I-Corps: Shrinkage Reducing Admixture Business Development

研究小组正在开发一种减少收缩的外加剂，用于波特兰水泥基材料，如混凝土。该技术的重点是通过破坏气液界面上液相中水分子的氢键来降低孔隙溶液的表面张力。这项技术的基础在于团队？利用定量结构属性关系（QSPR）和逆设计逻辑的智能计算机辅助分子设计方法预测新结构的能力。这是第一次使用计算机辅助分子设计的演示之一，使用QSPR来发现新的混凝土外加剂。混凝土是全球道路和建筑物的主要组成部分之一，每年都有数十亿美元用于更换因裂缝相关问题而损坏的混凝土。混凝土收缩是混凝土开裂、破坏和破坏的主要原因之一，本研究小组开发的外加剂有助于减少混凝土的收缩。不容易损坏的混凝土将导致更少的维修成本，总体而言，更坚固，更耐用的结构和道路。

The research team is developing a shrinkage reducing admixture for application in portland cement-based materials such as concrete. This technology focuses on reducing the surface tension of the pore solution by disrupting the hydrogen bonding of water molecules in the liquid phase at the vapor-liquid interface. The basis of this technology lies in the team?s ability to predict new structures using an intelligent computer aided molecular design methodology that utilizes quantitative structure property relationships (QSPR) and inverse design logic. This is one of the first demonstrations of the use of computer aided molecular design using QSPR to discover new admixtures for concrete.Concrete is one of the major building blocks of roads and structures across the globe, and each year billions of dollars are spent replacing concrete damaged due to cracking-related issues. The admixture developed by this research team would serve to help reduce shrinkage of concrete, which is one of the main causes of concrete cracking, damage and failure. Concrete that is less prone to damage would result in less cost for repair and overall, stronger, more durable structures and roadways.