FMSG: Eco: Teambuilding, Training, Manufacturing Efficiency and Recycling for Sustainable Polymer Composites

未来制造研究资助（FMRG）生态制造资助支持研究，将有助于与复合材料的可持续制造有关的新知识。复合材料是用于结构生产的高性能轻质材料，可在保持性能和耐用性的同时最大限度地减少重量。更轻的结构转化为陆地和空中车辆的燃料效率和范围的增加，以及风力涡轮机产生的功率的增加，每一个都有助于减少大气中的二氧化碳含量。这些优点在产品的整个使用寿命期间都会累积。目前的复合材料制造工艺消耗了大量的能源，并且大多数复合材料不能轻易回收。这些过程中的许多过程需要人体工程学上具有挑战性的手工劳动。该奖项的目标是促进基础研究和教育，实现更可持续的复合材料制造，目的是将复合材料定位为可持续材料的首选，在广泛的应用中提供高性能。通过降低能源消耗、减少二氧化碳影响和实现回收，该行业可以变得更加绿色，同时通过提高一致性和质量以及改善复合材料制造工人的条件来提高复合材料制造的成本竞争力。该奖项还将为劳动力准备制造业的新就业机会奠定基础，并通过开发新的技能和提高劳动力多样性来增加现有劳动力的保留，包括来自服务于代表性不足的人口的机构的学生，特别是通过两年制社区大学教育计划和专业培训。该基金支持的研究将取得进展，以实现下一代可持续复合材料制造。整体方法将解决复合材料的生命周期，其中的元素目前被认为是棘手的挑战。 这些要素包括预浸料设计、自动铺叠、高压釜外固化、寿命终止处理以分离组件，以及组件材料返回到第二和第三寿命服务。该团队将为可持续复合材料制造制定总体技术路线图。此外，还将研究通过催化解聚对纤维和基质进行化学回收的新技术，恢复复合材料在高压釜外固化的制造稳健性的半预浸料格式，以及真空装袋过程、片材处理和片材制备的灵活自动化。这个未来制造项目由化学、生物工程、环境和运输系统部门共同资助，该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This Future Manufacturing Research Grant (FMRG) EcoManufacturing grant supports research that will contribute new knowledge related to sustainable manufacturing of composites. Composites are high-performance, lightweight materials used in the production of structures to minimize weight while preserving performance and durability. Lighter structures translate to an increase in fuel efficiency and range for land and air vehicles, and increases in power generated by wind turbines, each contributing to mitigating atmospheric carbon dioxide content. These advantages accrue throughout the operational lifetime of the products. Current composite manufacturing processes consume a significant amount of energy, and most composite materials cannot be easily recycled. Many of these processes require ergonomically challenging manual labor. The goal of this award is to stimulate fundamental research and education that enable the realization of more sustainable composite manufacturing, with the aim of positioning composites as a sustainable material of choice for delivering high performance in a broad spectrum of applications. By decreasing energy consumption, decreasing carbon dioxide impact, and enabling recycling, the industry can become greener, while improving composite manufacturing’s cost competitiveness by improving consistency and quality, and improving conditions for composite manufacturing workers. This award will also lay foundations for preparing the workforce for new employment opportunities in manufacturing and increasing the retention of the existing workforce by developing new skillsets and enhancing workforce diversity by including students from institutions serving underrepresented populations, especially via two-year community college education programs and professional training. The research supported by this grant will make advances to enable realization of the next-generation sustainable composites manufacturing. The holistic approach will address the life cycle of composites, elements of which are presently regarded as intractable challenges. These elements include prepreg design, automated layup, out-of-autoclave cure, end-of-life treatment to separate components, and return of component materials to second- and third-life service. The team will develop an overarching technology roadmap for sustainable composites manufacturing. In addition, new technologies will be investigated for chemical recycling of both fibers and matrix via catalytic depolymerization, semi-preg formats that restore manufacturing robustness to out-of-autoclave cure of composites, and flexible automation of the vacuum bagging process, sheet handling, and sheet preparation.This Future Manufacturing project is jointly funded by the Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems Division, the Office of International Science and Engineering, and the Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation Division.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.