Micro-factories with Advanced Manufacturing to Support Adaptive Basing at Scale
Abstract
This proposed research aims to form partnerships between Waste Management Division, Marine Corps Air Station Miramar (MCAS), and Ari,zona State University (ASU) via a micro-factory concept. Recently, the upcycling of solid waste, especially plastic wastes, has draw,n dramatic attention due to the lack of efficient technologies to process them with acceptable cost-efficiency. Conventional methods, rely on catalyst design (e.g., enzyme), chemical depolymerization (e.g., monomer oils), redesign of chemical bonding (e.g., vitrime,rs, dynamic covalent bonding), and severe degradation environments (e.g., high pH or pressure). However, manipulating and synthesizi,ng materials at a molecular scale requires expensive pieces of equipment and large footprint factories for reactions. Therefore, thi,s micro-factory with advanced manufacturing will facilitate the evaluation, characterization, reduction, and recycling of solid wast,e via the unique support from MCAS of ASUs micro-factory demonstration. More importantly, the distributed, located, and cost-effici,ent micro-factories are independent of regional and glocal supply chains, thus providing adaptive basing at scale. The research team, comprises material scientists, manufacturing experts, energy researchers, sustainability development staff, and environmental schol,ars. --The polymer physics and chemistry study will first provide information on plastic types to identify materials and select prop,er manufacturing methods. Subsequently, prioritization components used on the base will be determined based on the property of proce,ssed materials and the performance of manufactured objects. Evaluation methods include mechanical, thermal, and other functional tes,ters. Finally, the design for fast and scalable deployment will be verified via the data collection from the micro-factory and analy,sis of the minimum viable product (MVP). Outcomes from the proposed research will contribute to wide applications of the micro-facto,ry and manufactured objects. Beyond applications to the DOD and Navy sectors, the recyclable plastics demonstrated in this project a,re general and can be extended to other solid wastes, such as electronics, natural materials (e.g., wood and plants), and wearable.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- May 16, 2022
- Source ID
- N000142212105
Entities
People
- Kenan Song
Organizations
- Arizona State University
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy