NER: Carbon Nanotube Synthesis: Assessing Economic and Environmental Tradeoffs in Process Design

该提案是响应纳米科学与工程倡议，NSF 03-043，类别NER而收到的。 碳纳米管的非凡特性（例如，电子、机械和化学）的发展，导致了药物输送和医疗诊断应用方面的研究，并为提供新的和改进的环境技术提供了巨大的希望。 然而，似乎很少有研究人员包括绿色工程原则，在这些过程的发展，并与纳米技术的发展的普遍关注，这将是审慎的评估过程中的替代品，而过程中的发展阶段，以允许创建更可持续的过程。 因此，该项目涉及纳米技术的社会影响。 纳米技术潜在的有害社会影响已经产生了政策分析和国会立法听证会。 许多组织已经响应需要解决潜在的后果，包括国家纳米技术倡议，环境保护局（EPA）和国家工程院（NAE），通过举办研讨会和座谈会来解决跨学科边界的问题。 关于负责任的纳米技术开发做法的指导方针的文件草案可在森林研究所的网站上查阅，但大多数科学家和工程师并不知道它的存在。 虽然该文件包括一些旨在为负责任的分子纳米技术开发提供基础的具体建议，但它并没有解决研究人员评估负责任的工艺设计的方法。 拟议的研究解决了这一需要。 考虑到使用单壁碳纳米管（SWNTs）的潜在好处和担忧，该提案侧重于评估SWNT合成的技术，环境和经济特性之间的权衡。 在一项为期一年的纳米探索性研究（NER）计划中，东北大学（NU）和维克森林大学（WFU）的主要研究人员将收集有关单壁纳米管（SWNT）工艺的相关信息：所产生的产品，所使用的材料，对环境产生的废水以及所使用的能源。 WFU将提供这些信息，以制定其SWNT流程的清单。 NU将开发生命周期分析（LCA）方法来跟踪材料。 NU将从WFU收集技术流程信息，以开发技术成本模型（TCM），以评估扩大运营的流程经济学，包括污水处理和工人安全的环境成本。 成本模型将包括有形的环境过程成本。 WFU将跟踪实验室规模的单壁碳纳米管电弧，化学气相沉积和激光辅助化学气相沉积工艺的环境方面的能源利用，废气排放，固体废物的生产和可能的空气传播危害单壁碳纳米管的生产。 根据NU的工艺改进建模结果，WFU将进行试验实验并表征所得产品。 NU和WFU将合作评估输入，并确定最环保的SWNT合成方法的初步结果。 PI的专业知识是互补的。 NU在LCA和TCM模型的成功开发和利用方面有着良好的记录，而WFU则是各种类型单壁纳米管合成工艺替代品开发的领导者。 考虑到单壁碳纳米管的潜在好处和使用问题，以及许多新的（和现有的）企业目前正在努力将这一过程商业化的事实，评估技术，环境和经济特征之间的权衡至关重要。 这项工作的智力价值在于将绿色工程原理应用于开发纳米技术。 有显着的更广泛的影响与环境友好的纳米工艺设计的发展。 这一为期一年的项目的结果预计将提供关于替代工艺选择的信息，使研究人员和工艺开发人员能够就适当使用和扩大该技术作出知情决定。 通过这个项目，实验室研究人员，研究生和本科生（通过课程模块）将意识到相关的社会和道德问题，并可以在过程开发过程中进行适当的权衡。 通过现有的NSEC和MRSEC中心传播这项工作将使其他研究人员熟悉环境友好的工艺设计实践。

This proposal was received in response to Nanoscale Science and Engineering initiative, NSF 03-043, category NER. The extraordinary properties of carbon nanotubes (e.g., electrical, mechanical and chemical) have led to research in drug delivery and medical diagnostic applications, and offer great promise for delivering new and improved environmental technologies. However, it appears that few researchers are including green engineering principles in the development of these processes, and with the general concern over nanotech development, it would be prudent to assess the tradeoffs in process alternatives while the processes are in their developmental phases, to allow creation of more sustainable processes. This project therefore addresses societal implications of nanotechnology. The potential for harmful societal implications of nanotechnology has generated policy analyses and legislative congressional hearings. Many organizations have been responsive to the need to address potential consequences, including the National Nanotechnology Initiative, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), by holding workshops, and colloquia to address issues that cross disciplinary boundaries. A draft document on guidelines for responsible nanotechnology development practices is available on the Foresight Institute's website, but most scientists and engineers are not aware of its existence. Although the document includes some specific recommendations intended to provide a basis for responsible development of molecular nanotechnology, it does not address methods for researchers to assess responsible process design. The proposed research addresses this need. Given the potential benefits and concerns over the use of single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), this proposal focuses on assessment of the tradeoffs among the technological, environmental and economic characteristics of SWNT synthesis. In a collaborative one-year Nano Exploratory Research (NER) plan, the principal investigators at Northeastern University (NU) and Wake Forest University (WFU) will gather pertinent information on single wall nanotube (SWNT) processes: products created, materials used, effluents generated to the environment, and energy used. WFU will provide this information to develop inventories for their SWNT processes. NU will develop life cycle analysis (LCA) approaches to track materials. NU will gather technical process information from WFU to develop technical cost models (TCMs) to assess the process economics for scaled-up operations, including environmental costs for effluent disposal and worker safety. The cost models will include tangible environmental process costs. WFU will track environmental aspects of lab-scale SWNT arc, CVD, and laser-assisted CVD processes with regard to energy utilized, waste gas emissions, solid waste production and possible airborne hazards for production of SWNTs. Based on NU's modeling results for process improvement, WFU will run trial experiments and characterize the resulting products. NU and WFU will collaboratively assess inputs and determine preliminary results for the most environmentally benign approaches to SWNT synthesis. The expertise of the PIs is complementary. NU has a track record of successful development and utilization of LCA and TCM models, while WFU is a leader in the development of process alternatives for the synthesis of various types of single-walled nanotubes. Given the potential benefits and concerns over the use of SWNTs, and the fact that many new (and existing) businesses are currently working to commercialize the process, assessment of the tradeoffs among the technological, environmental and economic characteristics is critical. The intellectual merit in this work resides in the application of green engineering principles to developmental nanotechnologies. There is significant broader impact associated with the development of environmentally benign nanotech process design. Results from this one-year project are expected to provide information on alternative process choices that will allow researchers and process developers to make informed decisions for appropriate use and scale-up of the technology. Through this project, laboratory researchers, graduate students and undergraduates (through a course module) will become aware of the associated societal and ethical issues, and can work to incorporate appropriate tradeoffs during process development. Dissemination of this work through the existing NSEC and MRSEC Centers will allow other researchers to become familiar with environmentally benign process design practices.