A United States research team has been awarded a $1 million grant to investigate how to turn farming byproducts into sustainable asphalt.
The University of Miami College of Engineering researchers, led by Xianming Shi, department chair, will use the grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to study how agricultural waste can be converted into biochar, a form of charcoal, to build roadways.
A typical road is made of rocks and sand held together by petroleum, however some of these materials are costly. During the production and installation of asphalt, harmful emissions are released, posing health risks to workers and communities.
Shi said this three-year project aims to revolutionise the transportation industry by reducing reliance on petroleum-based materials and providing a carbon-neutral alternative for infrastructure development.
“This is an exciting opportunity, as this is likely the very first solution to truly move asphalt pavement toward net-zero, that is, carbon neutrality,” said Shi.
“In addition, we can clearly observe fewer toxic fumes being emitted from asphalt pavement during production.”
Biochar is a carbon dioxide- negative material produced through a process known as pyrolysis, heating organic waste such as orchard trimmings, wheat straw, and poultry litter, in a low-oxygen environment.
The research not only repurposes millions of tons of agricultural byproducts and waste generated annually on farms across the country but also turns them into a material that can sequester carbon in asphalt pavement while potentially extending the lifespan of roads.
Millions of tons of organic waste at farms are often discarded or left to decompose, releasing methane and other harmful gases into the atmosphere.
Each year, organic waste in Australian landfills generates about 13 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions (carbon dioxide equivalent). This equates to approximately 2.5 per cent of Australia’s total annual emissions, according to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
By converting this waste into biochar (and bio-oil) and using high doses of reclaimed asphalt pavement, Shi and his team aim to sequester large amounts of carbon in the asphalt pavement itself.
For more information, https://news.miami.edu/coe/
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