Advancing International Partnerships in Research for Decoupling Concrete Manufacturing and Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions

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Part 1: Nontechnical description The production of concrete, the most widely used manufactured material worldwide, is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, resulting in 9-10% of global energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Efforts for decarbonization in the concrete industry are still in a nascent stage, focusing primarily on CO2 mitigation strategies within the cement manufacturing process. Considering that the global demand for concrete will grow by as much as 38% by 2050, the vision of this project is to establish a multidisciplinary consortium between Universities, Research Centers and Non-profit Organization in the U.S. and European Union to enable cross-disciplinary scientific and use-inspired technological advancements that (i) significantly enhance concrete’s ability for carbon capture by incorporating carbon neutral waste materials and nanostructured materials with a high CO2 uptake potential; and (ii) develop a novel technology for renewable electricity and large-scale power production by engineering for the time concrete to absorb high amounts of thermal energy and directly convert it into usable electrical energy. Young faculty, early career researchers, and students from the U.S. will collaborate with their counterparts in the EU in specific training and research for decoupling concrete manufacturing and global greenhouse gas emissions. The educational plan of this project is closely integrated with the research objectives and will contribute to the successful development of the next generation of the American engineering workforce that includes students from under-represented groups, technical and community college students, as well as undergraduate and graduate students.Part 2: Technical description TE-CO2NCRETE pioneers a Thermoelectric Carbon Neutral Concrete with high CO2 capture and sequestration capacity, and the ability to absorb thermal energy from solar radiation and directly convert into usable electrical energy. Identification and control of the yet unexplored chemical interactions between functionalized multidimensional carbon-based nanostructures and calcium-silicate-hydrate (C-S-H) interfaces in the 10 nm length scale will provide a paradigm shift for designing nanoscale-to-macroscale structures that promote carbonation kinetics. Investigating the electron tunneling and phonon absorption in nanomaterial/C-S-H electrochemical cells via sub-picoampere electron tunneling spectroscopy and tuning the material’s conductivity and dielectric permittivity will enable controlled and rapid transformation of thermal gradients into electricity, a key to the successful development of a thermoelectric concrete battery for generation, long-duration storage, and transmission of electric power. A transformative aspect of the project is the development of molecular dynamics methods that adapt for the first time the role of the atomic-to-nano scale 3D dimensionality, electrochemical and thermoelectric properties for developing CO2 mineralization and energy density realistic simulations in engineered concrete. Designing the TE-CO2NCRETE has a potential of net carbon removal of 110 lbs CO2 per 1000 lbs concrete. With a conservative estimate of 4.4 B tons concrete produced every year globally, our technology would result in 482 M tons CO2 absorbed annually, which is 7% greater than the current annual concrete production-related CO2 emissions (451 M tons); thus, enabling carbon negative concrete production globally.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.