Concurrent development and assessment of emerging technology: a case study on carbon nanotube production
| Project/Area Number |
19K21106
|
|---|
| Project/Area Number (Other) |
18H05942 (2018)
|
|---|
| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
|
| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund (2019)
Single-year Grants (2018) |
|---|
| Review Section |
0401:Materials engineering, chemical engineering, and related fields
|
|---|
| Research Institution | Waseda University |
|---|
Principal Investigator |
Teah Heng Yi 早稲田大学, 理工学術院, 次席研究員(研究院講師) (70822485)
|
|---|
| Project Period (FY) |
2019-04-01 – 2020-03-31
|
| Project Status |
Completed (Fiscal Year 2019)
|
| Budget Amount *help |
¥2,990,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥690,000)
Fiscal Year 2019: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000)
Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000)
|
|---|
| Keywords | single-wall CNT / CVD synthesis / LCA / industrial ecology / nanotechnology / Carbon Nanotube / Life Cycle Assessment / Emerging Technology / Cleaner Production / Carbon nanotube / Life cycle assessment / Emerging technology / Cleaner production |
|---|
| Outline of Research at the Start |
Emerging technologies in chemistry are often developed in laboratory with the sole goal of maximizing the technological performance. Such approach neglects the potential impact of the technology on natural environment. This study aims to develop a framework that guides the development of emerging carbon nanotube synthesis technologies. By evaluating the environmental impact of synthesis processes with prospective life cycle assessment, synthesis methods with a better environmental performance are identified. Then, the potential technology improvement are discussed.
|
| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
Improvement in chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods to efficiently synthesize high-quality carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is critical to commercialization of CNTs. Methods with less environmental impacts are preferable for sustainable chemistry. However, in the field of material sciences, the environmental impacts are rarely quantified. Here we provide a systematic investigation on the life cycle greenhouse gases (GHGs) emission of two emerging CNT synthesis methods: on-substrate and fluidized-bed CVD. Based on years-long experiments, we show the impacts of important configurations. We find that the life cycle GHGs of CNT production ranged from 28.55 (on-substrate) to 0.48 (fluidized-bed) kg CO2e/g CNTs. Considering the scale-up effects to industrialized levels, CNT production can be as low as to present carbon fiber (0.02 kg CO2e/g materials).
|
| Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
This research promotes an environmentally-conscious framework to develop emerging nano-materials in laboratory. We ensure the recommended CNT synthesis pathway is practical and well-aligned with the Japanese vision of achieving a low-carbon society for sustainable future.
|
Report
(3 results)
Research Products
(7 results)
