PFI: Farmer-Academic-Industry Partnership for the Development of Sustainable, Energy Efficient, Multifunctional Bioproducts for the Built Environment

这个来自北德克萨斯大学的创新伙伴关系（PFI）项目将在农民、学术研究人员、工业科学家和工程师之间建立创新的伙伴关系，以开发红麻（芙蓉家族的一种植物，与秋葵和棉花有关）为基础的生物材料，用于建筑环境的可持续结构隔热板，特别是在零（净）能源应用中。选择红麻是因为它在干旱条件下生长的能力，在那里不能考虑替代种植。从工程角度来看，它代表了一种与玻璃纤维具有相同强度重量比的国内资源。天然纤维在收获状态下具有多孔结构，通常在工业加工中通过碱处理而被破坏。把刚收获的作物放在河里或池塘里的方法在大规模上是无效的。另一种方法是利用基于红麻选择性的细菌，将通过学术界与农民的伙伴关系加以利用。目标将是开发技术上可行的增强材料，保留其自然特征，同时减少与加工相关的环境足迹。这项研究更广泛的影响来自于PFI各个层面的跨学科伙伴关系。一个成功的努力可以产生积极的经济，环境和节能的住宅和商业建筑，同时达到或超过工业标准。新的多功能材料平台在许多领域（例如，航空航天、包装和运输）也具有商业上可行的可持续建筑产品的潜在应用。整合纤维工艺改进的努力将转化为在农村地区创造就业机会，增值市场将提高投资回报。这项工作本质上是跨学科的——结合了各种工程领域（生物化学、绿色、机械和结构）和生命周期分析——并通过小组互动过程，促进了研究生在创新价值链早期的直接参与。创新的学术-工业研究活动将与社会责任创业培训相结合，每个部门的博士生将作为一个跨学科的创业团队一起工作，将商业和工程创新与可持续发展概念相结合。项目初期的合作伙伴包括知识增强伙伴关系（KEP）部门，由北德克萨斯大学、两家小企业组成：InnoVida东南（佛罗里达州迈阿密）和拉多尼亚市场中心（德克萨斯州拉多尼亚）；和一个联邦机构：美国农业部农业研究局（Lane， OK）。此外，还有另一个学术合作伙伴：佛罗里达国际大学（佛罗里达州迈阿密）。

This Partnerships for Innovation (PFI) project from University of North Texas will create an innovative partnership among farmers, academic researchers, and industrial scientists and engineers to develop kenaf (a plant in the hibiscus family, related to okra and cotton)-based biomaterials for sustainable structured insulated panels for the built environment, especially in zero (net) energy applications. Kenaf is selected because of its ability to grow in arid conditions, where alternative plantings cannot be considered. From an engineering standpoint, it represents a domestic resource that has the same strength to weight ratio as glass fiber. Natural fibers in their as-harvested state have a porous structure that is often destroyed by the industrial processing through alkali treatment. Approaches based on placing the freshly harvested crop in river or pond water are not effective on a large scale. An alternative approach using bacteria based on selectivity for kenaf will be utilized through an academic-farmer partnership. The goal will be to develop technologically viable reinforcements that retain their natural features while reducing the environmental footprint associated with their processing. The broader impacts from this research arise from the interdisciplinary partnership at all levels of the PFI. A successful effort could yield positive economic, environmental, and energy savings for both residential and commercial buildings, while meeting or exceeding the industrial standards. The platform of new multifunctional materials also has potential applications for commercially viable sustainable building products in many sectors (e.g., aerospace, packaging, and transportation). Efforts to integrate fiber process modifications will translate to job creation in rural segments with value-added markets improving the investment returns. The work is inherently interdisciplinary-- incorporating a variety of areas of engineering (biochemical, green, mechanical, and structural) and life cycle analysis--and through small-group interactive processes, promotes the direct involvement of graduate students early in the innovation value chain. Innovative academic-industrial research activities will be integrated with socially responsible entrepreneurship training, where doctoral students in each department will work together as an interdisciplinary Venture team, merging business and engineering innovation with sustainability concepts. Partners at the inception of the project include the Knowledge-Enhance Partnership (KEP) unit, consisting of the University of North Texas, two small businesses: InnoVida Southeast (Miami, FL) and Ladonia Market Center (Ladonia, TX); and a federal agency: Agricultural Research Service, USDA (Lane, OK). In addition, there is another academic partner: Florida International University (Miami, FL).