone around 1⁄2 million tonnes of olivine is being extracted each year from just one existing operation. So the good news is that there is no need to break new ground for at least the next five years.
WHEN WILL THIS TECHNOLOGY BE RUNNING AT AN INDUSTRIAL SCALE?
As soon as possible! Right now, we are raising capital for the second stage of our Bromley pilot plant and support our market expansion.
