Since the launch of the Materials Genome Initiative (MGI) the field of materials informatics (MI) emerged to remove the bottlenecks limiting the pathway towards rapid materials discovery. Although the machine learning (ML) and optimization techniques underlying MI were developed well over a decade ago, programs such as the MGI encouraged researchers to make the technical advancements that make these tools suitable for the unique challenges in materials science and engineering. Overall, MI has seen a remarkable rate in adoption over the past decade. However, for the continued growth of MI, the educational challenges associated with applying data science techniques to analyse materials science and engineering problems must be addressed. In this paper, we will discuss the growing use of materials informatics in academia and industry, highlight the need for educational advances in materials informatics, and discuss the implementation of a materials informatics course into the curriculum to jump-start interested students with the skills required to succeed in materials informatics projects.

A perspective on the current state of battery recycling and future improved designs to promote sustainable, safe, and economically viable battery recycling strategies for sustainable energy storage.

Recent years have seen the rapid growth in lithium-ion battery (LIB) production to serve emerging markets in electric vehicles and grid storage. As large volumes of these batteries reach their end of life, the need for sustainable battery recycling and recovery of critical materials is a matter of utmost importance. Global reserves for critical LIB elements such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel will soon be outstripped by growing cumulative demands. Despite advances in conventional recycling strategies such as pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy, they still face limitations in high energy consumption, high greenhouse gas emissions, as well as limited profitability. While new direct recycling methods are promising, they also face obstacles such as the lack of proper battery labeling, logistical challenges of inefficient spent battery collection, and components separation. Here, we discuss the importance of recovering critical materials, and how battery designs can be improved from the cell to module level in order to facilitate recyclability. The economic and environmental implications of various recycling approaches are analyzed, along with policy suggestions to develop a dedicated battery recycling infrastructure. We also discuss promising battery recycling strategies and how these can be applied to existing and future new battery chemistries.

Lack of data on available agriwaste by type of source, local variations in agricultural consumption, and the uncertain feasibility of industrial scaling, all contribute to the challenges of developing commercially viable agriwaste-to-resource building products. Materials Passports linked to Building Management Information systems are tools that can improve regional planning efforts and the coordination of sustainable supply chains focused on new product development and product stewardship.

Globally, an estimated 3.5 kg per capita of daily agricultural waste is transferred to municipal landfills. Stated differently, 7.8 billion people generate 26.25 billion kg of daily agriwaste. Numerous studies established linkages between leachates from solid waste landfills, bioaccumulation of toxic chemicals, and greenhouse gas emissions that are a leading cause of climate change. Furthermore, raw material scarcity threatens to constrain economic growth and productivity. Sustainable circular economy practices focus on increased efficiency and a decoupling of wasted natural resource consumption from economic growth. Academic and industry researchers are focused on developing circular economy solutions that increase resource efficiency while decoupling wasted natural resource consumption from economic growth. Human acceptance and adaptation of technology are ideologically, culturally, and socio-technically dependent. Waste banana peels are used as an analytical scenario of how BIM modeling can improve the production of localized, affordable, and culturally appropriate building materials. Ideological and cultural norms are a precursor for socio-technical acceptance. Building material selection is examined from the perspective of complex factors creating uncertain economic valuations, and socio-cultural variations in the definition of waste. The objective of the research is to open multidisciplinary examination of the practices and choices that determine affordably safe building materials.

This study investigated the effect of production and curing parameters on the mechanical performance of compressed earth blocks (CEBs) stabilized with 0-20 wt % CCR (calcium carbide residue). Kaolinite (K) and quartz (Q)-rich earthen materials were mixed with the CCR and used to mould CEBs at optimum moisture content (OMC) and OMC+2 % of the dry mixtures, cured at 20 °C, ambient temperature in the lab (30±5 °C) and 40 °C for 0-90 days. After curing, the reactivity of the materials and compressive strength of dry CEBs were tested. Increasing the moulding moisture from OMC to OMC+2 decreased the compressive strength 0.3 times (4.4 to 3.3 MPa) for the CEBs stabilized with 20 % CCR cured at 30±5 °C for 45 days. Similarly, the compressive strength (4.4 MPa) was reached by CEBs stabilized with 10 and 20 % CCR after 28 and 45 days of curing, respectively. At 40 °C, the compressive strength increased 3.3 times (1.1 to 4.7 MPa with 0 to 20 % CCR) for K-rich and 2.5 times (2 to 7.1 MPa) for Q˗rich materials. At 20 °C, the compressive strength increased only 1.3 times (1.1 to 2.5 MPa) for K˗rich and barely 0.7 times (2 to 3.4 MPa) for Q-rich materials. These suggest that CCR is useful for stabilization and improving the performances of CEBs in hot regions.

Material choices can affect both the environmental conditions and the human health impacts of buildings. Decision making can be improved through greater transparency and a broader view of materials impact.

With more architects and engineers recognising the impacts of global climate change, a renewed focus on carbon emissions from buildings is underway. Material choices in the built environment have significant impacts on both the building’s carbon emissions and the health of building occupants. As the operational carbon in buildings falls through improved efficiencies and design, the amount of embodied carbon released from the extraction, manufacturing, and transportation of materials and products is becoming relatively more significant. Through the selection of materials, designers can reduce the overall carbon emissions of buildings while maintaining high standards for occupant health.