NSF2026: EAGER: Carbon-sink infrastructure materials to create net-negative carbon emitting energy systems

基础设施材料的生产及其在建筑环境中的积累对我们的碳足迹以及对自然资源和能源的需求具有重大影响。在美国，建材生产占全国能源需求的近13%，二氧化碳(CO2)排放量的38%。最近的研究表明，来自能源生产的生物质灰是一种很有前途的建筑材料，可以在建筑环境中捕获和储存二氧化碳。在化学、生物工程、环境和运输系统(CBET)分部的环境工程计划和综合活动办公室的NSF 2026基金计划的支持下，加州大学戴维斯分校的米勒、詹金斯和肯德尔教授提议开展一项围绕三个互补目标组织的综合研究计划。目标1将评估影响其捕获和储存二氧化碳能力的生物灰烬的特性。目的2研究生物灰渣的碳化作用并量化其二氧化碳封存能力。目标3将量化碳化生物灰烬在基础设施材料中的使用，用于长期捕获和储存二氧化碳。这个高风险和高回报的探索性研究项目的目标是：1)探索利用农作物残渣热解产生的生物灰烬作为二氧化碳吸收剂；2)评估它们在基础设施材料中的应用，包括水泥基材料和热塑性复合材料中的生物填料。该项目的顺利完成将通过产生新的知识来推动下一代碳负建筑的发展，从而造福社会。将通过学生教育和培训以及公共宣传，包括指导两名女博士生，为社会带来进一步的好处。二氧化碳捕获和储存在建筑物中是一项很有前途的减缓全球气候变化的技术。生物灰的组成和碱性表明，它们可以通过碳化作用捕获二氧化碳，从而形成碳酸盐矿物。这个高风险和高回报项目的目标是探索如何将农业废弃物中的生物质灰烬设计成1)用作二氧化碳汇，2)将其纳入基础设施材料，以便在建筑环境中长期储存碳。为了实现这一目标，PIS建议开展一项围绕三个目标构建的综合实验和建模研究计划。首先，PIS将探索利用热解方法，以外壳、麦秆和甘蔗渣为前体合成碳化灰烬。这些新材料的相关物理化学性质将使用一套分析(例如酸解)和工具[例如扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、X射线衍射(X射线衍射)和差示扫描量热(DSC)]来表征，以评估它们的碳化潜力。其次，PI将通过将碳化灰暴露在富含水分和二氧化碳的试验室内的烟气模拟物中来测量碳化灰的二氧化碳吸收能力。二氧化碳吸附测量的结果将作为投入，对生物灰烬的固碳潜力进行生命周期评估。最后，PIS将结合力学测试(例如，拉伸和弯曲强度测量)与扫描电子显微镜、透射电子显微镜(TEM)和DSC来评估新的碳化灰在水泥基材料和热塑性复合材料中作为填料的使用情况。因此，该项目的成功完成具有潜在的变革性影响，通过推进碳负向建筑的基础科学和工程。受支持的项目进一步扩展了NSF 2026前33个Idea Machine条目中的三个：(I)公共碳捕获和储存，(Ii)开启基础设施的未来，以及(Iii)地球形成。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The production of infrastructure materials and their accumulation in the built environment has a significant impact on our carbon footprint and demand for natural resources and energy. In the United States, the production of building materials accounts for nearly 13% of the nation’s energy demand and 38% of its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Recent studies suggest that biomass ash, from energy production, is a promising building block for new construction materials that could capture and store CO2 in the built-environment. With support from the Environmental Engineering Program in the Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems (CBET) and the NSF 2026 Fund Program in the Office of Integrated Activities, Professors Miller, Jenkins, and Kendall at University of California-Davis propose to carry out an integrated research program organized around three complementary objectives. Objective 1 will evaluate the properties of biogenic ashes that affect their ability to capture and store CO2. Objective 2 will investigate the carbonation of the biogenic ashes and quantify their CO2 sequestration potential. Objective 3 will quantify the use of carbonated biogenic ashes in infrastructure materials for long-term CO2 capture and storage. The goal of this high-risk and high-reward exploratory research project are to 1) explore the utilization of biogenic ashes produced from the pyrolysis of crop residues as CO2 sorbents and 2) evaluate their incorporation into infrastructure materials including biogenic fillers in cement-based materials and thermoplastic composites. The successful completion of this project will benefit society through the generation of new knowledge to advance the development of next-generation carbon negative buildings. Further benefits to society will be achieved through student education and training, and public outreach including the mentoring of two female doctoral students.CO2 capture and storage in buildings is a promising technology for the mitigation of global climate change. The composition and alkaline nature of biogenic ashes suggest that they could capture CO2 through carbonation, leading to the formation of carbonate minerals. The goal of this high-risk and high-reward project is to explore how biomass ashes from agricultural wastes can be engineered to 1) serve as CO2 sinks and 2) enable their incorporation into infrastructure materials for long-term carbon storage in the built-environment. To achieve this goal, the PIs propose to carry out an integrated experimental and modeling research program structured around three objectives. First, the PIs will explore the use of pyrolysis to synthesize carbonated ashes using hulls, wheat straw and sugarcane bagasse as precursors. The relevant physicochemical properties of these new materials will be characterized using a suite of assays (e.g. acid hydrolysis) and tools [e.g. scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)] to assess their carbonation potential. Second, the PIs will measure the CO2 sorption capacity of the carbonated ashes by exposing them to a flue gas simulant inside a moisture and CO2 rich test chamber. The results of the CO2 sorption measurements will be used as inputs to carry out life cycle assessment (LCA) of the carbon sequestration potential of biogenic ashes. Finally, the PIs will combine mechanical testing (e.g. tensile and flexural strength measurements) with SEM, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and DSC to evaluate the utilization of the new carbonated ashes as fillers in cement-based materials and thermoplastic composites. Thus, the successful completion of this project has potential for transformative impact by advancing the fundamental science and engineering of carbon negative buildings.The supported project further expands the concept from three of the top 33 NSF 2026 Idea Machine entries: (I) Public Carbon Capture and Storage, (ii) Unlocking the Future of Infrastructure, and (iii) Terraforming Earth.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.