Assessing the role of vanadium technologies in decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors and enabling the energy transition.

The decarbonization of heavy industry and the emergence of renewable energy technologies are inextricably linked to access to mineral resources. As such, there is an urgent need to develop benchmarked assessments of the role of critical elements in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Here, we explore the role of vanadium in decarbonizing construction by serving as a microalloying element and enabling the energy transition as the primary component of flow batteries used for grid-level storage. We estimate that vanadium has enabled an avoided environmental burden totaling 185 million metric tons of CO2 on an annual basis. A granular analysis estimates savings for China and the European Union at 1.15% and 0.18% of their respective emissions, respectively. Our results highlight the role of critical metals in developing low-carbon infrastructure while underscoring the need for holistic assessments to inform policy interventions that mitigate supply chain risks.

Punching above its weight: life cycle energy accounting and environmental assessment of vanadium microalloying in reinforcement bar steel.

Steel-reinforced concrete is ubiquitously used in construction across the world. The United Nations estimates that the worldwide energy consumption of buildings accounts for 30-40% of global energy production, underlining the importance of the judicious selection of construction materials. Much effort has focused on the use of high-strength low-alloy steels in reinforcement bars whose economy of materials use is predicated upon improved yield strengths in comparison to low-carbon steels. While microalloying is known to allow for reduced steel consumption, a sustainability analysis in terms of embodied energy and CO2 has not thus far been performed. Here we calculate the impact of supplanting lower grade reinforcement bars with higher strength vanadium microalloyed steels on embodied energy and carbon footprint. We find that the increased strength of vanadium microalloyed steel translates into substantial material savings over mild steel, thereby reducing the total global fossil carbon footprint by as much as 0.385%. A more granular analysis pegs savings for China and the European Union at 1.01 and 0.19%, respectively, of their respective emissions. Our cradle-to-gate analysis provides an accounting of the role of microalloying in reducing the carbon footprint of the steel and construction industries and highlights the underappreciated role of alloying elements.

Investigation of the Mechanism Behind Conductive Fluorescent and Multistimuli-responsive Li+ -enriched Metallogel Formation.

A fluorescent metallogel (2.6 % w/v) has been obtained from two non-fluorescent components viz. phenyl-succinic acid derived pro-ligand H2 PSL and LiOH (2 equiv.) in DMF. Li+ ion not only plays a crucial role in gelation through aggregation, but also contributed towards enhancement of fluorescence by imposing restriction over excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) followed by origin of chelation enhanced fluorescence (CHEF) phenomenon. Further, the participation of CHEF followed by aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) and aggregation-induced emission (AIE) in the gelation process have been well established by fluorescence experiments. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis disclosed the sequential creation of nanonuclei followed by nanoballs and their alignment towards the generation of fibers of about 3, 31 and 40 nm diameter, respectively. The presence of a long-range fibrous morphology inside the metallogel was further attested by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Rheological studies on the metallogel showed its true gel-phase material nature. Nyquist impedance study shows a resistance value of 7.4 kΩ for the metallogel which upon applying ultrasound increased to 8.5 kΩ, while an elevated temperature of 70 °C caused reduction in the resistance value to 4.8 kΩ. The mechanism behind metallogel formation has been well established by using FTIR, UV-vis, SEM, TEM, PXRD, 1 H NMR, fluorescence and ESI-MS.

Embodied energy of construction materials: integrating human and capital energy into an IO-based hybrid model.

Buildings alone consume approximately 40% of the annual global energy and contribute indirectly to the increasing concentration of atmospheric carbon. The total life cycle energy use of a building is composed of embodied and operating energy. Embodied energy includes all energy required to manufacture and transport building materials, and construct, maintain, and demolish a building. For a systemic energy and carbon assessment of buildings, it is critical to use a whole life cycle approach, which takes into account the embodied as well as operating energy. Whereas the calculation of a building's operating energy is straightforward, there is a lack of a complete embodied energy calculation method. Although an input-output-based (IO-based) hybrid method could provide a complete and consistent embodied energy calculation, there are unresolved issues, such as an overdependence on price data and exclusion of the energy of human labor and capital inputs. This paper proposes a method for calculating and integrating the energy of labor and capital input into an IO-based hybrid method. The results demonstrate that the IO-based hybrid method can provide relatively complete results. Also, to avoid errors, the total amount of human and capital energy should not be excluded from the calculation.

Wall finish selection in hospital design: a survey of facility managers.

OBJECTIVE: This paper seeks to analyze healthcare facility managers' perceptions regarding the materials used for interior wall finishes and the criteria used to select them. It also examines differences in wall finish materials and the selection process in three major hospital spaces: emergency, surgery, and in-patient units. These findings are compared with healthcare designers' perceptions on similar issues, as currently documented in the literature. BACKGROUND: Hospital design and the materials used for hospital construction have a considerable effect on the environment and health of patients. A 2002 survey revealed which characteristics healthcare facility designers consider when selecting materials for healthcare facilities; however, no similar study has examined the views of facility managers on building finish selection. METHODS: A 22-question survey questionnaire was distributed to 210 facility managers of metropolitan, for-profit hospitals in Texas; IRB approval was obtained. Respondents were asked to rank 10 interior wall finish materials and 11 selection criteria for wall finishes. Data from 48 complete questionnaires were analyzed using descriptive statistics and nonparametric statistical analysis methods. RESULTS: The study found no statistically significant differences in terms of wall finish materials or the characteristics for material selection in the three major spaces studied. It identified facility managers' four most-preferred wall finish materials and the five-most preferred characteristics, with a statistical confidence level of greater than 95%. CONCLUSIONS: The paper underscores the importance of incorporating all perspectives: facility designers and facility managers should work together toward achieving common organizational goals.