STTR Phase I: Protection of Rebar in Construction Materials using Tobacco Extract Corrosion Inhibitors

这个小企业技术转让（STTR）第一阶段项目将开发烟草作为混凝土和其他建筑材料的添加剂，以减少钢筋的腐蚀。桥面板和其他钢筋混凝土结构的退化主要是由钢筋的腐蚀引起的，钢筋的腐蚀会膨胀并导致混凝土表面开裂或剥落。 钢筋的腐蚀通常与道路盐或海洋环境有关，这些环境提供了促进腐蚀的氯离子来源。 以前的研究表明，烟草提取物是一种非常有效的，环境友好的缓蚀剂，适用于许多金属，包括钢和铝，在各种条件下（氯化物溶液，酸性，中性和碱性环境）。 Inhibitrol建议将烟草粉尘或其他烟草材料添加到混凝土和其他建筑/修补材料中。 当盐水渗透混凝土时，它会从烟草中滤出腐蚀抑制剂，保护钢筋。 目前用于保护钢筋的缓蚀剂添加剂价格昂贵，并且可能引起环境问题。 烟草是一种可再生的、潜在廉价的生物产品，预期其提供优异的腐蚀保护而很少或没有环境问题。 最近一份关于腐蚀成本的报告估计，每年基础设施腐蚀的成本为226亿美元，其中83亿美元归因于桥梁。 桥梁腐蚀的间接成本（交通延误和生产力损失）估计是直接成本的十倍。 烟草基混凝土缓蚀剂有几个好处：减少所需的维护，提高桥梁和其他结构的能力和安全性，用可再生生物产品替代石化基化学品，减少对环境的影响。 Inhibitrol团队将与马里兰州东海岸大学（UMES）小农场研究所的教授和学生密切合作，这是一个历史上的黑人（HBCU）土地补助机构，以确定最好的烟草品种和农业实践。 除了与保护基础设施有关的潜在好处外，这一应用可能为烟农打开新市场，并为他们的废物找到用途。

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project will develop tobacco as an additive to concrete and other construction materials to reduce corrosion of rebar. Degradation of bridge decks and other reinforced concrete structures is predominately caused by the corrosion of the rebar, which expands and leads to cracking or spalling of the concrete surface. The corrosion of rebar is most often associated with road salt or marine environments that provide a source of chloride ions that promote corrosion. Previous studies have shown that extracts of tobacco are an extremely effective, environmentally benign corrosion inhibitor for many metals, including steel and aluminum, under a variety of conditions (chloride solutions, acidic, neutral, and alkaline environments). Inhibitrol proposes to add tobacco dust or other tobacco material to concrete and other building/patching materials. As salty water penetrates the concrete, it will leach corrosion inhibitors from the tobacco and protect the steel rebar. The current corrosion inhibitor additives used to protect the steel rebar are expensive and may cause environmental concerns. Tobacco is a renewable, potentially inexpensive bioproduct that is expected to provide excellent corrosion protection with few or no environmental concerns. A recent report on the costs of corrosion estimates that the annual cost of corrosion of infrastructure is $22.6 billion with $8.3 billion being attributed to bridges. Indirect costs of bridge corrosion (traffic delays and lost productivity) are estimated to be ten times the direct costs. Tobacco-based corrosion inhibitors for concrete would have several benefits: a reduction in required maintenance and improvement in capacity and safety of bridges and other structures, substitution of a renewable bioproduct for petrochemical-based chemicals, and reduced environmental impact. The Inhibitrol team will work closely with professors and students at the Small Farm Institute of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), a Historically Black (HBCU) Land Grant Institution, to identify the best tobacco strain and farming practice for this application. In addition to the potential benefits associated with protection of infrastructure, this application may open new markets for tobacco farmers and find uses for their waste products.