SCIENCE
A University-Industry collaboration on an Engineering Research Center (ERC) proposal to the National Science Foundation
Steel and Cement Manufacturing Innovations to ENable a Low Carbon Economy (SCIENCE) ERC is motivated by the urgent need to address decarbonization of cement and steel manufacturing, which is responsible for 16% of all anthropogenic CO2 emissions and accounts for a significant share of emissions associated with construction.
SCIENCE ERC aims to undertake fundamental and applied R&D that leverages knowledge and expertise from infrastructural materials industry to:
- Pioneer new technologies to eliminate carbon emissions from infrastructural materials manufacturing
- Develop novel infrastructure materials through waste upcycling and unique synthesis processes
- Increase process energy-efficiency; use of renewable energy; electrification; and CCUS solutions
- Integrate models and Internet-of-things (IoT) platforms for infrastructure materials manufacturing
- Develop life-cycle and technoeconomic tools to ensure cost- and carbon-efficiency
Vision
SCIENCE aims to achieve deep decarbonization of the “hard-to-decarbonize” steel and cement industries via unprecedented technological breakthroughs facilitated by thoughtful convergence of complementary disciplines and themes. Our vision is catalyzed by innovations in each subprocess of steel and cement manufacturing (the engineered system), and empowered by advances in clean and renewable energy.
Focus areas
- Reimagining cement manufacturing
- Improvements in unit processes
- Carbon-efficient and novel means of producing steel
- Carbon capture and storage technologies
- Sensing and Internet of Things (IoT) in steel and cement manufacturing
- Life cycle analysis
- Technoeconomic analysis and policy solutions