CO2 Derived Nanomaterials for Naval Composites

Carbon sequestration, the process of converting atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) into more benign and/or useful forms, continues to advance in efforts to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change. Climate change continues to be a disruptive force, adding to the concerns of maritime defense. It threatens the capacity to respond in the wake of emergencies due to increased demands on Naval forces as a result of worsening extreme weather events. As a result, the U.S. Navy has designated the need for greenhouse gas emissions reduction and reliable ability to draw CO2 from the environment in effort to achieve net-zero emissions as one of its highest priorities. The Navy has demonstrated select technologies to utilize the sequestered CO2 in support of their operations and objectives. However, additional end-uses and value propositions are needed to truly make carbon dioxide sequestration an economically viable and operationally relevant approach to Naval environmental and performance objectives. To this end, the Navy currently employs anti-fouling and anti-corrosion coatings on the hulls of surface and subsurface ships. These coatings are expensive to apply and maintain and their use often has negative environmental impacts as well. The development of advanced coatings utilizing carbon nanomaterials, derived from sequestered carbon dioxide, could provide substantial operational improvements while also representing a large carbon “sink” for the sequestered CO2. In addressing these broad and compelling needs, Cornerstone Research Group (CRG), in collaboration with Iowa State University, proposes to identify, develop, and demonstrate an efficient and valuable method of utilizing carbonaceous nanomaterials sequestered from atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) within advanced composite materials optimized for Naval applications. Iowa State has demonstrated foundational research in the area of CO2 sequestration and conversion into a variety of carbonaceous material morphologies. Similarly, CRG has extensive experience utilizing a variety of functional additives, including carbon nanomaterials within thermoplastic, thermoset, and elastomeric composites specifically designed for Department of Defense applications. These two, synergistic core competencies of the proposing team present the U.S. Navy with the opportunity to rapidly develop and demonstrate the ability to utilize sequestered atmospheric carbon dioxide for a host of naval composite applications.