HBCU DCL: EAGER: Engineering A Sustainable Bio-based Nano Composite from Biomass Using A Bottom-up Synthesis and Characterization Approach

这是一个绿色工程项目，目标是实现生物纳米复合材料的生产。这种生物纳米复合材料将由蒙脱石粘土和猪粪制成的生物改良剂组成。使用这种生物基改性剂可以帮助减少全球对不断减少的石油储量的依赖，同时减少与石油产品制造相关的二氧化碳排放，以及垃圾填埋场和开阔泻湖中不受控制的生物废物腐烂。将被测试的假设是，蒙脱石粘土可以使用由猪粪制成的富胺生物改良剂剥离，以生产含有单个二氧化硅纳米颗粒的有机粘土。虽然剥离的粘土可以用于多种用途，但该项目旨在评估生产用作建筑材料的生物基纳米复合材料的可持续性和技术可行性。因此，第二个假设是，将上述生物基纳米复合材料引入户外应用的建筑材料中，如屋顶、密封、建筑立面、道路和车道，由于粘土纳米颗粒充当空气屏障和某些具有抗老化性能的生物分子的载体，因此将具有增强的抗氧化老化性能。因此，该项目将审查这种户外应用的环境方面以及技术可行性。为此，将特别注意研究生物基纳米复合材料加工过程中排放的质量和数量以及应用过程中的渗滤液。因此，将从相关的热机械性能和环境方面对所得到的材料进行评估。

CBET - 1737620 (Fini, Elham).This is a green engineering project that targets the enablement of the production of a bio-nanocomposite. The bio-nanocomposite is to be composed of montmorillonite clay and a bio-modifier made from swine manure. Use of such bio-based modifier can help reduce worldwide reliance on shrinking petroleum reserves while reducing CO2 emissions associated with the manufacture of petroleum-based products and the uncontrolled bio-waste decay in landfills and open lagoons.The hypothesis to be tested is that that montmorillonite clay can be exfoliated using an amide-enriched bio-modifier made from swine manure to produce organo-clay containing individual silica nano-platelets. While the exfoliated clay can be used in multiple applications, this project aims to evaluate sustainability and technical feasibility of producing bio-based nano composite for use as construction materials. Accordingly, a secondary hypothesis is that introduction of the aforementioned bio-based nanocomposite into construction materials for outdoor applications such as roofing, sealing, building facades, roads and drive ways will have enhanced resistance to oxidative aging due to clay nano-particles playing as air barrier as well as carrier for certain bio-molecules with anti-aging properties. Accordingly, the project will examine environmental aspects of such outdoor applications along with technical feasibility. To do so, special attention will be given to study quality and quantity of the emissions during processing of bio-based nano composites as well as leachates during their application. Therefore, resulting material will be evaluated in terms of both associated thermo-mechanical properties and environmental aspects.