Environmentally Benign
Manufacturing
for
Transportation Industries
A Workshop Preread Package
and Perspectives
16 September 2001
Notice:
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0094832.
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the
author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
CONTENTS
1. The Call to the Workshop ...................................................................................................... 1
2. Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 2
3. EBM and the Transportation Sector ....................................................................................... 3
4. The Foundation: The WTEC Workshop on Environmentally Benign
Manufacturing Technologies .................................................................................................. 6
5. A Functional Model for the Environmentally Benign Transportation Manufacturing
Enterprise............................................................................................................................... 8
6. Other EBM Links and References of Interest ......................................................................... 9
Appendix A: WTEC EBM Panel Technology Area Summaries ................................................ 10
Appendix B: Environmentally Benign Manufacturing: The IMTI Perspective........................... 14
Appendix C: NSF Recent EBM-Related R&D Grants............................................................... 20
Appendix D: EBM Best Practices ............................................................................................. 26
16 September 2001
Environmentally Benign Manufacturing
for Transportation Industries
1. THE CALL TO THE WORKSHOP
On September 26-28, approximately 60 invited experts will assemble in Ypsilanti, Michigan for
a three-day workshop on Environmentally Benign Manufacturing (EBM). To kick off the activ-
ity, the group will hear from experts about environmental technology, policy, and application.
These presentations will set the stage for the exploratory phase of the workshop. The recent re-
port on EBM published by the World Technology Evaluation Center (WTEC) will be high-
lighted as a BENCHMARK and starting point, and attendees will take a journey from the
CURRENT STATE of practice to the identification of a VISION for an environmentally benign
future. In transitioning from where we are today to where we need to be, the NEEDS will be
identified. Finally, a RESEARCH AGENDA will be developed that defines the priority actions
that should be taken.
We urge all attendees to come with an open mind and in anticipation of a stimulating and excit-
ing time of exploration and interaction.
This prereading package provides an overview and some perspectives on the subject of environ-
mentally benign manufacturing as it relates to the transportation sector of the U.S. industrial
base, and provides a baseline  functional model that workshop participants will use as a frame-
work for identifying challenges, goals, and requirements.
This document also identifies many of the challenges highlighted by other activities such as the
recent WTEC EBM Panel (see Appendix A); describes some of the EBM initiatives being taken
by sector leaders such as Ford, General Motors, and Boeing; and provides some broad manufac-
turing industry perspective distilled from the IMTI manufacturing industry technology roadmaps
(Appendix B). We have also included abstracts of recent EBM-related R&D grants by the Na-
tional Science Foundation (Appendix C) and EBM-related Best Practices from the U.S. Navy s
Best Manufacturing Practices (BMP) program (Appendix D).
Workshop participants are encouraged to download and review the complete WTEC EBM Panel
report, which is available at http://itri.loyola.edu/ebm/. Chapters 5 and 6 of the report (pages 43
to 113) provide an in-depth discussion of material and product technology issues, and crosscut-
ting technologies and applications, of interest to the manufacturing sector.
1
16 September 2001
2. INTRODUCTION
While the nation s manufacturers have made great strides over the past 20 years in producing
more environmentally acceptable products and implementing manufacturing facilities, processes,
and materials that are more environmentally friendly, the call for greater change is clear. The
National Research Council study, Manufacturing Challenges for 20201 defines six grand chal-
lenges, one of which is Environmental Compatibility. The report lays down the gauntlet with the
call to  reduce production waste and product environmental wastes to zero. The report
further states that,  The goal of manufacturing enterprises will be to develop cost-effective,
competitive products and processes that do not harm the environment, use as much recycled
material for feedstock as is possible, and create no significant waste in terms of energy, materi-
als, or human resources.
Achieving this goal dictates a multifaceted approach. Success dictates the development of mate-
rials and processes that can replace existing practices without introducing unacceptable cost or
performance risk. Design For Environment (DFE) technologies must assure that life-cycle issues
are given prominence in every design. Finally, operational and regulatory issues must be re-
solved to assure the execution of processes that protect the environment on a level playing field
that does not unfairly restrict business opportunity or global competitiveness.
Important challenges still lie ahead. New products and components introduce new demands. For
example, ceramic components can greatly increase life and reduce the environmental concerns of
high-performance engines, but there has been little market penetration because the parts cannot
yet be produced cost-competitively. Are there alternative materials or processes that can resolve
this issue? As another example, the Partnership for the Next Generation Vehicle (PNGV) pro-
gram is now being revamped with a new set of goals based on the conclusion that the 80-mile-
per-gallon car is not reasonable, and no amount of funding would make it attainable.2 Is this
technically true, or do sunk investments in manufacturing methods and facilities and the rigidity
of the supporting infrastructure force this concession? There are alternatives to the internal com-
bustion engine that do make the goal achievable, but the costs of materials and processes for
their manufacture contribute to the conclusion that change will come slowly.
Is it acceptable to turn away from solutions that are technically possible but impractical because
of business or social drivers? Environmental concerns must be balanced against cost, perform-
ance, and social conscience. Maintaining the proper balance is a challenge to our society.
Regulatory compliance will continue to be a driving factor in the equation, and will continue to
be a highly variable factor for years to come because of differences across national and regional
boundaries. How do we impact the balance in EBM? How do we identify the high-priority is-
sues that need solution? What technologies can deliver dramatic impact in the marketplace and
support the goal of zero wastes? These are some of the issues that will be explored in detail in
the Environmentally Benign Manufacturing workshop.
1
Visionary Challenges for 2020, Committee on Visionary Manufacturing Challenges, National Academy Press, Washington, D.C. 1998.
pp27 and 28.
2
http://books.nap.edu/books/030907602X/html/1.html.
2
16 September 2001
3. EBM and the Transportation Sector
The transportation sector is a highly visible contributor to global environmental concerns. Motor
vehicles consume half the world's oil, account for a quarter of its greenhouse-gas emissions, and
are the single largest source of air pollution in a majority of the world's cities. Materials and
processes in transportation manufacturing are a significant concern, contributing 14% of the con-
sumed energy, 65% of the particulate emissions, 67% of the solid waste, and 94% of the metals
waste to water.3
Increased use of plastics, alloys, and composite
materials has made cars and trucks lighter and
more fuel efficient, but created new challenges in
terms of how to manufacture these kinds of mate-
rials affordably and to recycle them at the end of
the product s life.
U.S. transportation industry progress towards en-
vironmentally friendly products and operations is
problematic because of the high cost, which im-
pacts our ability to compete in the global market-
place. While a small segment of the consuming
public favors  green products, substantive im-
provements in the area of environmentally benign
manufacturing have primarily been driven by
regulatory mandates.
The most visible challenges to the transportation
Materials and processes in transportation
sector are to produce more efficient engines and
manufacturing are a major contributor to
to transition to more environmentally friendly
environmental issues.
sources of motive power, such as electricity and
alternative fuels. The less-visible challenge is to reduce the amount of environmentally insulting
materials such as solvents, heavy metals, and toxic compounds produced by various manufac-
turing operations.
In the product realm, initiatives such as PNGV4 are working to develop environmentally friendly
cars with up to triple the fuel efficiency of today's cars without sacrificing affordability, perform-
ance, or safety.
In the manufacturing realm, the transportation sector must address virtually the entire gamut of
EBM issues. This sector is a microcosm of the global manufacturing base, inasmuch as produc-
ing a car, truck, or jet aircraft requires contributions from all sectors: metal refining and metal-
working, chemicals, plastics, textiles, electronics, and even agriculture (for wood and leather
components, and the paper used in operating and maintenance manuals).
Transportation-related manufacturing relies heavily on core processes that pose environmental
concerns:
" Casting, sheetmetal working, and machining (scrap and heavy metals contamination)
3
Timothy G. Gutowski et al, WTEC Panel Report on Environmentally Benign Manufacturing, April 2001.
4
PNGV, launched in 1993, is a public/private partnership between the U.S. government, Daimler Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors that aims
to strengthen America's competitiveness by developing technologies for a new generation of vehicles.
3
16 September 2001
" Glass manufacturing (energy consumption, heat generation, and release of greenhouse gases
 CO2, NOx, and SOx)
" Painting/coating (emissions of volatile organic compounds and hazardous air pollutants 
VOCs and HAPs)
" Plating (release of toxics and caustics)
" Joining (VOCs from adhesives)
" Plastics processing (energy consumption, difficulty of recycle)
" Parts washing (release of solvents to groundwater).
The challenge in all of these process areas is to engineer out the hazardous substances, move
closer to scrap-free  net shape operations, and achieve precise closed-loop control in a zero-
waste, zero-emissions processing environment.
In the area of metalcasting, for example, industry has targeting clean melting/remelting processes
and improved sand-casting mold materials as keys to improving environmental attributes of
manufacturing operations. Specific goals identified in Beyond 2000: A Vision for the American
Metalcasting Industry, include
" 100% pre- and post-consumer recycling
" 75% reuse of foundry byproducts
" 100% elimination of waste streams.
The WTEC report identifies system-level tools and data, and technology development, as two
keys to solving the EBM challenge. The tools and data are essential to understanding and quan-
tifying the environmental impacts of existing and new processes, materials, and operations so
that companies can make informed and accurate decisions in the product and process design
stage. Improved process and product technologies are also key to realizing significant advances
in environmentally friendly products and processes. Energy efficiency and reduced emissions
drive the demand for new kinds of engines and reduced vehicle weight, which in turn require in-
novative new materials  such as composites, ceramics, new alloys and engineered plastics  and
the manufacturing processes to produce them cost-effectively.
The WTEC study focused on two major process areas  metals and polymers  and two major
product areas  automobiles and electronics. Appendix A provides a synopsis of the WTEC
team s findings in each of these areas.
Progress is being made in all of these areas, as individual companies in the transportation indus-
try and related sectors respond to increasingly rigorous environmental regulations and public
concerns. New processing technologies such as hydroforming and superplastic forming for
sheetmetal working, microwave drying of core coatings for casting, powder and slurry-based
painting, dry machining, and reaction injection molding offer environmental advantages but re-
quire significant R&D to make them operationally affordable and performance-competitive.
Individual companies are making a big difference. Ford Motor Company is tackling the EBM
challenge aggressively with steps such as innovating a chromium-free pre-paint coating process
and introducing dry machining systems. Ford became the first automaker to have all its plants
certified to the ISO 14001 standard for environmental management, and its Lima Engine Plant
4
16 September 2001
was one of the first such facilities to obtain ISO 14001 certification. Within a year of imple-
mentation, the plant reduced water consumption by nearly 200,000 gallons per day, eliminated
production of boiler ash, and increased the use of returnable packaging from 60% to 99%.5
General Motors focus on EBM has helped the company reduce pollution from its North Ameri-
can manufacturing operations by 24% over the last 2 years through process innovations in water-
based paints, sulfur dioxide scrubbers for process boilers, and lost-foam engine casting. By year-
end 2002, GM's goals are to reduce non-product output by 30% and reduce energy and water use
by 20% from 1995 levels.6
While the aerospace industry has undergone an amazing decade of consolidation, its manufac-
turing operations are unchanged in the broad sense. Machining, casting, forging, plating, plastics
processing, etc. are much the same as in the automotive sector, although the products are more
complex and involve more exotic materials and higher precision.
Boeing has applied lean manufacturing principles and strong recycling and hazardous-material
replacement initiatives to improve the environmental performance of its operations while at the
same time ramping up production capacity to meet a booming demand for new aircraft. In 1998
Boeing recycled 92 million pounds of material, including 35 million pounds of aluminum alloy
and 23 million pounds of steel, which provided $50 million in cost savings. Improved manu-
facturing processes and materials have helped the company reduce Toxic Release Inventory
(TRI) emissions by greater than 82% since 1991.7
NASA is tackling the global warming issue in its Aerospace Technology Enterprise program8,
which is committed to reducing NOx and CO2 emissions of future aircraft engines by 80% and
50%, respectively, over the next 25 years. NASA's strategies for reducing emissions include:
" Develop airframe technologies that reduce fuel consumption and CO2 and NOx emissions
" Develop advanced engine system technologies to reduce emissions that impact local air
quality and affect the global climate
" Develop more efficient operations near airports to reduce aviation fuel burn and emissions
" Develop alternative propulsion systems, airframe concepts, and fuels that dramatically re-
duce or completely eliminate emissions from civil aviation aircraft.
5
http://www.ford.com/servlet/ecmcs/ford/index.jsp?SECTION=ourCompany&LEVEL2=environmentalInitiatives&LEVEL3=cleaner
Manufacturing&LEVEL4=allFordPlants14001Certified.
6
http://www.gm.com/company/gmability/environment/plants/ourplants.html.
7
http://www.boeing.com/companyoffices/aboutus/environment/index.htm.
8
http://www.aerospace.nasa.gov/goals/emissions.htm.
5
16 September 2001
4. THE FOUNDATION: THE WTEC WORKSHOP ON
ENVIRONMENTALLY BENIGN MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGIES
In July 2000, the World Technology Evaluation Center (WTEC) at Loyola College, sponsored
by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy, hosted manufacturing
experts from across the nation to reviews the status of EBM technologies, applications, and poli-
cies in Europe and Japan in comparison to those in the U.S. Topics covered include metals and
metal manufacturing, polymers, automotive applications, electronics, and energy-related issues,
all of which are applicable to the transportation manufacturing sector. Much of the workshop
was devoted to understanding global and cultural drivers for change and assessing where major
U.S industries and the R&D and education communities stand relative to emerging models for
environmentally responsible manufacturing enterprises.
Key issues and frustrations facing U.S. manufacturers, as highlighted in the  Strategic Vision
presentation9 by Dr. David T. Allen of the University of Texas at Austin, include:
" Energy and material consumption
" Waste reduction and reduced use of materials of concern
" Packaging
" Producer responsibility/takeback
" Environmental management systems
" Integrated product policy
" Lack of tools to examine trade-offs between environmental issues, and between environ-
mental issues and issues such as cost and quality
" Data availability and consistency
" Ability of environmental design tools to respond to design cycle times.
Major findings cited in the WTEC final report are as follows10:
1. Motivation at the corporate level: The panel saw a clear trend towards the  internalization
of environmental concerns by manufacturing companies, particularly large international
companies. For a variety of reasons, large companies like Sony, Toyota, Hitachi, Volvo,
Daimler Chrysler, IBM, Motorola, Ford, Dupont and others profess to behave in environ-
mentally responsible ways and provide reports and data from self-audits to demonstrate this
commitment. The motivations for this behavior are many, including cost reduction, risk
mitigation, market advantage, regulatory flexibility, and corporate image. At the core
though, the panel was convinced that many companies really do understand the problem:
any long-term sustainable business policy must address the relationship to the environment.
2. Strategies at the national level: The development of a strategy is a critical part of EBM. In
general, companies develop strategies that are compatible with their national strategies,
while multinational companies need to respond to the strategies of many countries. The
strategies of the EU, Japan and the United States are strongly influenced by their national
concerns and societal structures. In capsule form, the main issues are as follows:
9
David Allen, A Strategic Vision for Environmentally Benign Manufacturing, WTEC Workshop on Environmentally Benign Manufacturing
Technologies; 13 July 2000. http://itri.loyola.edu/ebm/views/top.htm.
10
Timothy G. Gutowski et al, WTEC Panel Report on Environmentally Benign Manufacturing, April 2001.
6
16 September 2001
" In Japan: 1) a focus on the conservation of resources including reductions in energy, ma-
terials, solid wastes, and greenhouse gases; 2) an alignment of internal resources by pub-
lic education, environmental leadership, consensus building, and tools development in-
cluding LCA (Life Cycle Assessment), DFE (Design for the Environment), and ISO
14000 certification; and 3) a systematic implementation of EBM as a competitive strat-
egy.
" In Europe: 1) a concern for solid wastes and toxic materials; 2) a product take-back fo-
cus; 3) a systems orientation built upon interdisciplinary agenda-setting and tools devel-
opment; and 4) a strong political basis for environmental concerns.
" In the United States: 1) a regulatory focus on pollution by medium; 2) a materials, proc-
ess, technology, and cost orientation; 3) a reliance on free enterprise to solve system-level
problems; and 4) a tendency toward adversarial positions which are solved by litigation.
3. Systems-level problem solving: To be successful, progress in EBM requires integration of
technology, economic motivation, regulatory actions and business practices. Examples
abound of missed opportunities when any element is missing. Fundamental to this systems
approach is dialog and cooperation between stakeholders. In the most effective firms, a
clear strategy is developed and woven into business practices. The setting of targets and
constancy of mission are essential to this process. By far the most highly coordinated ef-
forts seen by the panelists were in Japan. For example, Toyota views  lean manufacturing
and  green manufacturing as essentially the same thing.
4. Analytic tools for addressing products: The emphasis in Europe and Japan is shifting to the
environmental consequences of products in all of their stages of life. Along with this shift,
there is a clear need for analytic tools to assist in the assessment of life-cycle consequences
of actions and policies and to guide design decisions for new products and processes. The
Japanese have a national program to develop LCA, and are integrating these tools into engi-
neering design practice. The Europeans have large coordinated projects within industries
and run by academics to develop LCA tools, and they are ahead in educating university stu-
dents to develop these tools.
5. Technology highlights: While the panel saw no  silver bullet technologies to solve envi-
ronmental problems, technology clearly plays a central role. The main feature required is
that the technology must work in an integrated systems approach to the problem. Some
technology highlights include: a complete system for recycling PVC from construction ma-
terials in Japan; a strong emphasis on technology development and transfer in Japan and
Europe; the use of plastics as reducing agents in steelmaking in Japan and Germany; a steel
can production facility in Japan that increases recyclability, reduces wastes, and reduces
costs; and car doors reinforced with natural fibers in Germany.
7
16 September 2001
5. A FUNCTIONAL MODEL FOR THE ENVIRONMENTALLY BENIGN
TRANSPORTATION MANUFACTURING ENTERPRISE
Environmental considerations and issues vary across different levels of the transportation manu-
facturing supply chain and among different industry subsectors (e.g., aerospace and automotive).
However, for the purposes of needs assessment and R&D planning, the subject area can be bro-
ken down into four primary elements as indicated below:
1. Enterprise and Factory Operations  The processes and activities that go on  above the
shop floor of the factory, that influence and direct how products are made and supported
with respect to the drivers of environmental responsiveness and regulatory compliance.
2. Metallic Processes & Materials  The physical manufacturing operations and materials
employed to produce parts and components composed of steel, iron, aluminum, titanium,
and other metals.
3. Nonmetallic Processes & Materials  The physical manufacturing operations and materi-
als employed to produce parts and components composed of plastic, rubber, cloth, leather,
glass, composites, and other nonmetallic materials.
4. Product Design & Support  The processes and systems applied to conceive, develop, and
support transportation products, and the processes employed in their manufacture.
Functional Model for the Environmentally Benign
Transportation Manufacturing Enterprise
8
16 September 2001
6. OTHER EBM LINKS AND REFERENCES OF INTEREST
" Assessment of Environmentally Benign Manufacturing (EBM) Technologies, Final Report, World
Technology Evaluation Center at Loyola College, MD, http://itri.loyola.edu/ebm/ebm.pdf
" Environmentally Conscious Design and Manufacturing Research Group, Michigan Technological Uni-
versity, http://www.me.mtu.edu/research/envmfg/
" Consortium on Green Design and Manufacturing,
http://www.greenmfg.me.berkeley.edu/green/Home/Index.html
" Design for the Environment Program, U.S. EPA, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics,
http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/dfe/about.htm
" ISO 14000 Compliance Information Center, http://www.iso14000.com/
" NAVSO P-3680: Environmental Guideline Document - How to be Green and Stay in the Black; Office
of Naval Research Best Manufacturing Practices Program, http://www.bmpcoe.org/
" Economic Input-Output Life-Cycle Assessment, Carnegie Mellon Green Design Initiative,
http://www.eiolca.net/
9
16 September 2001
APPENDIX A
WTEC EBM PANEL TECHNOLOGY AREA SUMMARIES
 The area of environmentally benign manufacturing addresses the central long-term dilemma for manufacturing:
how to achieve economic growth while protecting the environment. The conflict is fundamental, rooted in part in the
materials conversion process, which takes from the earth and gives to the customer, the stockholder, and to those
who make a living or derive support from this enterprise, and in part in consumerism, which focuses on current
needs often with disregard for the future. The resolution of this conflict is a serious issue for society to address, for
in the near future it will threaten our well-being. The question then for environmentally conscious manufacturers is
how to incorporate both economy and environment into their business plans.
 WTEC Panel Report on Environmentally Benign Manufacturing
Metals In addition, the primary processing of metals re-
mains a serious threat to the environment. New
Metals represent a recycling success story. Struc-
work to reduce energy requirements and related
tural, precious, and base metals are all recycled at
CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions is needed.
rates that are near or above 50%. However, metal
Currently, both the steel and aluminum industries
usage is slowly being eroded by competition from
have been designated as  industries of the future
other materials, especially polymers. The chal-
by the U.S. Department of Energy, and as such
lenge to metals is to compete with these alternative
have developed cooperative research programs to
materials while maintaining and improving recy-
address these issues.
clability. Trends towards higher strength metals
and alloys, used in thinner sections, while im- Polymers
proving the competitiveness of metals, will make
Polymers compete against other materials by vir-
their recycling more difficult. To preserve and
tue of their light weight and low cost. This can
expand the benefits of metals, new technologies
make them desirable, and in fact environmentally
will have to be developed along with new materi-
friendly, during the  use phase of the product.
als. These include new methods to identify and
For example, the use of polymers and composites
sort alloys, remove coatings, and to eliminate and
in automobiles has helped to lower weight and
neutralize contaminants.
therefore lower fuel consumption. But these same
Metals processing remains a significant source of attributes conspire to make recycling a difficult
environmental problems. Many of these problems economic challenge. A lower material density
are associated with waste materials and related actually increases transportation costs per kg of
emissions from the basic processes of refining, material, and the low cost of virgin materials
machining, forming, casting and forging. The makes recycling targets very difficult to meet.
wastes include contaminated cuttings and chips, The primary problem is with the details of the re-
waste coolants, lubricants, casting sands, parts verse logistics stage, especially with streams that
washing fluids, etc. Because of the high disposal are extremely heterogeneous (mixed plastics) or
costs for each of these, manufacturers are self- dirty (contaminated with metal and paper). Major
motivated to reduce, reuse and eliminate, but they attention needs to be focused on the collection,
need new technologies from which to choose. Ex- transportation, cleaning and sorting of a suffi-
amples of needed EBM research include: dry ma- ciently pure waste stream to make plastics recy-
chining, bioactivity monitoring and control of ma- cling economically viable. To accelerate recy-
chining coolants, true net shape component form- cling, new technologies can help. For example,
ing methods, alternative methods to control fric- small-scale recycling technologies would reduce
tion in metal forming, new casting sand binders, transportation and infrastructure needs. New bulk-
etc.
10
16 September 2001
handling, cleaning, and sorting techniques are also Automobiles
necessary.
In automobiles we see the plastic, glass, ceramic
Composites also pose a challenge. These materi- and metal parts coming together to make a product
als can provide enormous benefits at the use that has been growing worldwide three times
phase, but equally enormous challenges at the end- faster than the population, and in the United States
of-life phase. One possible route to recyclable six times faster than the population. This type of
composites could involve organic and/or biode- growth and the potential new growth, as the
gradable fibers. Other strategies could be based worldwide standard of living increases, not only
upon new materials with designed-in  disassem- threatens the environment, but can threaten the
bly schemes. Polymers and polymer composites automobile itself. For if infrastructure and road-
can also be used in various materials exchanges way construction does not keep pace (and it cannot
and as fuels. For example, there are pilot pro- in the already high population density regions of
grams in Japan and Germany to use polymers as a the world) then the automobile may ultimately fail
reducing agent in steel making. as a viable form of transportation in these regions.
It is this type of scenario that has helped to focus
The processing challenges for polymers are in
the attention of some of the automobile companies
some ways quite similar to metals, in that many of
on their environmental impact.
the benefits should be self-motivating for the
processors. However, there is a need for new Many of the major environmental impacts associ-
technologies that concentrate on energy efficiency, ated with automobiles actually come during the
and the reduction in volatile organics. These can vehicle use phase. In fact, transportation in gen-
include new efficient heating and cooling meth- eral constitutes about one-third of all the energy
ods, new tooling, closed-loop control, and new needs in the U.S. and is growing. Furthermore,
materials and additives to reduce solvents, residual autos and light vehicles contribute significant
organics and other materials of concern. amounts of air pollutants and smog producing
agents to the atmosphere. Legislation has helped
One particularly interesting area is that of bio-
to motivate vehicle improvements, but increases in
polymers and bio-materials. There is significant
fuel consumption per car, cars owned, miles trav-
activity worldwide in such areas as biodegradable
eled, and congestion have counteracting effects.
polymers synthesized from petroleum, organic
For one to three months each year many major
fibers and fillers, and biodegradable polymers de-
U.S. cities still cannot meet minimum air quality
rived from various crops and biomass. While this
standards. This is an area that begs for leadership,
work looks very interesting, the overall effect of
public education, and policies that reflect the true
these materials on the environment is still not well
cost of vehicle ownership. New directives from
known. For example, a recent analysis has shown
Europe that simultaneously set serious new fuel
that some new routes from crops to bio-polymers
economy goals (on the order of a 40% improve-
are actually more energy intensive than the con-
ment in seven years) and strict product take-back
ventional routes from petroleum. Much new work
requirements (95% recycle for model year 2015)
is needed to follow through the entire life cycle for
should help by encouraging the development of
these materials.
new technologies and design strategies. Further-
Finally, the primary production of polymers from more, Europe is providing a role model of envi-
petroleum remains a serious challenge to the envi- ronmentally responsible behavior for the rest of
ronment. These processes, contained in the pe-
the world. Effects from the European initiative
troleum and chemical industries, are subject to
have already diffused to other parts of the world,
several initiatives to move from end-of-pipe treat- both in terms of national legislation as well as in-
ments to proactive  clean technologies ap-
ternational design strategies for firms that sell
proaches. Several studies sponsored by the United
autos to Europe and elsewhere in the world. Vehi-
States Environmental Protection Agency have cle recycling already exists as a successful free
shown the combined economic and environmental
enterprise activity in the U.S., but its performance
gains that can be obtained by these means.
and viability has been declining as the volume of
metals used in automobiles declines. It is criti-
11
16 September 2001
cally important that auto recycling be improved to Electronics
reclaim automobile shredder residue (ASR), in-
The growth of electronics in our society is an im-
cluding various polymers, rubber and glass com-
pressive story. On the one hand it has led to an
ponents. This will require coordinated and inten-
enormous boost to the economies of many coun-
tional design and materials selection decisions on
tries, providing convenience, entertainment, and
the part of the automobile manufacturers. Tech-
ready access to information and services, but on
nology needs include identification of both materi-
the other hand many of the manufacturing proc-
als and contaminants, sorting and reprocessing
esses to make electronic devices are both seriously
technologies, life cycle analysis tools, new materi-
wasteful and use and emit toxic and dangerous
als, and coatings removal technologies.
materials. Furthermore, the dual trends of grow-
During manufacturing, much of the waste and ing consumption and decreasing product life spans
wastewater used over the lifetime of a car is pro- present a serious end-of-life issue. For example,
duced, significant amounts of energy are con- the trend for PCs is a projected six-fold increase in
sumed, and various emissions are released to the the obsolescence rate over a six year span to about
atmosphere. Perhaps leading the list of environ- 65 million PCs/year in 2003. Furthermore, as the
mental focus areas for automobile manufacturing PC has evolved, there is a tendency toward mate-
is vehicle painting. Various technologies can be rial compositions that are less easy to recycle.
implemented to reduce the environmental load Silicon chips are no longer gold-backed, the vol-
from painting, including wastewater cleaning and ume of precious and base metals used on printed
recycling, and emissions treatment. New paint wiring boards (PWBs) has decreased, and the
technologies now also offer water-based paints housings are more commonly made of engineering
and powder sprays. In addition, new approaches thermoplastics than steel.
are looking at prepainted steel sheets and molded-
However, by and large, the metals in electronics
in class A finishes for plastic parts. This work
products can still be recycled, while the chips,
needs further support, plus a thorough systems-
which are expensive to produce, cannot be recy-
level assessment that includes the potential im-
cled or reused. A major problem in the recycling
pacts of increased inventories and scrap rates due
of electronics is the presence of flame retardants in
to off-color results. Many other areas of automo-
the plastics, required by U.S. fire-prevention
bile manufacturing also need attention; some of
regulations. In Japan and Europe, plastics are in-
them have already been mentioned in the sections
cinerated rather than recycled and the presence of
on metal and plastics parts manufacturing. In ad-
brominated flame retardants (BFRs) raises the
dition, however, a few areas stand out for further
concern of dioxin formation during the burning
attention. These include technologies for parts
process. Unfortunately, BFRs are very difficult to
washing and glass manufacturing, as well as the
detect economically in a recycling process. Since
environmental effects of various manufacturing
most products sold in the United States contain
systems designs. During the visit to Toyota, pan-
these substances, and plastics cannot effectively be
elists saw examples of  lean manufacturing,
sorted by whether or not they contain BFRs, it is
which by virtue of the emphasis on the reduction
assumed that most recycled plastic from electronic
of waste were clear emulations of  green manu-
products, particularly ABS, contains flame re-
facturing. For example, one Toyota assembly
tardants. Consequently, many OEMs are reluctant
plant in Tsutsumi produced only 18 kg of landfill
to include recycled plastics in new products that
waste per vehicle.
may be sold in Europe. This dilemma has inspired
Finally, WTEC panelists are concerned that the a variety of responses from industry ranging from
divestiture of parts manufacturing plants by the skepticism concerning the particular BFRs and the
big six automakers will have a deleterious effect mechanisms by which they could become harmful,
on the environment unless there is significant sup- to enthusiastically embracing this problem as a
port for environmental technology development  green marketing opportunity should a viable
aimed at second and third tier suppliers. alternative be found. This particular issue clearly
illustrates the complexity of EBM for international
markets.
12
16 September 2001
In addition to the end-of-life issues surrounding There is, however, resistance to converting to Pb-
electronics, there are significant environmental free solders. One of the challenges with Pb-free
impacts associated with electronics manufacturing, solders is the difficulty in achieving satisfactory
particularly from wafer fabrication processes. reliability during the use phase. A second problem
These processes, which are characterized by gase- with Pb-free solders is that they typically have
ous deposition, ultra-clean manufacturing envi- higher melting temperatures and therefore require
ronments, and in some cases low yields, result in increased process temperatures. Since this is one
high amounts of waste and wastewater, high usage of the final processes seen by the PWB, all the
of energy, and the emission of materials of con- materials and components on the board must be
cern including perfluoro compounds. Because of able to withstand the increased thermal exposure.
the importance of these issues they have received This means that alternative, and probably more
research support through a variety of programs expensive, components and substrates will need to
sponsored by SEMATECH, NSF and the EPA. be used. In addition, many of the Pb-free alterna-
Strategies to address issues at the wafer fab level tives are difficult to control (leading to scrap), and
have been outlined in the SIA (Semiconductor In- difficult to rework (leading to additional scrap) or
dustry Association) roadmap. disassemble. Some contain elements that are in-
A separate set of environmental issues is also en- compatible with recycling processes.
countered at the PWB and board level assembly
Finally, if a full life-cycle analysis is done it is
steps. These include laminate manufacture and
unclear that Pb-free solders are actually more en-
processing, cleaning, plating, etching, and various
vironmentally friendly. If material availability,
through-hole-plating and interconnect technolo-
impacts of extraction, increased processing diffi-
gies. However, a current major focus is on lead-
culties, and end-of-life issues are accounted for,
free solders. Driven primarily, if not exclusively,
Sn-Pb solder may actually be a better choice. Ul-
by the European Union s WEEE Directive, there
timately the best solution may be completely new
has been a strong incentive for electronic compa-
attachment technologies that do not use solder,
nies worldwide to develop alternatives to tin-lead
such as adhesive flip chip.
(Sn-Pb) solder.
13
16 September 2001
APPENDIX B
ENVIRONMENTALLY BENIGN MANUFACTURING:
THE IMTI PERSPECTIVE
Future manufacturing enterprises will draw on a rich base of scientific knowledge, innovative materials
and unit processes, and total integration of product life cycles and facilities to cost-effectively design,
manufacture, support, and recycle products with no adverse impacts to the environment.11
 Manufacturing Success in the 21st Century
As we move deeper into the next millennium, we face increasing conflicts between the drive to industri-
alize and the need to protect and conserve the global environment. To manufacturers, this dilemma is
played out in decisions every day. What to make, how to make it, and where to make it  all of these de-
cisions must take near- and long-term environmental impacts into account.
There is little denial that environmental concerns are very real. Industrial operations and modern products
(most notably, automobiles) continue to pour millions of tons of pollutants into the atmosphere and
groundwater every year, generating acid rain and contaminating vital watersheds. Chlorinated fluorocar-
bons from refrigerants and packaging materials are degrading the Earth s ozone layer and contributing to
global warming. Industrial unit operations continue to pump process water contaminated with heavy
metals and toxic compounds into our watersheds, albeit at  safe levels determined by regulatory agen-
cies. Farming continues to leach pesticides into groundwater, often with disastrous results on wildlife.
Figure 1 shows the major waste types by weight in the U.S. using data from the Office of Technology
Assessment (Wernick, 1996). These figures become even more significant when one realizes that the
U.S. produces more waste than any other nation. Hence, U.S. manufacturing might be characterized as
the most wasteful industrial activity, in the most wasteful nation. Note also that a large portion of this
waste is water waste.12
Among the industries selected by the U.S. Envi-
ronmental Protection Agency (EPA) for toxic mate-
rials monitoring, manufacturing releases are larger
than all other activities except metals mining, which
is closely related to manufacturing. This is shown in
Figure 2, which gives the 1998 EPA Toxic Release
Inventory (TRI) results by industrial categories.
In terms of energy usage, manufacturing dominates
all other industrial activities, taking up 80% of the
total. And, because most of our energy consump-
tion in the U.S. is from carbon-based fuels  oil,
natural gas, and coal  manufacturing s contribution
to carbon emissions is roughly the same, around
80%, again dominating all industrial activities
(DOE/EIA, 1998). Hence, when all of these factors
are considered, we see that manufacturing is per-
Figure 1. Major waste types by weight in the
haps the most significant industrial activity in terms
United States (1985) (Wernick et al. 1996).
of potential environmental impact.
11
Marks, Douglas and Richard E. Neal, Manufacturing Success in the 21st Century: A Strategic View, IMTI Inc., July 2000.
12
Timothy G. Gutowski et al, WTEC Panel Report on Environmentally Benign Manufacturing, April 2001.
14
16 September 2001
The rising tide of environmental
concern in the U.S. and Europe does
promise hope for the future. The real
challenge for manufacturers is how
to balance the demands of the public
and regulators for environmental re-
sponsibility against the pressures of
profit-conscious stockholders.
Better process technology and a shift
away from heavy industry has paid
excellent environmental dividends.
According to the U.S. EPA, toxic
materials releases from U.S. manu-
facturing operations dropped 45%
from 1987 to 1998 (Figure 2).
However, in many cases, technology
is not the problem. Technology ex-
ists to have near-zero-emission fac-
tory stacks, 99% filtered process
water, and leach-proof landfills. Fi-
Figure 2. TRI releases for 1998 by category (EPA, 1998).
nancially, though, we can t always
afford it. As long as manufacturers
have competitors that operate in countries with lax environmental laws, they have little choice but to
lobby against restrictions that could hurt their competitiveness, or to relocate hazardous operations to
countries where liability is less an issue.
One interesting and troubling trend: OEMs are moving to divest themselves, through outsourcing, of en-
vironmentally problematic operations such as metalworking. Many of these subcontractors will be left
 holding the bag as environmental regulations are tightened and as accountability is demanded for leg-
acy environmental issues. These smaller firms do not have the resources to go much beyond compliance
in day-to-day operations.
It is clear that environmental sustainability will increasingly be a basic cost of doing business. In a many
European countries, automakers must now accept vehicles back at the end of their life for recycle and dis-
posal. This model of life-cycle responsibility will likely spread to other industries and countries over the
next decade.
While technology is not a magic bullet to solve environmental issues associated with manufacturing and
industrial operations, it is perhaps the best weapon in our arsenal to make meaningful improvements
without bankrupting individual companies and entire industries. The IMTI Roadmaps13 identify a number
of technology advances that will help future manufacturers:
" Design innovative products and processes that are optimized for environmental attributes as well as cost
and performance.
" Operate and manage processes and facilities with greatly improved control of hazardous materials.
" Manage products and processes that are sustainable from a life-cycle perspective, ensuring that end-of-
life issues are fully considered from the earliest stages of product conception.
13
Copies of the IMTI roadmaps for Manufacturing Processes & Equipment, Modeling & Simulation, Intelligent Control, and other areas are
available at www.IMTI21.org.
15
16 September 2001
Following are highlights of a few of the  nugget capa-
Environmentally Benign
bilities targeted for development by the IMTI plans that
will help meet the Environmental Responsibility chal- Manufacturing:
lenge.
Delivering a Sustainable Future
Zero Net Life-Cycle Waste
Most products are designed for one-time use be-
fore becoming part of the 250 trillion tons of waste
Eco-Industrial Parks  that s the expression used to
generated annually worldwide. With the global
describe the symbiotic relationship where waste
population expected to double to 10 billion early in
streams from one company become raw materials for
this century and with commensurate increases in
others. In a study of a Brownsville, Texas/Matamoros, consumption of manufactured goods in develop-
ing countries, that number could grow to a quad-
Mexico industrial park, the team analyzed five scenar-
rillion tons annually.
ios ranging from  best practice internal recycling to
fully cooperative, collocated factories. They docu- The long-term financial and environmental costs
associated with that waste stream far exceed the
mented returns on investment as high as 359% per year,
short-term economic benefits associated with
and net annual economic benefits of up to $8.2 mil-
those products. Mere depletion of resources will
lion.14
bring nations economies to an abrupt halt if they
aren t buried under the sheer mass of their own
 Eliminate waste! is the battle cry of CEOs who have
waste first. Today s manufacturing practices,
embraced lean manufacturing to protect increasingly
which recycle no more than 5% of the total waste
fragile profit margins and appease stockholders. From stream worldwide, are not sustainable for the fu-
ture by any measure.
the environmental perspective, many firms address
waste generation and disposal issues reluctantly in re-
IMTI s vision of the future manufacturing enter-
sponse to regulatory mandates and public concerns. prise embraces a closed-loop,  cradle-to-cradle
life-cycle approach to the manufacturing cycle.
In the IMTI vision, intelligent design advisors drawing
Rich bases of technical knowledge, coupled with
on a rich base of environmental science and regulatory intelligent systems that help designers and others
make the best decisions at every turn, will pro-
understanding will help product and process engineers
mote innovation in design, technology, and mate-
 design out waste on the front end. This emphasis
rials, thus eliminating waste while drastically
will encompass the entire product life cycle and include
curbing the release of toxic and hazardous sub-
recycling, reuse, and remanufacturing of products and
stances into the environment. Manufacturers,
suppliers, and customers will be linked in a life-
materials at the end of their useful lives.
cycle network that maximizes recovery and recy-
High-fidelity material and process models used with cle of all materials used in products and in the
processes that create and sustain them.
internet-based clearinghouses for  process partnering
will encourage creation of zero-discharge manufactur-
ing complexes. These physically integrated production communities will use the waste from one com-
pany s processes as feedstock for the processes of other companies.
High-precision discrete and continuous manufacturing processes managed by intelligent control systems
and operational decision aids will ensure efficient process execution, while providing robust protection
against undesirable releases.
Engineered Materials & Surfaces
While we are still years away from being able to translate the groundbreaking work now being done in the
nanotechnology arena into a commercially viable ability to engineer products and processes at the mo-
lecular levels, engineered materials offer tremendous potential to reduce the environmental impact of
manufacturing products and processes.
Key EBM-related goals in this area include the replacement of hazardous and problematic materials with
environmentally benign substitutes that:
" Offer comparable cost and performance
14
Pollution Prevention, Eco-Industrial Parks, Research Triangle Institute, 16 July 2000. http://www.rti.org/units/ese/p2/lca.cfm#life.
16
16 September 2001
" Can be produced with processes generating less waste and requiring less energy
" Extend end-product life and simplify recycling
" Reduce friction, thus reducing the need for lubricants.
Engineered materials and surfaces are already providing myriad benefits in all kinds of industries. An
oxide coating on structural steel prevents corrosion and eliminates the need to paint. High-quality fin-
ishes on plastic components in automobiles (with the color embedded in the plastic) eliminates the paint-
ing problem up front and makes recycle more cost-effective.15 New materials have led to more efficient
photovoltaic cells that have increased the efficiencies of solar power systems by 500%, while reducing
costs by 90% since 1990. More efficient motors and lightweight materials for windmill turbines have
reduced construction and operating costs by 90% since 1981, making their power generation costs compa-
rable with coal.
In the IMTI vision, advances in material processing technologies will enable design of cost-effective, en-
vironmentally benign products using customized materials and surface properties in virtually any quan-
tity.
New processing and deposition techniques will enable creation of custom materials and surfaces that vary
in 3-D composition and properties to meet environmental requirements as well as functional needs, as in
the case of load-bearing structures or components that demand a graduated combination of flexibility and
rigidity plus high resistance to environmental extremes.
The ability to engineer products at the molecular level will enable replacement of environmentally unde-
sirable materials (e.g., asbestos and chlorinated fluorocarbons) with low-cost materials that are environ-
mentally benign and safely biodegradable. This capability will also support design of products for ease of
disassembly and recycle at the end of their useful life, and provide greater protection against release of
hazardous constituents through robust packaging and containment designs virtually impermeable to acci-
dent, malice, or mishandling.
 Smart materials in all types of containers and packaging will adapt to their external environments to
prevent inadvertent release of hazardous constituents, not unlike today s self-sealing tires. Such materials
may eventually be programmable at a molecular level, enabling  push-button recycle, recovery, and re-
use of constituent materials.
Self-Correcting, Adaptive Operational Systems
Improved control of processes translates to improved efficiency and competitiveness as well as improved
environmental performance. Citgo Petroleum s refinery in Corpus Christi, Texas, has made widespread
use of smart control systems to reduce costs and enhance all aspects of performance. Neural net-based
expert systems help control process units throughout the refinery to ensure greater consistency and effi-
ciency in unit operations. Installation of a neural net-based emissions prediction system coupled to the
plant s monitoring system enables the facility to ensure emissions are continuously controlled to the low-
est possible limits.16
Self-correcting systems are not a new concept. Continuous process industries such as pharmaceutical and
chemical manufacturers do an outstanding job of designing efficient processes and executing those proc-
esses reliably over long periods. The long lifespan of such processes makes them amenable to process
modeling and incremental buildup from bench to pilot to operational scale. Analysis, tuning, and design
enhancement at each step enable the process to be optimized for efficiency, throughput, safety, and reli-
ability.
15
Physics Success Stories, American Institute of Physics, 16 July 2000. http://www.aip.org/success.
16
Austin Weber, 1996 Automated Plant of the Year Advanced Technology Propels Citgo Toward 21st Century, Gensym Corporation, October
1996. http://www.gensym.com/expert_operations/stories/citgo.htm.
17
16 September 2001
Process variability is a critical issue in every industry, and the designer s challenge is to provide sufficient
margins at every step of the process to accommodate variability while minimizing resulting impacts to
cost and quality.
Improved effectors, sensors, and feedback-based control mechanisms have gone a long way toward as-
suring process performance and quality in the discrete as well as continuous processing industries. In the
IMTI vision of the future, truly intelligent control mechanisms designed to emulate biological feedback
systems and linked to  armies of low-cost modular sensors and effectors will continuously monitor and
tune processes for optimum performance.
Linked to a knowledge base of process history, physical and chemical dynamics, and enterprise experi-
ence, the new generation of control systems will be able to respond in real time to impending process up-
sets that threaten safety parameters, and will be a source of continuous advice and assistance to human
operators and supervisors.
Totally Integrated Life-Cycle Management
More and more, companies are managing products from a life-cycle perspective to respond to customer
preferences and find ways to enhance the overall cost-effectiveness of their operations. Home Depot sells
carpet made from recycled plastic drink bottles. Collins and Aikman Floorcovering in Dalton, Georgia
does one better. They take responsibility for any product they have ever made by offering to reclaim and
reuse it after its useful life. The company warrants that no product reclaimed for recycling will ever go in
a landfill or be incinerated. Literally millions of pounds of carpet  mined from old buildings are reused
in a closed-loop operation.
Many of the worst environmental insults we are addressing today are the result of processes originally
designed with no real understanding of their long-term impact. While there is still much to learn, there is
growing realization that diligence in design of products and processes will reduce the possibility and se-
verity of environmental insults. Hopefully, continuing technology advances will also help deliver ways to
repair the damage already done.
The IMTI vision of the product realization process  the full realm of activities that take an idea from a
scribble on a chalkboard to a delivered product  is of a process that integrates all life-cycle considera-
tions into each step of the process to help arrive at the best decisions all along the way, ensuring that end-
of-life issues are addressed up-front in the design process.
Powerful, intelligent design advisors drawing on a deep, openly shared base of knowledge about material
properties, the chemistry of environmental interactions, and best practices for design and manufacturing
will help product and process designers develop solutions that are environmentally beneficial, not just
 acceptable, in every stage of product life.
Today s leading-edge applications are moving toward life-cycle product management solutions. Con-
struction equipment, trucks and buses, and even some private vehicles are connected via satellite net-
works to manufacturers and service organizations to gather data for logistical support and maintenance to
assure peak performance. And in Europe, when their useful lives are over, cars are driven to a recycling
center for disassembly instead of being junked.
Prognostics  proactive diagnostics  and health management (PHM) technology is already appearing for
household appliances, enabling products to  phone home to the factory or service rep when internal sen-
sors indicate an impending problem. Next-generation military systems such as the Joint Strike Fighter,
now in development, are incorporating PHM capabilities as part of a total product support information
management network that includes tracking and disposition of hazardous materials.
Products will be designed from inception to maximize longevity, supportability, reuse, recycle, and other
attributes with environmental impacts. Some will even be equipped with built-in monitoring and com-
18
16 September 2001
munications to ensure safe, compliant usage and final disposition. Many of these systems will provide
feedback directly to their manufacturers to help enhance the next generation of products.
Manufacturing processes and equipment will be designed to flexibly accept and use recycled feedstock
and process byproducts (e.g., scrap) as easily as virgin raw materials, creating and delivering products
with recycle content as high as 100%. Closed-loop supply chains and recycle communities at local, re-
gional, national, and international levels will connect different manufacturing operations that can use each
other s waste and byproducts as feedstock.
19
16 September 2001
APPENDIX C
NSF RECENT EBM-RELATED R&D GRANTS
The following is a series of project abstracts drawn from recent National Science Foundation grants in the
area of EBM.
Optimization and Control of Metalworking ments will be developed, including two EBDM
Fluids in Environmentally Benign Manufac- courses, two web-based EBDM educational tools,
turing Systems and a modular EBDM sequence for undergraduate
design and manufacturing programs. The Envi-
PI: Steven J. Skerlos, University of Michigan
ronmental and Sustainable Technology Research
This grant provides funding for development of a
and Teaching Laboratory (EAST RTL) will be
research and education program focused on devel-
established to facilitate the integration of EBDM
oping environmentally benign metalworking fluid
research and education, and will be exclusively
systems. Metalworking fluids (MWFs) are ubiq-
dedicated to furthering the integration of manu-
uitous in manufacturing, comprise a major per-
facturing and environmental technologies.
centage of process costs, and contain significant
Ultraviolet Light Surface Treatment of Poly-
environmental and health hazards. This funding
mers and Metals - An Environmentally Benign
supports a major new initiative to eliminate these
Manufacturing Process for Enhanced Paint and
liabilities by researching the relationships between
Adhesive Performance
MWF chemistry, machining performance, system
economics, and the effectiveness of state of the art
PI: Lawrence T. Drzal, Michigan State University
MWF re-use technology. These relationships are
There is a growing need for a fast, robust, efficient
researched in four phases: 1) physicochemical
and environmentally benign surface treatment
characteristics of MWFs will be classified based
process for plastics and metals that can be easily
on their ability to affect machining performance;
incorporated into the manufacturing environment.
2) optimal MWF application rates will be estab-
This New Technologies for the Environment
lished; (3) the fundamental mechanisms of MWF
(NTE) project emphasizes high risk/high return,
deterioration will be determined; and 4) the effec-
exploratory feasibility study into the ability to use
tiveness of re-use technologies in addressing
UV light, in air, to clean and surface treat polymer
MWF deterioration mechanisms and health haz-
and metals surfaces as a replacement technology
ards will be modeled. The knowledge generated
for abrasion, solvent and detergent based cleaning
by these tasks will be fully integrated into tangible
methods to prepare surfaces to painting and/or ad-
process planning, monitoring, and control tech-
hesive bonding. The UV source will illuminate a
nologies that will achieve cost-effective and envi-
surface with photons of sufficient energy and in-
ronmentally benign MWF systems.
tensity in air to create atomic oxygen and ozone to
The educational component of this program will
both decompose surface contaminants and oxidize
focus on outreach and transfer of EBDM strategies
and increase the surface energy of the surface be-
to manufacturing stakeholders. This includes
ing illuminated. If this process could be accom-
transfer of advanced research in environmental
plished, it would reduce VOCs, detergent-fouled
product design and manufacturing, as well as basic
wastewater, and fine particulates. This technology
education regarding how to achieve simultaneous
also has the potential to be very cost effective
improvement of economic and environmental per- through its energy efficiency.
formance. The EBDM education program will
Preliminary research has shown the potential
engage a diversity of stakeholders, including uni-
ubiquitous nature of this process to a large variety
versity students, practicing engineers, and gov-
of polymer and metal surfaces. Research in this
ernmental providers of technical assistance. At the
portion of the project will be directed at the fun-
university level, several original curriculum ele-
damental scientific and engineering aspects of this
20
16 September 2001
process, which would allow life-cycle considera- market. Although zeolites have been tried as a
tions for costs and efficient materials reuse in a potential candidate, they deactivate rapidly on
sustainable materials stream. stream. The deactivation is mainly due to the for-
mation of 'coke' deposits that plug up pore mouth
Surface Engineering of Metals with Plasma
openings and block the active sites. The novel
Polymers
zeolite catalyst uses smart structure-directing
PI: Giles Dillingham, BTG
agents to create highly ordered micro and macro-
pores. The larger pores provide efficient access
This SBIR Phase I project will conduct research to
and quick diffusion of reagents to the micro-
replace current environmentally damaging metal
porous system, while the smaller pores can offer
pretreatment processes with an environmentally
high-surface area and size selectivity; thus specific
benign process. In the approach the metal surface
catalytic and sieving functions. Engineered zeolite
is etched then coated with a sub-micron film of
catalysts will be synthesized, characterized and
plasma polymerized SiO2. Current metal pre-
tested for activity and stability as part of the Phase
treatment processes for painting and adhesive
I research. It is expected that the unique pore ar-
bonding perform well, but generate tremendous
chitecture will reduce intra-pore diffusive barriers
volumes of wastes, including hexavalent chro-
leading to higher product selectivity and a signifi-
mium and various inorganic acids. To obtain per-
cantly longer catalyst life compared to conven-
formance superior to the current state-of-the-art
tional zeolitic systems.
wet chemical surface treatments, the surface
chemistry and morphology of the plasma polym-
This new class of engineered zeolites can be used
erized films need to be tailored for specific inter-
effectively as a solid-acid catalyst for fast liquid
actions with the adhesive. Effects of variables
phase reactions such as the production of iso-
including substrate chemistry, monomer chemis-
octanes, cumene and EB.
try, and ion kinetic energy on surface chemistry
Environmentally Conscious, Economically Fea-
and morphology of plasma polymers will be de-
sible Electronics Manufacturing
termined. Then, the effect of the resulting struc-
ture on the strength and durability of adhesive PI: Mark A. Palmer, Virginia Commonwealth
joints will be determined. University
By combining in-situ analytical techniques with This New Technologies for the Environment
accelerated aging and mechanical testing of adhe- (NTE) project will assess the feasibility of using
sive specimens, a superior, environmentally be- lead-free solder with existing manufacturing
nign process based on plasma polymerization will equipment, through novel processing. Using this
be developed and commercialized. These primers process may have the added benefit that fluxes,
will have well understood morphologies and sur- potentially hazardous organic materials, may be
face compositions tailored to the adhesive chem- eliminated from the solder paste as well. Solder
istry through control of the deposition conditions joints will be prepared by a solid state process,
and/or chemical derivitization of the plasma poly- known as sintering where by powders are joined
mer surface. without melting the powder. Sintering is widely
used to manufacture ceramics and high tempera-
Engineered Zeolite Catalyst for Paraffin Alky-
ture metals. In the process proposed here, solders
lation
considered as alternatives to lead-tin solder will be
PI: Mitrajit Mukherjee, Epsilon Tech
heated to slightly below their melting point and
allowed to sinter. Were these alternatives used in
This SBIR Phase I project aims to develop a new
conventional processing, electronic materials
class of engineered zeolite catalysts for the petro-
would be exposed to temperatures 50C higher than
chemical and refining industry. A looming refor-
if lead-tin were used. By sintering, the tempera-
mulated gasoline boom is driving the development
ture will actually be reduced. This technique can
of solid-acid catalysts routes to alkylates. The in-
also be used to form cold solder joints with me-
tent is to replace sulfuric and hydrofluoric acids
chanical integrity. This means that a wider range
with safer and more environmentally benign solid-
of materials can be considered.
acid catalysts in the 60-million tons/year alkylates
21
16 September 2001
Laser-Triggered Multiple Hollow-Cathode and qualify the joint environmental and economic
Transient Plasmas for a Multi-Component Film performance of manufacturing plants.
Manufacturing Process
This project will extend familiar cost management
PIs: Sarath Witanachchi and Pritish Mukherjee, principles (in particular Activity-Based Costing)
University of South Florida into environmental management in order to create
a combined economic and environmental perform-
This NSF/DOE Partnership in Basic Plasma Sci-
ance measurement framework. A model of a
ence and Engineering project addresses the devel-
manufacturing plant's processes using an Activity-
opment of a new process to generate highly ion-
Based Cost, Mass, and Energy approach will be
ized plasma plumes of metallic species for multi-
developed. Manufacturing process sensors will be
component film growth. Multiple, laser-triggered
used to enhance response time of performance
hollow-cathode plasma sources are used for the
measurements. The data streams will be inte-
deposition of stoichiometric multi-component
grated into a web-browser based display that pro-
films. The process affords precise control of the
vides read-outs of the plant's performance at vari-
transient plasma dynamics and the plasma plumes
ous levels of detail. The tools will be imple-
can be made directional by external fields, thereby
mented and tested in an actual manufacturing
allowing the deposition of material on steps, facets
plant. This test-bed will be used to assess the
or vias. The basic mechanisms involved in the
findings and lessons learned with respect to devel-
formation, propagation and gas phase interactions
oping integrated economic and environmental as-
of multiple transient metallic plasmas triggered by
sessments.
synchronized laser pulses is studied through
Langmuir probe and in-situ optical diagnostics. If successful, this research will provide new busi-
These studies include the dynamics and plasma ness and process instrumentation and correspond-
chemistry of multiple colliding plasmas as well as ing methods of analysis that will quantify and
the effect of various plasma parameters on film qualify the joint environmental and economic per-
stoichiometry, rate and area of growth, and the formance of manufacturing plants. These tools
crystallinity and morphology of the films. A theo- will advance the cause of environmentally con-
retical model is developed to simulate species scious manufacturing (and ultimately, sustainable
propagation in a transient plasma plume. development) by providing a basis for bench-
marking a manufacturing plant with other plants
Applications that include the deposition of Cu,
and other industries. Companies will use these
TiN and CuInSe2 films are used to illustrate the
methods to accelerate their contributions to a more
general feasibility of the proposed manufacturing
sustainable society.
process. This novel process will lead to high-
throughput, high-quality, cost-effective, environ- Environmentally Benign Manufacturing -
mentally benign industrial applications in the fab- Casting by Design
rication of coatings and films.
PI: Paul H. Steen, Cornell University
Integrated Environmental and Economic
This New Technologies for the Environment
Performance Monitoring
(NTE) exploratory research project proposes a
PIs: Bert Bras, Chen Zhou, Leon F. McGinnis,
novel technology to enable continuous casting of
Georgia Tech Research Corp. (GIT)
molten metals, in a single step, to the specifica-
tions of the designer. To cast aluminum foil, e.g.,
This grant provides funding for research to inte-
in a single step, would reduce CO2 emissions to
grate environmental and economic performance
the atmosphere by 250,000 tons per year, in the
information for manufacturers. This research will
U.S. alone. Every kilogram of aluminum saved in
attempt to help industry see, in real time, opportu-
reducing manufacturing waste translates into elec-
nities for improving both economic and environ-
tricity saved at the energy-hungry smelter. The
mental performance. The objective is to develop
technology is based on controlling length scales
new business/process instrumentation and corre-
previously uncontrolled.
sponding methods of analysis that will quantify
22
16 September 2001
Successful casting by design, or `tunable' casting, pared with traditional expensive and time-
will use substrate modification to manipulate consuming molding processes, the machining
product quality. The goal is to condition the sub- methods investigated in this research promise a
strate by imposing thermal gradients before the practical alternative for rapid production of preci-
contact zone. Gray-scales in ink-jet printing are sion elastomeric parts for a multitude of custom
produced by the spacing and arrangements of ink applications at significantly lower cost. This re-
dots of the same size. In much the same way, the search also offers the potential for the develop-
proposed gradients will be established with ar- ment of new manufacturing processes for cost-
rangements and spacing of hot spots. Laser heat- effective and environmentally conscious tire recy-
ing will induce the hot spots. cling.
Machining of Elastomers and Elastomer-Steel Selection of Industrial Coatings Based on Envi-
Composites ronmental and Societal Impact Characteristics
PIs: John S. Strenkowski and Albert J. Shih, North PIs: John K. Gershenson, R. Ryan Dupont, and
Carolina State University Richard Ratliff, Michigan Technological Univer-
sity
This grant provides funding to develop new meth-
ods for machining elastomers and elastomer-steel This grant provides for development of a method
composites. Several machining methods will be for quickly comparing different industrial coating
investigated including high speed milling using choices based on their environmental and societal
ultra-sharp cutters, machining of elastomers with impacts and their performance in a given applica-
induction-heated tools, and machining of cryo- tion. The method will expedite the selection of
genically-cooled elastomers. An understanding of industrial coatings during conceptual design by
the tool-workpiece interaction will be developed developing a set of expressions that relate coating
using finite element techniques that address the key performance criteria (hardness, corrosion re-
large strain and highly deforming elasto- sistance, chemical resistance, etc.) to environ-
viscoplastic response of elastomers. The models mental and societal impacts (human health effects,
will be used to determine tool forces, workpiece resource depletion, energy utilization, etc.). The
temperatures and deformation, and surface rough- research will seek to produce a taxonomy of audit-
ness of a machined elastomer as a function of op- able environmental characteristics relevant in the
erating conditions and tool geometry. Appropriate selection of industrial coatings; an underlying
material property data will be developed in close method for trading off environmental concerns
collaboration with several industrial partners to over the entire life-cycle of an industrial coating
characterize the elastomer response at the elevated from its production, through its use, removal, and
temperatures and high strain-rates anticipated in reapplication; and the relationships used in indus-
machining. Tools and operating conditions that trial coatings selection to balance environmental
result in smooth surface finishes and damage-free impact and cost as a measure of functionality.
parts will be identified, and cutting tests will be
If successful, this research will yield a fundamen-
performed to verify the models based upon tool
tal bridge between design, the environment, and
forces and surface finish.
auditing, allowing all three to operate with a single
This research will lead to new understanding of schedule of environmental and societal impact.
the fundamental mechanisms of chip formation Specifically, the project will provide a rapid,
during machining of elastomers at both elevated quantitative methodology for identifying the most
temperatures and cryogenic conditions. This un- environmentally benign candidate for a given
derstanding is critical for identifying tools and op- coating application, which minimizes energy and
erating conditions to improve the machinability of resource utilization, without conducting exhaus-
a wide range of elastomeric products such as tive analyses of the systems. After application by
shock isolators, sound and vibration absorbers, design engineers, the result could be reduced envi-
seals, tires, electrical and thermal insulators, foot- ronmental impact from everyday products.
wear, tubing, and other applications requiring a
highly flexible or stretchable material. As com-
23
16 September 2001
Superheated Water and Steam Degreasing of sities and purity. Phase I demonstrated that tita-
Working Stocks, Parts, and Equipment in Ma- nium and boron powders could be reactively con-
chining, Manufacturing and Production solidated to produce near-theoretical density TiB2
parts using plasma pressure compaction. A 4-inch
PI: Walter J. Weber, University of Michigan
diameter by 3/8-inch thickness near-net shape
This NSF/EPA Technologies for a Sustainable
cathode will be fabricated for evaluation in Phase
Environment project will identify and develop an
II, and a novel water jet nozzle and abrasive jet
environmentally benign, innovative, efficient, low-
mixer tube will be developed based on TiB2.
cost technique for degreasing working stocks,
Phase II will also develop zirconium dioxide
parts and other metal surfaces using superheated
(ZrO2)- and titanium (Ti)-toughened titanium di-
water and steam. By utilizing the unique proper-
boride composites for evaluation as cutting tools.
ties of pure superheated water for this purpose it is
TiB2 electrodes are expected to provide better per-
anticipated that the current use of conventional
formance, cost-effectiveness, a hazard-free work-
hazardous organic and alkaline solvents will be
place, and environmentally benign processing in
markedly reduced.
aluminum production; and it is now thought that
The research will demonstrate that superheated
rapidly consolidated, near net-shape TiB2 parts
water and/or steam (SHWS) will provide the same
can also be used in cutting tools for hard metal
level of degreasing as conventional solvents. Op-
machining, in mixing tubes for abrasive jets, and
timum superheated water temperatures for effec-
in nozzles for water jets.
tive degreasing will be correlated to quantifiable
Fundamentals of a Novel Advanced Oxidation
parameters of grease components, such as drop-
Process for Foundries that Improves Green
ping point, thickener type and grease condition.
Sand Performance and Diminishes Air Emis-
Alternating sequences of superheated water and
sions
steam treatments will be tailored to specific types
PIs: Fred S. Cannon, Robert C. Voigt, and Charles
of grease to provide optimal degreasing effective-
M. Kurtti, PA State University Park
ness. The alternating sequence schemes will be
coupled with reactor configurations and mixing
This GOALI award is to develop the fundamental
scenarios that will enhance the SHWS degreasing
understanding of an environmentally benign
process. It is expected that the energy costs for
manufacturing process modification for metal
heating water and steam will be more than bal-
casting. During metal casting, the molten metal
anced by the reduction of treatment and disposal
solidifies within a mold and takes on a complex
costs below those associated with traditional or- shape. Green sand molds include some coal and
ganic and alkaline solvent systems. For difficult
adhesives; and when these experience the high
degreasing situations that require solvent modifi- temperatures of molten metal, they can emit vola-
ers such as surfactants and chelating agents, su-
tile organic compounds (VOCs). A novel ad-
perheating the water will allow minimization of
vanced oxidation (AO) process has been installed
these additives, reducing direct costs and waste- at five full-scale foundries, and has successfully
water problems.
decreased these emissions by 30-75%. Moreover,
this process has also diminished by 10-30% the
This NSF sponsored project, complemented by
amount of clay, coal, and sand required; and it has
similar support from EPA for this research, is ex-
decreased casting defects by 10%. The research
pected to result in significant reduction of solvent
objectives are to (a) better understand the funda-
use in industrial parts cleaning operations.
mental engineering kinetics that underlie advanced
Rapid Fabrication of Titanium Boride (TiB2)
oxidation processing; (b) at the bench and pilot
Anodes for Electrolysis of Aluminum
scale, build on these fundamentals to yet further
diminish emissions and enhance green sand per-
PI: Jacob J. Stiglich, Materials Modification Inc.
formance with the AO process. The potential im-
This SBIR Phase II project will develop non-
pact and success of this research could be to ad-
consumable and wettable titanium diboride
vance the understanding of this AO process to
(TiB2)-based cathodes with near-theoretical den-
where it will diminish total U.S. air pollution by
24
16 September 2001
0.1 to 1% (relative to all air pollution sources). At Copper Selective Silica-Polyamine Extraction
the same time, enhancement of these features will Materials for Processing Copper Ore Leach
save money, prevent pollution, reduce waste to Liquors
landfills, broaden foundries' opportunities, and
PI: Robert J. Fischer, Purity Systems, Inc.
create U.S. jobs in the vital foundry industry.
This SBIR Phase I project will develop a silica-
Tests will measure VOC emissions and green sand
polyamine composite material to be used in an
performance in a manner that facilitates enhanced
efficient, environmentally benign system to selec-
behavior while also advancing basic process un-
tively extract copper from copper ore leach liq-
derstanding and engineering understanding.
uors. In this process the copper is extracted from
Bench scale tests will also mimic key features of
the acidic leach solution into an organic solvent,
the thermal exposure that foundry green sands ex-
typically kerosene, where it is concentrated and
perience, in order to acquire fundamental insight
then released back into an aqueous solution for
via well-controlled experiments.
final processing. While this process is superior to
Front-End-of-Line Photoresist Stripping Proc-
smelting with regards to environmental impact and
ess for Electronic Device Manufacturing
efficiency it still possesses environmental liabili-
ties, chiefly toxic, flammable organic solvents and
PI: David G. Boyers, Phifer Smith Corporation
unfavorable economic factors namely solvent and
This SBIR project is directed toward assessing the
solvent modifier loss. In this Phase I project, a
performance of a new a front-end-of-line (FEOL)
material with a long useful lifetime, that will sepa-
photoresist stripping process for electronic device
rate copper from low copper concentration acidic
manufacturing. A sulfuric acid and oxidant mix-
leach liquors containing ferric iron efficiently and
ture (SOM) continues to be used for stripping
effectively at high processing rates without using
photoresist from semiconductor wafers. Recently,
organic solvents, will be produced.
several groups of researchers have investigated the
Presently thousands of tons of copper are pro-
use of ozone dissolved in DI water (DIO) for
duced in the United States and abroad using a sol-
photoresist stripping. The use of ozone dissolved
vent extraction process. The process using these
in water in lieu of SOM offers a number of ad-
new materials will produce highly concentrated
vantages including: 1) decreased chemical dis-
posal cost, 2) decreased rinse DI water consump- copper solutions ready for final copper recovery.
tion, 3) increased user safety, 4) decreased chemi- The cost of these materials is predicted to be sig-
nificantly less than the resin-based materials cur-
cal cost. Phifer Smith Corporation has developed
rently being tested for this application.
a new process which has achieved an etch rate that
is two to four times faster than the fastest DIO
process. We have defined four goals for phase I:
1) modify our existing wet processing test appa-
ratus, 2) measure the etch rate for positive and
negative I-line and DUV photoresist, 3) measure
the etch rate for positive I-line and positive DUV
photoresist ion implanted at dose levels of 1E13,
1E14, and 1E15, 4) develop a preliminary design
for a FEOL wafer cleaning process for evaluation
in phase II. This process can be applied to high-
speed photoresist stripping and post ash residue
removal. It may also find application in post-etch
residue removal for front-end-of-line semicon-
ductor manufacturing processes. Finally, it may
also find application in other industries as a resi-
due free, environmentally benign, cleaning proc-
ess.
25
16 September 2001
APPENDIX D
EBM BEST PRACTICES
The following is a series of EBM-related Best Practices abstracts drawn from the U.S. Navy s Best Manu-
facturing Practices (BMP) program.
Hazardous Material Management Pollution prevention initiatives have saved more
than $25 million on hazardous waste disposal
In 1984, Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Sys-
alone. LMTAS was selected from a field of 70
tems (LMTAS) adopted a corporate goal of zero
large technology companies to receive the Clean
discharge of hazardous waste. This effort was
Texas 2000 1995 Governor's Award for Environ-
motivated by the high cost of compliance and li-
mental Excellence.
abilities with environmental regulations. A proac-
tive formal emissions remediation management LMTAS continues to meet the environmental
program was established using a team approach to challenge by working with government and indus-
achieve the zero discharge goal. Initial baselines try groups to help develop national environmental
were established and plans were developed for standards such as National Aerospace Standard
hazardous waste elimination and elimination of 411, the National Emission Standards for Hazard-
underground tanks. ous Air Pollutants, and Control Technology
Guidelines. The company is also working with the
By 1987, goals and baselines were expanded to
DOD Joint Group for Acquisition Pollution Pre-
include a multimedia approach to pollution pre-
vention. There are eight current projects and more
vention. By 1988, an aggressive plan to reduce
than a dozen new projects planned. A decade of
hazardous waste by 90% was well underway with
progress has produced major positive results and a
11 completed projects and 11 ongoing projects.
strong team is in place and actively addressing
The Air Force partnered with the company on fa-
remaining issues.
cilities and research and development projects. In
1991, a formal Hazardous Material Management Point of Contact: John Horton, [phone]
Program Office was established which adopted a Email: [e-mail]
goal-oriented approach to pollution prevention.
Hazardous Waste and Pollution Prevention
Metrics indicate progress in every major environ-
In 1990, the CEO of Northrop Grumman posted a
mental area, and monthly and quarterly measure-
challenge to reduce hazardous waste generation by
ments are conducted with annual updates. The
90% between 1990 and 1996. By meeting this
planning focus is on projects since projects can be
challenge, the company would reduce corporate
tied to very specific goals. To date, more than 50
liability, operational costs, and em-
successful zero discharge projects have been com-
ployee/community exposure. The success of this
pleted. Examples of these projects include:
senior-level direction was outstanding. Not only
" Waterborne Primer (1985) did Northrop Grumman meet this environmental
" High Energy Value Waste Segregation (1987) goal by 1996, it also received 16 separate envi-
" Ultrafiltration of Non-recyclable Coolant (1988) ronmental excellence awards for its efforts (e.g.,
" Mechanical Sealant Removal Process (1989) EPA's Stratospheric Ozone Protection Award;
" Non-halogenated Substitutes for 'Safety Solvent' California Water Pollution Control Association's
(1990) Industry of the Year; International Waste Man-
" 47 Closed Systems for Paint Gun Cleaning agement Board's Waste Reduction Award). Sev-
(1991) eral initiatives also influenced the company's suc-
" Aqueous Degreaser (T-529 and T-530) (1992) cess such as process and equipment changes; ma-
" Low Vapor Pressure Cleanup Solvents (1992) terial reuse and recycling; alternative materials;
" Reuse Hazardous Waste Drums (1993) employee training; and activity tracking of haz-
" Spent Lead-Acid Battery Recycling (1994). ardous materials.
26
16 September 2001
Material specifications of airframes manufactured limits in early 1988, prematurely entering into
at Northrop Grumman created obstacles which stages two and three. Although extensions of op-
would have been less severe in a commercial erating certification were obtained that permitted
manufacturing atmosphere. These obstacles, al- the plant to operate through 1989, Nascote deter-
though difficult, were not impossible. In fact, mined that installation of an abatement system
Northrop Grumman achieved a 99.99% reduction would be necessary to meet IEPA requirements
in ozone depleting chemical materials by 1996. and to satisfy the EPA requirement to demonstrate
Through its environmental activities, the company best available control technology.
realized a 77% reduction in toxic air emissions by
The regenerative thermal oxidation system from
1995, and a 100% reduction by 1996. In addition,
Salem Corporation is a regenerative system that
process changes enabled an 89% reduction in
reuses assets such as heat, energy, and pressure,
manifested hazardous waste by 1996.
which would otherwise be wasted. Regenerative
Upon reaching the environmental goals set in thermal incineration destroys fume emissions and
1990, Northrop Grumman decided that the goals odors by effectively reusing the heat of combus-
had not been set high enough. In 1997, the envi- tion. This particular system is a multi-chamber
ronmental technical activity thrust was split into configuration that operates in an alternating in-
three areas of concentration (waste minimization, let/outlet mode while the off-line chamber is
chemical emissions reduction, and environmental purged of trapped contaminants. This ensures that
design systems) to eliminate hazards at the source. all contaminants trapped in the matrix beds and
Waste minimization set a new goal to reduce the retention areas are purged with clean air after each
company's waste by another 50% by the year inlet cycle. Through this purging process and the
2001. Chemical emissions reduction efforts con- high thermal efficiency (96%), up to 99% of all
tinue to decrease all emissions of toxic chemicals. volatile organic compounds are destroyed.
The environmental design systems group now uses
At Nascote, a $10 million investment in this sys-
computer aided design and data management to
tem allowed the company to greatly exceed IEPA
incorporate environmental considerations
and EPA requirements, thereby avoiding potential
throughout the manufacturing processes.
bottlenecks in the future as production capacity
Point of Contact: Ed Levy, (310) 331-540 increased, and ensuring environmentally responsi-
Email: [e-mail] ble operations.
Paint Fumes Management Point of Contact: Wayne Broadwater, (618) 327-
4381
Nascote installed a regenerative thermal oxidation
system from the Salem Corporation to control Paint Sludge Recycling
volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from
Nascote contracted with Environmental Purifica-
its paint lines due to escalating production levels.
tion Industries (EPI) of Toledo, Ohio to send paint
When the company began operations, it received
sludge through EPI's paint waste recycling proc-
certification from the Illinois Environmental Pro-
ess. Nascote's paint lines included an overspray
tection Agency (IEPA) to operate its paint lines
capture system that generated paint sludge; a ma-
under the 'small plant' plant classification that
terial classified as hazardous waste by the EPA.
stipulated emissions of less than 249 tons per year
Prior to 1993, paint sludge was collected and
of VOCs per coating line. The plant was designed
shipped in 55-gallon drums to a fuel blending fa-
to come up to full production in three stages, each
cility and burned, a process that still resulted in
stage to include additional pollution control
pollutants being released into the atmosphere. As
equipment to comply with the IEPA standards.
costs increased with this process, Nascote began
Stage one consisted of thermal incineration of all investigating alternative disposal methods to im-
bake oven air, and the following two stages in- prove the environment and reduce costs.
cluded the abatement of spray booth exhaust as
EPI accepts paint waste under a highly controlled
production levels increased. Production levels,
procedure and processes it into a granular, inert
however, increased more rapidly than expected
powder that can be used as a filler or pigment for
and Nascote began exceeding the VOC emission
27
16 September 2001
products used by the roofing, rubber, paint, plas- material to Nascote for reuse. Any spent solvent
tics, and sealer/caulking industries. The new not captured is mixed with the paint sludge and
process reduces the chance of spills through bulk treated separately. As a result of the current cap-
handling and shipping of the paint sludge. Strict ture method, Nascote shows a 91% average recy-
recordkeeping and tracking procedures are fol- clable rate for solvent and consequently, the
lowed by EPI who issues a recycling certificate amount of new solvent purchased is greatly re-
verifying the waste has been completely recycled. duced.
This certification process complies with the Re-
The new method has virtually eliminated spent
source, Conservation, and Recovery Act for con-
solvent as a hazardous waste to the environment.
serving energy and raw materials by recycling
Since May 1996, Nascote has shipped nearly
waste.
60,000 gallons of solvent to Gage Products for
Since 1993, over 5 million pounds of paint sludge recycling, and the company projects annual sav-
shipped to EPI from Nascote's paint overspray ings of over $100 thousand per year by recycling
capture system has been recycled. In addition to spent solvent.
eliminating 100% of the waste formerly dis-
Point of Contact: Wayne Broadwater, (618) 327-
charged into the environment, Nascote's system
4381
reflected an annual disposal cost savings of ap-
Powder Coat Painting and Infrared Curing
proximately $100 thousand.
Oven
Point of Contact: Wayne Broadwater, (618) 327-
Kurt Manufacturing developed a new top coating
4381
system to process parts (castings) at a recently ac-
Paint Solvent Recycling
quired facility. Although Kurt had experience with
Nascote implemented a paint solvent recycling an existing electro-deposition painting (E-Coat)
program which eliminated problems associated system at another facility, the company was seek-
with recycling spent purge solvent from its paint- ing to improve its capabilities. Since the E-Coat
ing system. The new method has also produced system was costly and required considerable
substantial savings for the company. space, Kurt investigated epoxy powder coating
systems using conventional ovens for curing.
On both of Nascote's robotic paint lines, a solvent
They worked with Morton Thiokol, the powder
was used to achieve proper paint consistency and
epoxy paint supplier, and Ransburg Gema Powder
to purge the nozzles between frequent paint color
Coat Equipment to develop techniques and an in-
changes. Both the color and prime lines generated
frared-based oven system that reduced processing
spent purge solvent as a waste. The spent solvent,
time from 20 minutes to approximately 2 minutes
classified as a hazardous waste, was collected and
of curing time. The process is both environmen-
shipped to a fuel blending facility where the waste
tally cleaner and safer than many alternative
was combined with other materials and burned.
painting methods.
However, this method still released pollutants into
the atmosphere during incineration of the blended Kurt wanted to identify which powder paint
material. In addition, the EPA required that at least would:
70% of all spent solvent be captured, and only
" Cure in a 1 to 3 minute range (instead of 20
30% of the spent solvent could be collected for
minutes at 350 degrees)
shipment to the blending facility using the old
" Seal and cover imperfections in castings
method.
" Retain high gloss consistency
Under the current recycling or disposal method,
" Be machinable after painting, and not peel, chip,
initiated in mid-1996, a more efficient capture
method collects over 85% of all spent solvent. or crack.
Nascote pumps the spent material directly into
Initially the powder would burn and blister on
tanker trucks and ships it to Gage Products in
overbaked parts, and chip and break away on un-
Ferndale, Michigan who recycles the material by
derbaked parts. Kurt determined that powder
cleaning out the impurities and returns the clean
coating and infrared curing would work if it were
28
16 September 2001
properly controlled. Kurt designed and constructed erations Division with pressure nutsche technol-
its own infrared oven to fit the needs of this proc- ogy. This change has been improving the com-
ess. The temperature and internal work area of the pany's Toxic Use and Waste Reduction perform-
oven were adjustable to accommodate parts of ance and will reduce the Division's air emissions
varying size and heat requirements. by 80% in 1999.
The powder paint process includes treatment of Previously, products were isolated; washed on fil-
parts in a phosphate solution (for paint adhesion), ter presses or in centrifuges; and dried in vacuum
then drying the solution followed by powder tray dryers. These dryers produced high VOC
coating by a triboelectric gun at a temperature emissions, required labor-intensive material han-
controlled station which collects excess powder dling, and had long cycle times. The process also
spray. Next, the powder coating is cured in the exposed employees to VOC emissions, solvents,
infrared oven, and finally the parts are cooled. and fire risks. Pressure nutsches work as self-
The parts are moved through this process by an contained vessels to filter, dry, and separate
overhead conveyor line. chemical mixtures while removing vapors and
emissions. Polaroid introduced pressure nutsches
Major advantages of powder painting/infrared
to improve safety for employees, prevent pollu-
curing over other techniques include:
tion, and provide increased operational perform-
" Up to 96% of the powder is recovered at the
ance. The nutsches have also been accepted by
painting station
environmental agencies as complying with the
Clean Air Act requirements. To offset the high
" No mixing of paints is required
cost of pressure nutsches ($2 million each), Polar-
" No downtime to clean equipment
oid has been upgrading its facilities gradually.
" No heat or cooling loss due to external exhaust
Polaroid modified the pressure nutsches to facili-
" Defective parts can be cleaned with air prior to tate its material handling and cleaning operations.
baking and repainted Benefits gained over the past 5 years include a
decrease in baseline VOC emissions from 180 to
" Low maintenance and no waste disposal costs
40 tons per year; a 95% reduction in VOC emis-
" Compact oven size (7x9 feet)
sions from filtration and drying operations over
traditional processes; and a 20% to 30% increase
" Low energy requirements for oven due to instant
in solvent collection for on-site reuse or off-site
heat from quartz lamps
fuel burning. Pressure nutsche technology has
" Elimination of warped parts due to heat.
also improved employee safety by reducing sol-
Disadvantages include the need for temperature vent exposure, minimizing drum handling; and
and humidity control at the spraying station and
decreasing fire hazards from flammable solvents.
difficulty in stripping parts that have defective
Employees are no longer handling solvent-wet
painting. cakes. Operational benefits include improved ef-
ficiency, reduced cycle times, increased product
Kurt has reduced cycle times for the painting and
yields by 2% to 5%, and reduced labor hours.
curing process, realized smaller space require-
ments, overall system cost savings, and reduction Point of Contact: Tim Hawes, (617) 386-089
of environmental impact over alternative methods
Email: [e-mail]
as a result of this process. The cost of the infrared
Source Reduction and Water Reuse
oven was $40K to $50K, and the total cost of the
Committed to reducing waste in all aspects of its
powder system approximately $120K.
business, Sharretts' primary goal is optimizing
Point of Contact: Dale Owens, [phone]
water usage while minimizing waste. Sharretts
Pressure Nutsche has identified and implemented several innovative
ideas in these areas, resulting in mutually benefi-
Since 1988, Polaroid has been implementing a
cial results for the company and the environment.
multimillion-dollar program to replace the tradi-
Several techniques and process modifications have
tional centrifuges and dryers at its Chemical Op-
29
16 September 2001
also been established to further reduce the amount waste generation, increased material savings, and
of water used in process operations. elimination of chlorides from the waste treatment
system. Sharretts uses a similar system on the still
After significant analysis and investigation, Shar-
rinse tanks after the cleaner stages on two of its
retts determined that the effluent from the plant's
production lines.
treatment system was sufficiently clean for reuse
in other areas of the plant. After treating the With these improvements, Sharretts estimates that
plant's process water, the water reuse system cap- its hazardous waste production has decreased from
tures the water in a water reuse tank and recircu- 240,000 lb/year in 1994 to 130,000 lb/year in
lates it through the various processes. Excess wa- 1997. In addition, the company has decreased its
ter is then discharged to the publicly owned chemical costs for wastewater treatment from
Treatment Works. Sharretts is also using a filter $35,000 to $21,000 over the same timeframe.
press to reduce the water content in the sludge
Point of Contact: Tom Sharretts, (717) 767-670
produced during the wastewater treatment process.
Spring Coating Environmental Requirements
The filtered water is adjusted to the proper pH
level and then redistributed through the water re-
As the result of the Pennsylvania Department of
use system for replenishment of process water.
Environmental Regulations (PaDER) provisions of
the Federal Clean Air Act Standards, DPI deter-
Sharretts implemented cascading rinses for the
mined that two different coatings used on assem-
running rinse tanks in all of its major plating lines.
bled springs were non-compliant. The coatings
This provides improved rinse quality with less
(one a black, tar-based coating for multi-leaf
water. Primary modifications for this improve-
springs and the other, a zinc-based coating for ta-
ment were the installation of baffling and some
pered springs) contained excessive Volatile Or-
piping changes. In addition, Sharretts installed
ganic Compounds (VOCs) for meeting the new
restrictors in running rinse lines to manage and
PaDER requirements. Faced with the expensive
control the amount of water used at each location,
options of either purchasing equipment to capture
while still providing sufficient water quantities to
VOCs or incurring progressive fines, DPI took
maintain product quality.
steps to identify, test, and utilize new coating ma-
Another technique used at Sharretts is drag-out
terials that would fully meet the new environ-
control. Contaminants can be carried (dragged
mental standards. This requirement for identifying
out) from the previous processing tank to the next
new coating materials with acceptable levels of
bath. By increasing the dwell time over the previ-
VOCs was complicated by additional needs to
ous processing tank after the parts are removed,
meet salt spray tests, application-ease require-
contaminants dragged to the next bath are mini-
ments, and simple part preparation, in addition to
mized. This reduces the water quantity needed for
presenting a satisfactory finished appearance. The
rinsing and increases the lifespan of the baths.
time available to find a solution was also limited
Sharretts has optimized its dwell times while still
by the regulating agency.
allowing for maximum productivity and through-
To meet these requirements, DPI formed a Project
put on each of its lines.
Task Team with representation from the plant's
Sharretts has also installed evaporators on the still
production, manufacturing engineering, mainte-
rinse tanks after the zinc-plating baths. The rinses
nance, purchasing and product engineering ele-
are processed through a filtration system to re-
ments. The team developed solution parameters
move contaminants and are then pumped through
that included the range of environmental concerns
an evaporator. After the water is evaporated, the
(PaDER regulations, employee exposure, and
remaining concentrated liquid is pumped into the
waste disposal issues), quality issues, process ca-
plating bath as a chloride addition, which reduces
pacity, and projected costs in addition to the time
the amount of input materials required for the
deadlines. Discussions were held with numerous
bath. Additional benefits include decreased water
paint manufacturers regarding the coating needs
quantities to be processed through the plant treat-
and revealed a concurrent requirement that thor-
ment system, reduction of the volume of water
ough pre-application cleaning was a specification
purchased for plant operations, reduced hazardous
included with many of the suggested materials.
30
16 September 2001
After investigating cleaning methods, the team perature control was a necessity for meeting this
determined it should avoid coatings with pre- challenge.
cleaning requirements if possible because of po-
Existing resources were available to Cincinnati
tentially high added costs and the environ-
Milacron. A coal-fired steam plant was located
mental/safety problem associated with many
on-site and a portion of the production complex
cleaning methods.
already had air handling ducts in place. The exis-
A number of sample products were obtained from tence of the steam plant dictated the use of ab-
paint manufacturers and all were submitted to salt sorption chillers in lieu of chlorofluorocarbons.
spray testing durations compatible with the quality By working with a company that dealt in second-
requirements of DPI. Paints passing the first salt hand equipment, Cincinnati Milacron only needed
spray tests were subjected to additional similar to purchase two new chillers. The rest of the
tests as well as ASTM-specified tests (hardness, equipment was secured in used, but excellent con-
chip resistance, and adhesion) where applicable. dition at a greatly reduced price, including cooling
The results of these tests, together with application towers and pumps.
methodologies and costs considerations, prompted
Cincinnati Milacron's temperature control system
the team to recommend a water soluble alkyd-
has proven successful. Not only does the system
based paint as a replacement for the black coating
meet production requirements, but it allows the
and a water-based, high performance vinyl coating
company to work with the local manufacturing
as a replacement for the zinc-based coating. Nei-
community in an environmentally conscious,
ther required a pre-application cleaning of spring
manufacturing initiative. Cincinnati Milacron also
assemblies.
reconfigured its coal-fired steam plant to burn
DPI, through successful team investigation, has supplemental fuels. This action eliminated the
found replacement coatings for both product lines high costs previously endured by the company
that exceed environmental VOC requirements and when it sent a substantial amount of by-products
require no pre-application cleaning. Implementa- (produced as oils) to disposal facilities. The ex-
tion is ahead of the PaDER required timetable. pected closure of landfills to wood products pre-
Tests prove that both replacement coatings may be sented another challenge. Cincinnati Milacron
applied using the cost-effective method of dipping, purchased a wood chipper to dispose of its wooden
and then air drying. This application method will pallets, and installed an automated system that
eliminate over 90% of the labor required for the incorporates the chips into the coal-burning proc-
replaced zinc-based coating. Implementing the ess.
replacement coatings saved over $500K compared
In addition to its own, Cincinnati Milacron has set
to adding environmental control equipment
up contracts with several local companies to bene-
Point of Contact: Harry Pehote, [phone] ficially use their by-products, including wood and
oil filter media. By charging a fee for this service,
Temperature Control with Environmental
Cincinnati Milacron can partially offset its ex-
Responsibility
penses and more fully utilize natural resources.
In the late 1980s, Cincinnati Milacron was faced
This initiative has enabled the company to gener-
with the challenge of producing more accurate,
ate up to 10% of its steam requirements, while
higher tolerance machine tools at a lower market
partially eliminating a disposal situation for itself
price. Statistically, machine tolerance require-
and the local community.
ments increase 30% every six years. Typical ma-
Point of Contact: Michael Donley, (513) 841-771
chining center tolerances have increased from the
one thousandth of an inch range of the 1970s to
less than 20% of that in the 1990s. During the
same timeframe, rapid traverse rates and spindle
speeds have increased by 400% and 300%, re-
spectively, while market prices have decreased by
30%. Cincinnati Milacron recognized that tem-
31