CAREER: Advancing Recyclable Biopolymer Composite Materials and Entrepreneurial Education for Construction in Resource-Limited Environments

This Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) award will advance recyclable biopolymer composite construction materials for use in resource-limited environments while educating future engineers in innovation and entrepreneurship. Many regions face challenges in building infrastructure under conditions of limited materials, water scarcity, and logistical constraints. This project addresses these challenges by developing material systems that can be produced, reused, and recycled using locally available resources. The work focuses on biopolymer materials that can harden to meet structural needs and later be reversed and reused, thereby reducing waste and enabling circular construction practices. These capabilities are particularly important for temporary or short-term structures in remote or harsh environments, where long-term durability is not required. The project also integrates research with education by training students to translate scientific discoveries into practical solutions and new ventures. Outreach activities will engage learners from secondary schools and community colleges to broaden participation in science and engineering. The project contributes to the national interest by advancing scientific knowledge, strengthening economic competitiveness, and enabling technologies relevant to national security and space exploration. The research will establish fundamental relationships among material composition, processing conditions, and the performance of reversible biopolymer construction materials. The work investigates gelatin-based binder systems that undergo hardening through desiccation and can be reprocessed under controlled moisture and temperature conditions. Experimental studies will examine gelation and hardening mechanisms, reversibility, and interactions between the binder and granular materials such as desert sand. Mechanical performance, durability under environmental fluctuations, cracking behavior, and recyclability will be evaluated through laboratory testing and microstructural characterization. Analytical and computational approaches will be used to model structure–property relationships and guide material design. The project will also investigate strategies for water recovery and reuse during material processing. Educational activities will integrate research findings into graduate training that includes innovation and commercialization skills, along with outreach to undergraduate, community college, and pre-college students. The expected outcomes include new scientific understanding of reversible biopolymer construction materials, design principles for resource-efficient material systems, and a trained workforce capable of advancing adaptable construction technologies. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.