Blockchain Application to the Processes in Material Design, Production, Distribution, and Disposal: A Survey

Data is a valuable resource that can facilitate the development of advanced products sustainably and transparently. However, issues like data manipulation, forgery, and deletion can damage data reliability, limiting its use during product development. In this paper, we aim to identify and explore solutions that relieve data reliability concerns throughout the life of a product. Specifically, we investigate the implementation of blockchain to mitigate data-related problems that affect product development. Blockchain is a decentralized and immutable ledger where information is inherently protected against tampering. To understand how product development can benefit from blockchain, we first identify data-dependent processes across four stages of the product’s life (i.e., design, production, distribution, and disposal) and present the challenges these processes face. We then discuss blockchain-based techniques to tackle these challenges. Finally, we outline the benefits of utilizing blockchain across the four stated stages of the product’s life. Previous surveys in this area are limited to discussing the application of blockchain to a subset of these four stages. Additionally, previous surveys do not consider the use of blockchain in materials design. In contrast, we provide a comprehensive survey that examines the utility of blockchain during the design, production, distribution, and disposal of products. Further, our survey presents how blockchain can be implemented to aid materials design. This survey provides researchers and practitioners insights into how blockchain can be applied to enhance different aspects of product design, production, distribution, and disposal.