Goal: Establish a consortium and develop a technology roadmap to support, sustain, and enhance U.S. manufacturing capacity in the nation's chemical industry and allied sectors through innovative processes that utilize electrochemical science and technology to address major technical barriers.
Lead: Ohio University
105 Research and Technology Center
Athens, OH 45701
Award Number: 70NANB14H052
Federal Funding: $378,928
Project Duration: 18 months
Ohio University's Center for Electrochemical Processes and Technology and its partners will develop the organizational structure for operating and sustaining an industry-led consortium on Electrochemical Pathway for Sustainable Manufacturing (EPSuM). In concert with this effort, the team will develop a roadmap that engages the chemical industry and its supply chain in identifying critical manufacturing needs, assessing technology options to meet these needs, setting technology research priorities, and devising a sustainable plan for developing and implementing new or improved process technologies.
The nation's $1.5 trillion chemical industry employs 800,000 workers and indirectly supports 5.5 million additional jobs. The industry confronts technology challenges, including uncertain energy supplies, energy-intensive manufacturing processes, and the need to reduce waste and conserve water.Failure to develop and implement manufacturing technologies that solve these challenges will hinder the growth of the U.S. chemical industry and jeopardize its global competitiveness. Due to recent technological progress and changing economic factors, electrochemical technologies and processes now represent a relatively untapped frontier of opportunity for unique, enabling, and transformative solutions that can benefit the entire U.S. chemical industry, from major producers to lower-tier suppliers. For example, environmentally friendly electrochemical methods can be used to convert alternative feedstock into useful components, such as alcohols, hydrogen, polymers, and fuels.
For project information: Gerardine G. Botte, (740) 593-9670, firstname.lastname@example.org
AMTech Project Manager: Jean-Louis Staudenmann, (301) 975-4866, email@example.com