Engineering Bio-based Composites for In-Service and Out-of-Service Performance

将开发天然纤维增强生物聚合物复合材料的设计方法，以生产完全可回收的建筑材料。复合材料中使用的聚合物是由细菌产生的，被称为PHBs。当这些复合材料在使用寿命过后被放置在厌氧垃圾填埋场时，它们将降解为甲烷。甲烷可以被捕获并作为燃料出售，或者被用作细菌的原料，为新的复合材料生产更多的PHB聚合物。这项研究的目的是设计PHB-天然纤维复合材料，使其成为在使用中的耐用建筑材料，并在不再需要时迅速和彻底地进行厌氧生物降解(“停止使用”)。将从聚合物、纤维和单层复合材料的性能方面开发和评估基于PHB的新型纤维处理。结果将用于设计和评估建筑应用中的多层复合材料性能。将遵循化学、结构和环境工程研究人员之间的前馈和反馈沟通过程。这项研究的社会效益包括：(1)一种完全可回收和可在全球范围内生产的建筑材料；(2)强有力的激励措施，鼓励从垃圾填埋场捕获甲烷，为生物聚合物提供生物燃料来源和/或原料；(3)通过减少逃逸，提高建筑和自然环境的安全性。减少垃圾填埋场的甲烷排放，减少有毒物质在世界各地的运输，并减少石油基聚合物材料常见的对海洋物种的伤害。将与当地一家儿童博物馆合作，为科学课程开发一个关于生物基建筑材料和动手活动的展览。

Design methods for natural fiber-reinforced biopolymer composites will be developed to produce fully recyclable construction materials. The polymers used in the composites are produced by bacteria and referred to as PHBs. When placed in an anaerobic landfill after their useful service life, the composites will degrade to methane. The methane may be captured and sold as a fuel or be used as a feedstock for bacteria to produce more PHB polymer for new composites. The objective of this research is to engineer the PHB-natural fiber composites to be durable construction materials in-service yet also rapidly and thoroughly biodegrade anaerobically when no longer needed ("out-of-service"). Novel PHB-based fiber treatments will be developed and evaluated in terms of polymer, fiber and single-ply composite properties. Results will be used to design and evaluate multi-ply composite performance for construction applications. A feed-forward and feed-back communication process between the chemical, structural and environmental engineering researchers will be followed. The societal benefits of this research include: (1) a construction material that is fully recyclable and producible globally; (2) strong incentives for methane capture from landfills to provide a biofuel source and/or feedstock for biopolymers; and (3) improved safety for the built and natural environment by reducing ?fugitive? methane emissions from landfills, and reducing the transport of toxic substances worldwide and harm to marine species that is common with petroleum-based polymeric materials. An exhibit on bio-based construction materials and hands-on activities for science classes will be developed in collaboration with a local children's museum.