Background Air pollution causes more than 6.5 million premature deaths globally, due to the significant adverse health effects particularly on children, the elderly, and communities with low socioeconomic status. There are many different sources of air pollution including vehicle emissions, natural gas for heating, by-products of manufacturing, and...

Background Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) is a commodity plastic that is used in many types of single-use applications (e.g., to-go containers, food packaging, water bottles). The accumulation of plastic waste in landfills and in the environment is fueling a greater push to advance polymer recycling technology. Chemically recycling plastics to...

Background Currently, the most common method of synthesizing of carbon fiber (CF) is by utilizing polyacrylonitrile (PAN). Although this is a very effective way of obtaining CF, this method requires a lot of energy and is expensive. There is currently a need for methods of synthesizing CF that provide safer, cheaper, and more energy efficient alternatives...

Background Recent research in the asphalt industry has focused on promoting sustainability through reducing mixing and compaction temperatures. Sulfur-extended asphalt has been studied extensively for this purpose because of the reduction in price of asphalt concrete that sulfur offers, as well as reducing the mixing and compaction temperatures. However,...

Background U.S. wood-constructed housing stock accounts for 750 million tons of sequestered carbon and can reduce CO2 emissions by replacing energy intensive materials including cement and steel. Currently popular manufactured woods such as oriented strand board (OSB) and cross laminated timber (CLT) have low durability and require adhesives that are...

Background In the manufacturing and construction industries, silica-based filters are commonly used to enhance performance of various materials. These silica-based filters are mostly hydrophobic in order to enhance dispersion and compatibility with surrounding constituents of the matrix, including organosilane or silsesquioxane. Hydrophobic silica...

Background Multifunctional coatings are typically made from nanoparticles of magnesium oxide (MgO) that have the ability to carbonate and serve as a permanent carbon-storage medium. The inorganic phase, consisting of MgO particles, is combined with an organic blend comprising an amine-terminated polymer. This organic component facilitates the capture...

Background Nearly 94% of all public roads in the United States are paved with asphalt, and span over 4 million miles in total. However, asphalt pavement degrades when it is exposed to UV rays and oxidation. Current asphalt pavement is also prone to premature cracking and moisture damage, which both further shorten its service life. As the population...

­Algae growth commonly occurs on materials, such as building materials, and can lead to staining of the material and a decrease in the material’s durability. This can be a particular problem in areas with warm, wet climates. In a specific scenario, algae growth on roof shingles results in visible black stains affecting roof aesthetics and...

Background The United States produces millions of metric tons of elemental sulfur annually, mostly from industrial processes such as oil and gas refining, where sulfur is an undesirable waste product. Due to the recent reduction in allowable sulfur in marine fuel as well as the development of sulfur-rich oil reserves including the Athabasca oil sands,...