Chemicals Industry Materials Technology Roadmap Summary
An electronic copy of the roadmap can be downloaded (PDF 442 KB) Download Adobe Reader.
Background
The Materials Technology I workshop was held in November 1998 to address future research needs for materials technology that will support the chemical industry. Areas covered included disassembly, recovery, reuse and renewable technology; new materials; and materials measurement and characterization. The Materials Technology II workshop was held in September 1999 and covered additives, modeling and prediction and an additional segment on new materials. Materials Technology Institute (MTI) for the Chemical Process Industries, Inc. and Air Products & Chemicals lead the workshops. The Materials Technology Roadmap presents the results from both workshops.
Vision Linkage
The roadmap focuses primarily on polymers and supports the Materials Technology area of New Chemical Science and Engineering Technology, which is identified as a critical R&D area in Vision 2020. The challenges for materials technology include prediction of materials properties, synthesis technology for precise manipulation of material structures, enhanced performance in materials, developing routes for step change improvements in performance of materials systems with the use of new additive technology, and developing technology in integrated materials and processes for reuse and disassembly.
Goals
- Reduce the use of non-reusable (non-sustainable) materials by 20%
- Reduce CO2 emissions per kwh by 30% by 2020
- Increase speed of testing of materials by an order of magnitude by 2020
Priority R&D Needs from Materials Technology I
- Develop models on molecular level and on performance level for simulation
- Develop new techniques for composition, structure, and dynamics for buried interfaces
- Develop on-line, real-time measurements for non-experts to characterize materials
- Develop ability to separate equivalent density plastics
- Develop technology for different monomers and low molecular weights for polymer feed streams
- Develop new compatibility chemistries and processes for mixed recycled plastic compositions
Priority R&D Needs from Materials Technology II
- Disassembly & Reuse - Develop ability to separate equivalent density materials, develop additive packages to restore performance properties of contaminated materials, develop systems approach for collection of raw materials, develop small-scale gasification technology
- New Materials - Conduct research to bridge gap between scales, develop better techniques to detect aging in real-time models, predict tribology and wear in materials, improve molecular structure control in free radical polymerization, explore mechanisms governing equations for structure-property relationships, understand mechanisms governing structure-property relationships, develop concepts for materials compatibility to produce process-able blends
- Materials Characterization - Make on-line measurements spatially resolved and non-contact for non-expert use; develop new techniques for composition, structure, and dynamics for buried interfaces; develop high-throughput assay methods; conduct materials characterization in addition to chemical characterization; develop simulation models for molecular and performance levels; develop real-time, nondestructive, on-line monitoring and control for materials processing