MacCuspie R.I., Micher L., Nance J., Watkins J., Hyman H., Srinivasan S., Dhau J., Yakymyshyn C., Drake C.
Florida Polytechnic University, US
Keywords: sustainable nanomaterials
A current challenge facing the application of nano-enabled products is how to evaluate sustainable solutions and develop performance criteria? This work describes the application of an Input-Process-Output (IPO) model as a framework for a life-cycle analysis approach to identify performance metrics for evaluating the application of nanomaterials to improve the sustainability of a system (MacCuspie et al., Sustainable Materials & Technologies, 2014, doi:10.1016/j.susmat.2014.11.003). A case study is presented describing a scenario whereby a nano-enabled biocidal paint is considered for a remediation effort to reduce growth of dark molds and bacteria on refrigerated warehouses. The framework is applied to support identification of the energy-consuming and water-consuming steps (such as increased refrigeration energy burden, cleaning and repainting), selection of performance metrics (such as decreasing mold growth rate), and determination of thresholds to measure sustainability outcomes.
Journal: TechConnect Briefs
Volume: 1, Advanced Materials: TechConnect Briefs 2015
Published: June 14, 2015
Pages: 581 - 584
Industry sectors: Advanced Materials & Manufacturing | Personal & Home Care, Food & Agriculture
Topic: Personal & Home Care, Food & Agriculture
ISBN: 978-1-4987-4727-1