I-Corps: Shrinkage Reducing Admixture Business Development

该研究小组正在开发一种用于波特兰水泥基材料（如混凝土）的减缩剂。该技术的重点是通过破坏气液界面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？的能力，预测新的结构，使用智能计算机辅助分子设计方法，利用定量结构性质关系（QSPR）和逆向设计逻辑。这是首次使用计算机辅助分子设计，利用QSPR发现新的混凝土外加剂。混凝土是地球仪道路和建筑物的主要组成部分之一，每年花费数十亿美元更换因裂缝相关问题而损坏的混凝土。该研究小组开发的外加剂将有助于减少混凝土的收缩，这是混凝土开裂，损坏和失败的主要原因之一。不易损坏的混凝土将导致更低的维修成本和更坚固、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.