Development of a Sustainability Metrics System and a Technical Solution Method for Sustainable Metal Finishing
Wayne State University, Yinlun Huang
Question 1: What is your group developing and why (thinking broadly of your total research mission)?
A new wave of technological innovations has arisen in the manufacturing industry, which entails the transfer of new technologies to advance the design and manufacturing of high-performance products and services. Although technologies are an engine of change and progress, the benefit brought to the environment and society could be questionable, if sustainability principles are not fully incorporated into their development and application phases. In my lab, sustainability science and manufacturing sustainability are the main research areas. Over the past two decades, we have focused on the development of scientific methodologies and practical tools for conducting sustainability assessments and deriving optimal solutions for sustainability performance improvement. We have been collaborating with industries to apply them to solve various types of sustainability problems.
Question 2: Where is your work heading and what should we be looking forward to in the future?
There are tremendous opportunities for advancing manufacturing sustainability research and methodological development. Currently, we are using some promising digital technologies to study how to achieve dynamic sustainability in manufacturing sectors, which should make manufacturing not only more sustainable but also smarter. Some dynamic sustainability assessment and predictive decision-making methodologies are expected to be developed soon.
Question 3: How does the AESF Research Grant help expand your research mission and how does it help train your students for their future careers?
Industrial application is always one of the key research missions in my career. The AESF Research Grant provides me with an excellent opportunity to develop a sustainability metrics system and a technical solution method specifically for the electroplating sector. My research work has also been strongly supported by the AESF Research Board and other federal funding agencies. In this AESF-funded project, two PhD students and two undergraduate students have been trained to conduct fundamental and applied research and develop methodologies and computational tools. One new undergraduate student has been recruited for summer research in this area.
Question 4: The primary mission of the NASF/AESF Research Grant is to get student involvement and introduce them to our community. Do you have any ideas or approaches we could use to better serve our community and excite future student involvement?
It is very important to encourage students to present their work at conferences, especially SUR/FIN, which gives them opportunities to meet a large number of professionals. If they know more about the sector, they may be more interested in working in the sector after their graduation.
Having served as an AESF Board trustee, I worked to create two summer programs: the summer industrial internship program and the summer research program. These should attract students to be involved more actively in the surface finishing sector.
Having served as Scholarship Committee Chair, I know we have already awarded many students with scholarships. I suggest that the headquarters communicate with those awardees for at least two years. The SUR/FIN conference organizer may organize a student session for them to present their work, and promote networking between students and professionals.
Electrochemical Approaches to Treatment of PFAS in Plating Wastewater
University of Georgia, Qingguo Huang
Question 1: What is your group developing and why (thinking broadly of your total research mission)?
My group researches the catalytic transformation of organic compounds (such as PFAS/PFOS) in different environmental matrices. The goal is to provide innovative catalysis-based technologies for water/wastewater treatment, soil remediation and resource reuse, as well as to advance related fundamental understandings.
Question 2: Where is your work heading and what should we be looking forward to in the future?
Our work is expected to make electrooxidation more efficient and feasible in water/wastewater applications by further improving the catalytic performance of the anode materials as well as optimizing the reactors and processes. The results will lead to applications of electrooxidation technology to address challenging water contamination issues more cost-effectively, including those relevant to the surface finishing industry, such as PFAS/PFOS.
Question 3: How does the AESF Research Grant help expand your research mission and how does it help train your students for their future careers?
The AESF research grant offers a great opportunity for my group to apply electrooxidation technology to the treatment of surface finishing wastewaters, and to connect with professionals in the surface finishing industry, who in turn help us to learn the problem better and solve the water contamination issues that the surface finishing industry faces. My students are excited and energized by working on technology to solve real-world problems and to learn about the metal finishing industry.
Question 4: The primary mission of the NASF/AESF Research Grant is to get student involvement and introduce them to our community. Do you have any ideas or approaches we could use to better serve our community and excite future student involvement?
In addition to the scholarship program, it may be helpful for students to attend SUR/FIN conferences and have an award program for student presentations.
Electrochemical Manufacturing for Energy Applications
University of Texas at Dallas, Majid Minary
Question 1: What is your group developing and why (thinking broadly of your total research mission)?
We are generally interested in Materials Processing and Advanced Manufacturing. We do not limit our work to a single application or development, rather we work on any problem that is engaging and has high national priority. Our current project is focused on an “electrochemical additive manufacturing” process. The current processes and technologies used by the surface finishing industry will contribute to the scale-up and implementation of the novel electrochemical additive manufacturing process.
Question 2: Where is your work heading and what should we be looking forward to in the future?
We are interested in developing new processing and manufacturing for emerging energy, semiconductor and space applications among others. Importantly, we expect collaborative arrangements with surface finishing suppliers, job shops and OEMs.
Question 3: How does the AESF Research Grant help expand your research mission and how does it help train your students for their future careers?
We are currently developing novel methods of fabricating fuel cells and electrolyzers, often a hybrid of traditional and advanced manufacturing. The AESF Research Grant introduces our students to the surface finishing industry.
Question 4: The primary mission of the NASF/AESF Research Grant is to get student involvement and introduce them to our community. Do you have any ideas or approaches we could use to better serve our community and excite future student involvement?
I believe one step would be sending students to the annual NASF/AESF SUR/FIN conference, rather than the PI. I can consider sending my current graduate student to present this year. Another Undergraduate student is also helping the graduate student on this project. I found the conference informative. And I think students would enjoy that, too.