Recipient Organization
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
WEST LAFAYETTE,IN 47907
Performing Department
Ag & Biological Engineering
Non Technical Summary
Development of renewable bio-based materials/products to replace or augment non-renewable applications/products is a major theme for global sustainability. While petroleum-based economies continue to dominate industrial and consumer markets, it is anticipated that long term sustainability must rely on biologically based, sustainable systems/products, both for energy and material applications. This research program explores potential uses of agriculturally based materials, proteins, oils, carbohydrates, and DNA, in applications that replace or augment petrochemical/synthetic materials. For example, in the previous 5 years of research, this program has developed new processing methods for biodiesel fuels that allow their use in ground/aviation transportation at temperatures that would normally solidify biofuels. This extends their use in winter climates or at cold temperature applications that were previously not used. Other research explored the use of by-products of biodiesel manufacturing (glycerin) as aviation deicers to replace petrochemically produced propylene/ethylene glycols. Collaborative work with diesel engine designers and mechanical engineering colleagues demonstrated the effective use of biodiesel fuels in reducing particulate/nitrogen oxide emissions and undesirable engine noise, while maintaining/improving engine performance and fuel mileage via computer process control of engine function. This work is currently being adapted for engineering design of commercial diesel engines.Our planned research will investigate the use of long chain fatty acid methyl esters (derived from plant/animal oils) in physical applications to increase concrete durability in cold weather environments; improve/enhance ice removal from airport runways; create luminescent/glow in the dark coatings for highways. The planned research involving exploring uses of biobased materials in concrete is based on our earlier work on examining the use of vegetable oils as coatings to reduce water absorption on wood and concrete surfaces. Given the enormous, continuous global market for concrete, and the desire of the concrete industry to seek greener, biobased opportunities, the potential market opportunities for agriculturally based applications are very attractive.Recent research in nanotechnology and molecular based technologies have built on the ability to work with electronic/physical systems, such as silicon, rare earth metals, and carbon-based structures (graphene, carbon tubes, etc.). However, there is an increasing interest in biologically-based structural materials based on self-assembly or templating properties used byliving systems. Most recently, a number of researchers have been exploring the building of nano-scale structures using RNA 'bricks' (structural components built from RNA) as ways to make molecular building blocks. Our planned research on bioconjugates involves developing chemistry to link DNA fragments with proteins or carbohydrates to create self-assembling structures that also have biological functions, i.e. enzymes, polysaccharides. Such structures might be used as either novel functional polymerica biomolecules or as structural scaffolding for attaching non-biological functions (electronics, sensors, chromatographic separations).
Animal Health Component
80%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
10%
Applied
80%
Developmental
10%
Goals / Objectives
Investigate and develop sustainable technologies to convert biomass resources into chemicals, energy, materials and other value added products.
Identify and develop needed educational resources, expand distance-based delivery methods, and grow a trained work force for the biobased economy
Project Methods
Biobased sealants for ConcreteEvaluation of the Effectiveness of SME-PS as a Penetrating Sealer in Pavement Joints Specifically, to evaluate the effectiveness of the SME-PS as a penetrating sealer the following tests will be performed.Freeze-thaw tests will be performed on mortar/concrete that has used SME-PS as a penetrating sealer. The sealer will be applied to concrete at different temperature and moisture conditions. This will enable the effectiveness of the SME-PS to be evaluated for its potential to improve freeze thaw resistance using standard ASTM methods.X-ray absorption testing will be performed to quantify how water is drawn into the concrete. This can provide additional information that can be used to determine the saturation level which influences the freeze thaw damage level that may be expected.Phase change materials for Airport Runway Ice RemovalThis project proposes to investigate the potential use of PCM in a concrete pavement as a method to aide in anti-icing. The proposed research would take a systematic, scientific approach that could enable the FAA to evaluate the potential use of PCM for single and dual layer pavement systems.Parametric Assessment of Temperature Response for Application to Anti-Icing Performance - The team will develop a numerical model which will enable the research team to quantify how changes in material inputs alter the temperature development and potential ice melting performance of different concrete. This work will be done establishing the baseline condition for a typical pavement and will determine how the change in thermal diffusivity, heat capacity, thermal conductivity and boundary conditions alter the deicing performance of the pavement.Identification and Evaluation of Low Temperature Phase Change Materials -This work will examine the use of these materials with a focus on the melting temperature, heat capacity, and thermal conductivity. It should be noted that one item that has been discussed as being problematic with the use of PCM is the potential changes in volume or viscosity during phase change and this needs to be considered due to its potential impact on damage as well as reversibility in pavements. One potential material that has the potential to be investigated which has not been previously investigated are soy methyl ester forms due to their low cost and biodegradability. A potential benefit of using lipid-based PCM's is that the melting temperature range can be controlled by fatty acid composition to the temperature range of ice formation and may provide a wide range of melting vs. a single sharp melting temperature. The Purdue pavement group (PIs Weiss and Tao) have as strong collaboration with the Indiana Soy Bean Alliance and has developed and patented soy based concrete product for reducing fluid ingress. A wide variety of phase change materials (including soy based materials) will also be investigated for their potential delivery in concrete systems. Specifically the research team is leaning toward the use of PCM in porous lightweight aggregate as this has been shown to be feasible by Sakulich and Bentz (2011).Evaluation of the Heat Capacity and Thermal Conductivity of Concrete - This task will consist of preparing a series of mortar/concrete samples which can be evaluated in a low cost 'slug calorimeter' that has been under development over the last two years (Sakulich, Bentz, Flynn and Weiss 2012 - internal results). Data obtained from this test can be used to assess the heat capacity, thermal conductivity, and liquidus temperature of the PCM in the mortar.Large Section Evaluation - A series of large scale specimens (approximately 1 m square and 0.2 m thick) will be prepared. These large scale samples will be exposed to an outdoor environment in Indiana where the temperatures in the slab can be monitored as well as the potential for icing. In addition to the outdoor exposure site, the Pankow lab is equipped with environmental chambers capable of simulating a range of temperatures and humidities with controlled ground temperatures. The slabs will also be evaluated in this chamber since the temperature histories can be carefully controlled.DNA-Protein Bioconjugates1. Develop simple linkage chemistry between DNA and protein/carbohydrate to make bioconjugate monomersa. Terminal endsb. Internal residues2. Design different complementary DNA sequences with varying binding/denaturation propertiesa. Avoid/promote ring cyclization, cross annealing3. Design different protein/carbohydrate monomer sectionsa. Binding proteinsb. Structural proteinsc. Catalytic proteinsd. Functional carbohydrates (binding/mechanical)4. Create bioconjugates and measure self-assembly/polymerizationa. 1D, 2D, and 3Db. Effects of solution (concentration, salts, melting temperature)5. Characterize polymer size/structurea. NMR, GPC/HPLC, MS6. Characterize polymer functionality (binding, catalysis, etc.)References1. Sano, T., C.L. Smith, and C.R. Cantor, Immuno-PCR: Very Sensitive Antigen Detection by Means of Specific Antibody-DNA Conjugates. Science, 1992. 258: p. 120-122.2. Niemeyer, C.M., et al., Self-assembly of DNA-streptavidin nanostructures and their use as reagents in immuno-PCR. Nucleic Acids Research, 1999. 27(23): p. 4553-4561.3. Cantor, C. and T. Sano, A STREPTAVIDIN-PROTEIN-A CHIMERA THAT ALLOWS ONE-STEP PRODUCTION OF A VARIETY OF SPECIFIC ANTIBODY CONJUGATES. Bio/technology, 1991. 9(12): p. 1378-1381.4. Niemeyer, C.M., et al., Nanostructured DNA-Protein Aggregates Consisting of Covalent Oligonucleotide-Streptavidin Conjugates. Bioconjugate Chemistry, 2001. 12: p. 364-371.5. Niemeyer, C.M., et al., Oligonucleotide-directed self-assembly of proteins: semisynthetic DNA-streptavidin hybrid molecules as connectors for the generation of macroscopic arrays and the construction of supramolecular bioconjugates. Nucleic Acids Research, 1994. 22(25): p. 5530-5539.6. Niemeyer, C.M., et al., DNA-Directed Immobilization: Efficient, Reversible, and Site-Selective Surface Binding of Proteins by Means of Covalent DNA-Streptavidin Conjugates. Analytical Biochemistry, 1999. 268: p. 54-63.7. Wacker, R. and C.M. Niemeyer, DDI-μFIA--A Readily Configurable Microarray-Fluorescence Immunoassay Based on DNA-Directed Immobilization of Proteins. ChemBioChem, 2004. 5: p. 453-459.8. Corey, D.R. and P.G. Schultz, Generation of a Hybrid Sequence-Specific Single-Stranded Deoxyribonuclease. Science, 1987. 238: p. 1401-1403.9. Marchan, V., et al., Diels-Alder cycloadditions in water for the straightforward preparation of peptide-oligonucleotide conjugates. Nucleic Acids Research, 2006. 34(3): p. e24 1-9.