FMSG: Eco: Teambuilding, Training, Manufacturing Efficiency and Recycling for Sustainable Polymer Composites

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This Future Manufacturing Research Grant (FMRG) EcoManufacturing grant supports research that will contribute new knowledge related to sustainable manufacturing of composites. Composites are high-performance, lightweight materials used in the production of structures to minimize weight while preserving performance and durability. Lighter structures translate to an increase in fuel efficiency and range for land and air vehicles, and increases in power generated by wind turbines, each contributing to mitigating atmospheric carbon dioxide content. These advantages accrue throughout the operational lifetime of the products. Current composite manufacturing processes consume a significant amount of energy, and most composite materials cannot be easily recycled. Many of these processes require ergonomically challenging manual labor. The goal of this award is to stimulate fundamental research and education that enable the realization of more sustainable composite manufacturing, with the aim of positioning composites as a sustainable material of choice for delivering high performance in a broad spectrum of applications. By decreasing energy consumption, decreasing carbon dioxide impact, and enabling recycling, the industry can become greener, while improving composite manufacturing’s cost competitiveness by improving consistency and quality, and improving conditions for composite manufacturing workers. This award will also lay foundations for preparing the workforce for new employment opportunities in manufacturing and increasing the retention of the existing workforce by developing new skillsets and enhancing workforce diversity by including students from institutions serving underrepresented populations, especially via two-year community college education programs and professional training. The research supported by this grant will make advances to enable realization of the next-generation sustainable composites manufacturing. The holistic approach will address the life cycle of composites, elements of which are presently regarded as intractable challenges. These elements include prepreg design, automated layup, out-of-autoclave cure, end-of-life treatment to separate components, and return of component materials to second- and third-life service. The team will develop an overarching technology roadmap for sustainable composites manufacturing. In addition, new technologies will be investigated for chemical recycling of both fibers and matrix via catalytic depolymerization, semi-preg formats that restore manufacturing robustness to out-of-autoclave cure of composites, and flexible automation of the vacuum bagging process, sheet handling, and sheet preparation.This Future Manufacturing project is jointly funded by the Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems Division, the Office of International Science and Engineering, and the Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation Division.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.