Dialogue Between Architecture and Material Sciences for Sustainable Urban Ecosystems: Biodegradable Polymer Plastic Seed Capsule Production Process for Porous Concrete Structures

Abstract

The presented study introduces an interdisciplinary and inter-scale collaborative research project of the Department of Material Science and Nanotechnology Engineering and the Department of Architecture. The main objective of the project is to investigate appropriate methods of developing polymer capsules made of upcycled waste plastics for plant seeds, which are to place in permeable/porous concrete mixture. Furthermore, we plan to modify recycled plastic to make it biodegradable. Porous concrete is a special type of concrete with a high permeability rate due to its material composition. It is composed of narrowly-graded course aggregate, cement or cementitious materials, and water. It does not include sand. Therefore, it is able to transmit water and air because of its inner voids, 15-35% compared to conventional concrete. The voids are considered for seed capsules. The teams of Material Science and Nanotechnology Engineering and Architecture discussed and elaborated on the issues and problems of developing waste plastic upcycling for biodegradable seed capsules in porous concrete. The recycling of waste plastic, thermal conditions of porous concrete during curing, uniformity, controllability, versatility, mass-productivity, high efficiency, and reproductivity of polymer encapsulation methods for properly scaled dimensions have been considered. The process has been formulated but could not have been tested due to the pandemic. It is planned to carry out the project in early 2022. It is our utmost concern to initiate projective and experimental research for innovate technological advancement and know-how to introduce, develop and settle new, smart, resilient, and sustainable human-nature ecosystems and biodiversity by means of creative dialogue/collaboration among various disciplines and professions.