In this study, we evaluated industrial-scale batteries using GreenScreen® for Safer Chemicals, an established chemical hazard assessment (CHA) framework, and we aimed to develop a systematic, transparent methodology to quantify the CHA results, harmonize them, and aggregate them into single-value hazard scores, which can facilitate quantitative comparison and a robust evaluation of data gaps, inconsistencies, and uncertainty through the implementation of carefully selected scenarios and stochastic multicriteria acceptability analysis (SMAA). Using multiple authoritative toxicity data sources, six battery products are evaluated: three lithium-ion batteries (lithium iron phosphate, lithium nickel cobalt manganese hydroxide, and lithium manganese oxide), and three redox flow batteries (vanadium redox, zinc-bromine, and all-iron).

In this project, the environmental impact associated with the production of emerging flow battery technologies is evaluated in an effort to inform materials selection and component design decisions. The production of three commercially available flow battery technologies – vanadium redox (VRFB), zinc-bromine (ZBFB), and all-iron (IFN), is evaluated and compared on the basis of eight environmental impact categories, using primary data collected from battery manufacturers on the battery production phase including raw materials extraction, materials processing, manufacturing and assembly.

To mitigate the use of high-risk electrolyte chemicals in lithium-ion batteries, it is necessary to perform chemical hazard assessments analyzing the environmental and human health hazards of electrolyte chemicals. The electrolyte comprises most of the associated hazards of lithium-ion batteries and research into safer electrolyte chemicals is needed. Using GreenScreen for Safer Chemicals ® based criteria, we performed a chemical hazard assessment on multiple electrolyte chemicals to determine their impact on human health and the environment.

Copper and copper alloy-based jewelry is getting more popular because of the variability of its color, from reddish-brown to gold-like yellow, and price. In the WISDOM team, we are studying the sustainability of these products by understanding the role of alloying elements such as cadmium, silicon, lead, and nickel, on the properties of the jewelry alloys. Our goal is to limit/eliminate the use of toxic elements, e.g. lead, cadmium, nickel, — which are currently below Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Prop 65 requirements of the toxic alloying elements — by understanding their role on phases and kinetics of phase evolution. This work is funded by ENO Brands^®.

In this research project, the economic and environmental impacts of using alternative feedstock powders in LENS^® additive manufacturing (AM) were explored. Reused gas atomized (RGA) powder and recycled machine chips (MC) were explored as alternative feedstocks and compared to the traditional feedstock of gas atomized (GA) powders. RGA and MC powders are typically considered as scraps and get wasted as a result. This study piggybacks off papers detailing the changes to morphology and mechanical properties of builds created with these alternative feedstocks. With the quality of builds having been proven to be like those created by GA powders, the economic and environmental impact analyses point out the benefits to using these recycled feedstocks as powder. With the rising cost of raw materials, labor, and energy, along with the increasing scarcity of materials, it makes fine economic sense to go with the alternative feedstocks when creating AM builds. When analyzing the environmental impacts, there is a substantial benefit to using these alternative feedstocks as environmental impacts decrease across the board.

The WISDOM team is examining the prospects for environmentally sustainable textiles such as hemp and organic cotton.

In this project, we developed a sustainability-based material selection framework to promote safer and economic use of high-entropy alloy elements. Three major sustainability metrics were considered, which include resource availability, material price, and hazard assessment, and we concluded that recycling infrastructure and reuse capability should be improved.