Tian Li to develop 'living' building materials that self-heal and sequester carbon
Tian Li, assistant professor in mechanical engineering, is part of a $2 million National Science Foundation (NSF) project to help develop low-cost, sustainable materials that also can repair themselves and capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The team’s idea is a blend of straightforward thinking with innovative materials science and emerging construction technologies. That idea is centered on creating 3D-printed construction materials in which microbes can thrive to naturally remove greenhouse gases and repair damage.
To build with these microbe-infused materials, the team will be capitalizing on the potential of additive manufacturing or 3D printing. Currently, 3D printing is best known for the commercial benchtop machines that can create custom parts and prototypes by building them up one layer at a time using polymer resin or “ink.” But 3D printing is also being put to work in construction, using industrial robots and brawnier inks, such as concrete. This project will focus on creating new inks, derived from sustainable biomass sources, including agricultural waste — the parts of plants that farmers can’t sell. That biomass contains compounds called lignin and cellulose that can be incorporated into inks to provide structural fortitude. The next step is adding microscopic fungi and bacteria to the ink that can not only survive, but also thrive to provide additional benefits.
With the right blend of biology and chemistry, the microbes will make polymers and minerals that can fortify the cellulose and lignin matrix at a microscopic scale. As the materials start to show signs of aging and stress — such as microcracks — the microbes can also work to heal these damage sites. What’s more, the microbes collect carbon from the atmosphere to do this.
The project is led by Jinxing Li, assistant professor at Michigan State University.