I-Corps: Multifunctional Systems for Transforming Strength, Durability, and Energy Efficiency of Concrete Materials

I-Corps项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力源于引入基于农业的相变材料（pcm），通过自下而上的方法来改变混凝土结构的强度、耐久性和能源效率。考虑到每年用于民用基础设施应用的混凝土量，开发一种多功能、低成本、节能的混凝土将对改变美国乃至全球建筑环境的可持续性产生重大影响。由于拟议的pcm将由有机生物基聚合物生产，预计将创造新的商业和市场机会，特别是在具有强大农业基础的州。这不仅将为目前以石油为基础的石蜡基pcm提供一种可行的替代品，而且还将对改善城市和农村地区社区的社会和经济福利作出有意义的贡献。这个I-Corps项目将调查混凝土材料的市场潜力，这些材料由(1)基于农业的pcm改造而成，以提供高容量的能量储存；(2)选择多孔轻质骨料作为pcm的容器。所提出的pcm的一个显著特点是可调节的熔化温度，这有助于目标范围的舒适温度和气候区。除了性能方面的考虑，将pcm纳入建筑围护结构组件的封装方法将是本项目的主要焦点之一。迄今为止，已经开发了许多宏观和微封装方法，用于建筑部门的pcm。尽管微封装方法已被证明具有可接受的长期性能，但其估计成本在系统总成本的45%-65%之间。利用混凝土中常用的轻质骨料的多孔结构，有望消除采用昂贵的封装方法的需要，同时根据客户的具体需求和偏好，促进施工的速度和灵活性。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project stems from introducing agricultural-based phase change materials (PCMs) tailored through a bottom-up approach for transforming the strength, durability, and energy efficiency of concrete structures. Considering the volume of concrete used for civil infrastructure applications every year, development of a multifunctional, low-cost, energy-efficient concrete will have a significant impact on transforming the sustainability of the built environment in the United States and potentially worldwide. Since the proposed PCMs will be produced with organic, bio-based polymers, new business and market opportunities are anticipated to be created, especially in the states with a strong agricultural basis. This will not only offer a viable alternative to the current petroleum-based, paraffinic PCMs, but will also have a meaningful contribution to improving the social and economic well-being of communities in both urban and rural areas.This I-Corps project will investigate the market potential of concrete materials transformed with (1) agricultural-based PCMs tailored to deliver a high capacity for energy storage and (2) porous lightweight aggregates selected to act as a container for PCMs. One of the distinct features of the proposed PCMs is an adjustable melting temperature, which helps target a range of comfort temperatures and climate zones. Further to performance considerations, the encapsulation method to incorporate PCMs into building envelope components will be one of the main focuses of this project. A number of macro- and micro-encapsulation methods have been developed to date for the use of PCMs in the building sector. Although the micro-encapsulation methods are proven to deliver an acceptable long-term performance, the estimated cost of them is in the range of 45%-65% of the total cost of the system. Exploiting the porous structure of lightweight aggregates commonly used in concrete is expected to eliminate the need to resort to costly encapsulation methods, while contributing to the rapidity and flexibility of construction, depending on customer-specific needs and preferences.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.