CAREER: Holistic Assessment of the Potential of Byproduct-Derived Alkali-Activated Materials

本研究旨在建立一个综合框架，以评估使用工业副产物作为碱活化粘合剂的前体对环境的影响。碱活化粘合剂已被探索作为水泥的潜在替代品，水泥是一种对全球二氧化碳排放量有重大（且不断增长）贡献的材料。能源生产、采矿和材料生产以及固体废物管理产生的大量工业副产品的存在，促使人们制定经济上可行的有益利用战略，即所谓的工业共生。重新利用这些副产品不仅可以减少与其处置相关的影响，而且如果用作水泥替代品，还可能降低建筑材料对环境的影响。然而，了解副产品再利用是否有益，必须通过详细考虑拟议的共生交换的背景来确定。这项研究旨在：a）开发一个框架，以评估广泛的工业副产品有益使用的环境，技术和经济潜力，2）在特定副产品的分析中展示该框架，3）将关键研究成果嵌入开放数据平台以及教育计划。通过了解副产品使用的技术环境影响，该项目旨在提供量化工具，以实现更加循环的经济，沿着预期对环境有益的轨道。这项工作的智力价值来自工业共生的综合评估，加上先进的物质流建模和数据挖掘方法。将进行分析工作，通过将现有和新开发的生命周期清单（LCI）数据与物理流量估计相结合，量化潜在工业副产品再利用的环境影响。该方法将包括整合这些环境和资源使用分析与调查，以建立一个碱激活铝硅酸盐粘结剂的加工-微观结构-性能关系。副产品材料的物理化学特性将与物理流量和LCI信息一起沿着在数据库中，以建立一组标记，例如结晶度、铝硅酸盐相的溶解度极限、碳含量和比表面积。这些特性影响LCI的各个方面，例如将前体加工成最终产品所使用的能源，从而影响所产生的环境影响。探索这些技术关系将与系统分析相结合，以评估拟议的副产品再利用战略的经济和环境影响。相关的，从这项研究中得出的工具将提供以下结果：1）可转移到本地环境，2）在开放平台上，3）相对于适当的现有技术衡量性能。将环境影响评估纳入材料科学将使多目标设计方法成为可能，改善那些经过实验或现场测试的材料的选择标准。随着研究的工作产品和工具的成熟，它们将直接集成到开放平台中，以扩大研究的影响，以便更广泛的社区可以使用，改进和利用正在进行的数据收集工作，以推动可持续创新。PI旨在提高人们对材料的设计和制造对我们社会的影响的认识。这将通过1）与当地6- 12年级学生教师共同创建可持续材料课程，2）纳入麻省理工学院PI的本科和研究生课程，3）可以广泛传播的在线模块。这项工作将使更有能力的环境评估工具能够在开发进程的早期阶段使用。

This research targets to build an integrated framework to evaluate the environmental impact of using industrial byproducts as precursors in alkali-activated binders. Alkali-activated binders have been explored as a potential replacement for cement, which is a material with significant (and growing) contribution to global carbon dioxide emissions. The existence of significant amounts of industrial byproducts generated from energy production, mining and materials production, and solid waste management motivates development of strategies for economically-feasible beneficial use, so called industrial symbiosis. Repurposing these byproducts could not only reduce the impact associated with their disposal, but also potentially lower the environmental impact of construction materials if used as a cement replacement. However, knowing whether or not byproduct reuse is beneficial must be determined via detailed consideration of the context of the proposed symbiotic exchange. This research is designed to: a) develop a framework to assess environment, technical, and economic potential of beneficial use across broad range of industrial byproducts, 2) demonstrate the framework in an analysis of specific byproducts and 3) imbed key research findings in open data platforms as well as educational programs. By understanding the techno-environmental impacts of byproduct use in context, this project aims to provide quantitative tools to move towards a more circular economy, along a trajectory expected to be environmentally beneficial. The intellectual merit of this work derives from the integrated assessment of industrial symbiosis coupled with advanced material flow modeling and data mining methods. Analytical work will be performed to quantify the environmental impact of potential industrial byproduct reuse by combining existing and newly developed life cycle inventory (LCI) data with physical flow estimates. The approach will include integration of these environmental and resource use analyses with investigations to establish a processing-microstructure-property relationship for alkali-activated aluminosilicate binders. The physicochemical characteristics of the byproduct materials will be aggregated in a database along with physical flow and LCI information to establish a set of markers such as degree of crystallinity, solubility limits of aluminosilicate phase, carbon content and specific surface area. These characteristics influence aspects of an LCI such as the energy used to process precursors into final products, thereby influencing the resulting environmental impact. Exploring these technical relationships will be coupled with the systems analysis to evaluate the economic and environmental impact of proposed byproduct reuse strategies. To be relevant, the tools following from this research will provide results that: 1) are transferable to local context, 2) are on an open platform, and 3) measure performance relative to an appropriate incumbent technology. Incorporating environmental impact estimates into materials science will enable multi-objective design approaches, improving the selection criteria for those materials that are tested experimentally or in the field. As the work products and tools of the research mature, they will be directly integrated into open platforms to broaden the research impact so that the wider community can use, improve, and leverage ongoing data collection efforts to drive sustainable innovation. The PI aims to raise the awareness about the influence that the design and manufacture of materials have on our society. This will be done through 1) co-creation of sustainable materials curriculum with local teachers of 6-12th grade students, 2) incorporation into the PI's undergraduate and graduate courses at MIT and 3) online modules that can be disseminated broadly. This work will enable more capable environmental assessment tools, usable at earlier stages of the development process.