FMSG: Lean Cement Manufacturing Enabled by Renewable Energy

波特兰水泥是用于结构混凝土的最常见的水泥类型，其生产目前约占全球能源使用量的5%和二氧化碳温室气体排放量的8%。 目前的制造工艺在过去140年中没有发生实质性变化，需要1400摄氏度以上的温度，并通过燃烧化石燃料提供热量。 这个未来制造种子项目探索了用电化学过程取代燃烧过程的潜力，从而为利用风能和太阳能等可再生能源发电的生态制造打开了大门。 该项目包括更广泛的内容，旨在保持美国在高效、低碳排放水泥生产方面的领导地位，同时培养一支训练有素、精通可再生能源技术的劳动力队伍。 该项目将使未来的水泥生产能够通过改变通过氢氧化钙（Ca（OH）2）形成将方解石（即石灰石）转化为氧化钙（CaO）的化学过程，后者在电解槽中生产，而不是在传统的化石燃料燃烧窑中直接煅烧石灰石。这种方法提供了一种新的化学途径来生产水泥，大大减少了碳足迹和能源使用，同时能够使用可再生资源的电力。该项目将推进几个不同领域的知识，包括电解，水泥化学，先进制造以及水泥工业过程的经济和环境影响的系统级评估。具体而言，研究工作将（1）提供对水泥制造的低温化学过程的基本见解，（2）评估增值产品的电化学方法和Ca（OH）2联产的化学过程及其整体效率的可扩展性，（3）评估和了解化学成分，反应化学和结果性质（机械强度和耐久性）的差异，（4）通过系统级分析，量化了这种新型水泥生产工艺的经济和环境优势。将研究三种具有不同氧化还原电对的电解槽设计，以提高水泥生产的知识和增值产品的联合生产效率。多技术表征将对水泥合成的化学、各种相的形成、有效的分离过程以及对建筑材料有用的合成物和性能产生新的理解。教育和外联活动将侧重于对下一代学生进行水泥可再生生产方面的培训。 一个讲习班和研讨会系列将介绍代表性不足的少数民族学生和教师从两年制大学的工业利益相关者。 此外，研讨会系列将探讨&学术界、电化学行业和水泥制造商之间合作研发的机会。该项目由化学、生物工程、环境和运输系统部（CBET）、化学部（CHE）、本科教育部（Division of Undergraduate Education，DUE）该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的评估被认为值得支持。影响审查标准。

The manufacture of Portland cement – the most common type of cement used for structural concrete – presently accounts for roughly 5% of global energy usage and 8% of carbon dioxide greenhouse gas emissions. The current manufacturing process has not changed substantially over the past 140 years, and requires temperatures above 1400 degrees Celsius with heat provided by the combustion of fossil fuels. This Future Manufacturing seed project explores the potential of substituting an electrochemical process for the combustion process, thus opening the door to eco-manufacturing utilizing renewable electricity from sources such as wind and solar energy. The project includes broader elements aimed at preserving U.S. leadership in efficient, low-carbon-emission manufacture of cement while developing a highly-trained workforce skilled in renewable, energy-efficient technologies. The project will enable future manufacturing of cement by transforming the chemical process of converting calcite (i.e. limestone) to calcium oxide (CaO) via calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) formation, the latter being produced in an electrolyzer rather than direct limestone calcination in a conventional fossil-fuel fired kiln. This approach offers a new, chemical pathway to produce cement with much reduced carbon footprint and energy usage, while enabling the use of electricity from renewable resources. This project will advance knowledge in several different fields, including electrolysis, cement chemistry, advanced manufacturing, and system-level assessment of the economic and environmental impacts of cement industry processes. Specifically, the research efforts will (1) provide fundamental insight into the lower-temperature chemical process of cement manufacturing, (2) assess the scalability of the electrochemical method of value-added products and chemical process of Ca(OH)2 co-production and its overall efficiency, (3) assess and understand the chemical composition, reaction chemistry and resulting properties (mechanical strength and durability) of cement manufactured through this new versus conventional approach, and (4) quantify economic and environmental advantages of this new cement manufacturing process through system-level analysis. Three electrolyzer designs with various redox couples will be investigated to advance knowledge of cement manufacturing and efficiency of co-production of value-added products. Multi-techniques characterization will generate new understandings on the chemistry of the cement synthesis, formation of various phases, efficient separation processes, and resulting composition and properties that are instrumental to construction materials. Educational and outreach activities will focus on training next generation students on renewable manufacturing of cement. A workshop and seminar series will introduce underrepresented minority students and faculty from two-year colleges to industrial stakeholders. In addition, the workshop/seminar series will explore opportunities for collaborative R&D between the academic community, the electrochemical industry, and cement manufacturers.This project is jointly funded by the Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems (CBET), the Division of Chemistry (CHE), and the Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE).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.