Coal Core Composites for Low Cost, Light Weight, Fire Resistant Panels and Roofing Materials

Semplastics will address two main problems through the proposed work: (1) the underutilization of coal, a valuable natural resource, has led to a catastrophic drop in employment within the coal industry ecosystem in specific geographic areas in the country; and (2) the fast-paced growth of the solar panel industry could ultimately be derailed by roof tile systems that do not meet that industry’s requirements of long life, high mechanical durability, and low weight. Semplastics manufactures components using a patented process for producing polymer-derived ceramics (PDCs). PDCs have been used to create many useful end products, from clutches for racing cars, to brakes for conventional automobiles, to heat shields for spacecraft. Leveraging this technology, Semplastics has developed a novel composite material based on coal. The new coal-core composite (CCC) material offers promise for the beneficial utilization of large amounts of coal without burning it as fuel. Semplastics proposes to address the problems described above through the application of this technology to the creation of highly durable, lightweight, affordable roofing tiles. The proposed roofing tiles not only provide a high- volume outlet for coal, but also provide an American-made option for ceramic tiles. In Phase I, Semplastics will produce prototypes of the CCC-based roofing tile. This work will include optimization of the blending process to ensure scalability and to position the product for commercial production. The prototypes will be subjected to testing in local laboratory facilities to characterize the material properties, as well as testing by commercial laboratories to show compliance with roofing industry standards. The successful commercialization and market execution of these roofing tiles will produce an immediate impact in the coal industry ecosystem and will contribute to energy diversification across the United States, ultimately impacting the national economy by producing domestic manufacturing jobs. The CCC-based roofing tiles offer a viable, high volume, high growth end market for mined coal, which will yield positive technical, economic, and social benefits. In the long term, the Semplastics team expects that the CCC-based roofing tiles can contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, as the roofing tiles would lock away coal and subsequently sequester CO2 from the atmosphere.