Foams for living architecture

主要研究者将是AJ Ryan教授，他目前是理学院的副校长，直到最近还是ICI物理化学教授和谢菲尔德聚合物中心主任。他在参考期刊上发表了250多篇论文，1本合著书籍，2本编辑书籍，6本书的章节，6篇评论文章，60篇会议论文和10项专利。他的国际地位得到了20多个国际会议邀请演讲和34篇论文的认可，每篇论文被引用次数超过50次。他于1990年获得塑料和橡胶研究所的奖项，1999年获得聚合物加工学会的奖项，1992年，1999年和2003年获得皇家化学学会的奖项，2008年获得染色师和着色师学会以及皇家医学会的奖项。2006年，他因对科学的贡献而被授予OBE。他经营着一个庞大的研究小组，并已PI的16和Co-I的19 EPSRC赠款，以及持有赠款从BBSRC，NESTA和欧盟。他目前的EPSRC投资组合包括PI的可行性帐户，PI的纳米技术赠款挑战的能源，Co-I的纳米技术赠款挑战的健康和Co-I的两个平台赠款。他获得了来自各行各业的大量资助，目前有4名博士生来自阿克苏诺贝尔和陶氏化学。每个团队成员都拥有创新研究和商业开发的长期记录，并产生了具有高影响力价值的成果。虽然每个小组成员目前都享有个人的成功，但他们都坚信，社会目前面临的重大挑战只能通过跨学科的工作来解决。在这里，我们描述了一个多学科的项目，旨在开发一种新的技术，将形成一个轻量级的，模块化的绿色屋顶或墙壁的基础。这三层系统将包含一个防水的基础，将提供支持，同时也防止根渗透到下面的建筑。一个轻量级的，多孔的聚氨酯聚合物将坐在上面的基础。这将提供一个通道网络，支持根系生长，同时也保留植物生长所需的营养。最后一层将采取植物垫的形式，将播种精心挑选的植物物种，以确保在墙壁或屋顶场景中的最佳生长。整个系统将采用一个模块的形式，可以很容易地运输，并与其他模块相结合，以覆盖大面积。与传统基材相比，聚合物泡沫的重量减轻也将允许将该技术改造为无法支持当前较重的绿色屋顶系统的建筑物。拟议的系统将代表绿色屋顶/墙壁技术领域的一个重大进步。该项目将看到来自谢菲尔德大学科学与工程学院（作为牵头机构）的一组资深学者的贡献，他们将与Farapack Polymers Limited、Europolymers（GB）Limited和Lindum Seeded Turf Limited的同事一起工作。这个小组是在过去三年中经过一系列非常成功的合作后成立的。合作伙伴的结合意味着该集团既拥有进行基础研究的技术知识，又拥有生产商业上可行的技术的理想条件。

The principal investigator will be Professor AJ Ryan who is currently the Pro Vice Chancellor for the Faculty of Science and was until recently the ICI Professor of Physical Chemistry and Director of the Sheffield Polymer Centre. He has published over 250 papers in refereed journals, 1 co-authored book, 2 edited books, 6 book chapters, 6 review articles, 60 conference proceedings and 10 patents. His international standing is recognised by more than 20 invited talks at international conferences and 34 papers that have received more than 50 citations each. He was awarded prizes in 1990 by the Plastics and Rubber Institute, 1999 from the Polymer Processing Society, in 1992, 1999 and 2003 from the Royal Society of Chemistry and in 2008 from the Society of Dyers & Colourists and The Royal Medical Society. In 2006 he was awarded an OBE for services to science . He runs a substantial research group and has been PI on 16 and Co-I on 19 EPSRC grants as well as holding grants from BBSRC, NESTA and the EU. His current EPSRC portfolio includes PI on a Feasibility Account, PI on a Nanotechnology Grant Challenge for Energy, Co-I on a Nanotechnology Grant Challenge for Health and Co-I on two Platform grants. He has received substantial funding from a wide range of industry and currently has 4 PhD students from Akzo-Nobel and Dow Chemicals.The individual group members each possess a long track record of innovative research and commercial development that has yielded outcomes with a high impact value. Although each group member currently enjoys individual success, they all firmly believe that the major challenges that society currently faces can only be addressed through a process of inter-disciplinary working. Herein we describe a multi-disciplinary project that seeks to develop a novel technology that would form the basis of a lightweight, modular green roof or wall. This three layer system will contain a waterproof base that will provide support whilst also preventing root penetration into the underlying building. A lightweight, porous polyurethane polymer will sit atop the base. This will provide a network of channels that will support root growth whilst also retaining the nutrients that are required for plant growth. The final layer will take the form of a vegetative mat that will be seeded with plant species that will be carefully selected to ensure optimal growth either in the wall or roof scenario. The whole system will take the form of a module that could be easily transported and combined with other modules to cover large areas. The weight saving of the polymer foam over traditional substrates will also allow retrofitting of this technology to buildings that cannot support current heavier green roof systems. The proposed system would represent a significant advancement in the area of Green Roof/Wall technology.The project will see contributions from a group of senior academics that are drawn from the Faculties of Science and Engineering at the University of Sheffield (as the lead institution) who will work alongside colleagues from Farapack Polymers Limited, Europolymers (GB) Limited and Lindum Seeded Turf Limited. This group has formed during the previous 3 years following a series of highly successful collaborations. The combination of partners means the group possesses both the technical knowledge to perform the fundamental research whilst also being ideally placed to produce a technology that is commercially viable.