This report covers the critical focus areas the REMADE Institute is addressing to advance our nation in sustainable manufacturing and highlights the accomplishments of the institute and our members.
The REMADE Institute is proud of the collaborative effort of our members and would like to thank all who made it possible.
REMADE is proud to announce that we’ve reached our newest milestone—150 members!
We want to extend our warmest welcome to our new members and also want to extend our deepest gratitude to all of those who have joined the Institute over the years, including many who have been with us since the beginning.
REMADE is proud to work with all of you as we develop technologies capable of addressing industry's impact on climate change, reducing energy consumption, decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, conserving resources, increasing U.S. manufacturing competitiveness, and creating clean economy jobs.
Together, we can accelerate the nation's transition to a Circular Economy.
A new REMADE research and development project, announced as part of RFP5 awards on Dec. 1, 2021, was featured in a story in The Verge titled, “Scientists are building an AI-powered robot to take apart your old phone.” The R&D project, “Improving Recycling Efficiency of Portable Electronics by Automating Battery Disassembly,” is led by Idaho National Laboratory and is comprised of project team members University at Buffalo, Iowa State University, and e-waste recycler Sunnking. According to the story, “if such technology can be commercialized, researchers are hopeful it could vastly improve the recycling of smartphones and other small, portable electronics.”
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Jan. 21, 2022 — The REMADE Institute, a 141-member public-private partnership established by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) with an initial investment of $140 million, today issued a Request for Information (RFI) to further accelerate the U.S.’s transition to a Circular Economy.
Responses to REMADE’s RFI will inform revisions to the Institute’s technology roadmap, which is currently focused on reducing the use of raw and virgin, or primary, materials; increasing remanufacturing and the use and supply of recycled, or secondary, materials; and fostering circular innovations. The RFI will also address REMADE’s sustainability strategy, including developing Circular Economy approaches that will help address climate change economy-wide.
At the recent U.N. climate conference, COP26, in Glasgow, Scotland, experts from across the globe — including REMADE members, partners and stakeholders — discussed Circular Economy solutions to achieve net-zero by 2050. REMADE CEO Nabil Nasr said the Institute’s RFI is a natural next step.
“Over the last five years, REMADE has invested or allocated more than $85.6 million to develop innovative technologies to reduce energy consumption and decrease carbon emissions,” Nasr said. “Given REMADE’s projected impacts so far, it’s important to see how we can further accelerate the U.S.’s transition to a Circular Economy — to turbocharge it.”
The connection between industrial development and climate change is significant. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, manufacturing accounts for 25% of U.S. energy consumption at a cost of approximately $150 billion. Based on data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, industry is the single largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the nation at 30%.
This is why a circular approach to manufacturing — “make-use-reuse-remanufacture-recycle” — is so important, Nasr said.
“If we don’t reduce industrial energy consumption and industrial emissions, research shows we will only get a little more than halfway to net-zero by 2050, about 55% of the way,” he said. “A Circular Economy approach to how we manufacture and use everyday products can help us get all the way to net-zero.”
REMADE Chief Technology Officer Magdi Azer says the Institute has focused its efforts and investment dollars on increasing the reuse, remanufacturing, recovery and recycling of four energy-intensive material classes: metals, plastics/polymers, fibers, and electronic waste (e-waste). In addition to seeking feedback regarding these current activities, the RFI asks where REMADE should focus its efforts relative to electric vehicles (EV) and photovoltaic (PV) solar power as part of the Institute’s future planning.
“Having invested in a suite of technologies to increase the reuse, remanufacturing, recovery and recycling of metals, polymers, fibers and e-waste, REMADE is evaluating how to proactively respond to megatrends such as climate change, resource scarcity, and technological breakthroughs in its research agenda,” Azer said. “The RFI will assist us in answering these questions.”
Those interested in learning more can read the detailed RFI here. Innovators and researchers with industry, academia, government, and the non-profit sector who are interested and involved in the nation’s transition to a Circular Economy are especially encouraged to respond. Responses can be submitted in either short-form or long-form.
For details on REMADE’s 2020 Technology Roadmap, review the Institute’s roadmap here.
REMADE, part of the nation’s Manufacturing USA® network of 16 advanced manufacturing institutes, and its members are developing technology solutions that are capable of:
Saving more than 1 Quad of energy per year, which is the equivalent of conserving more than 180 million barrels of oil a year
Reducing 50 million metric tons per year in greenhouse gas emissions, which is the equivalent of eliminating the annual emissions of 11.5 million cars
Increasing the supply and use of recycled materials by more than 40 million metric tons per year
Creating up to 700,000 direct and indirect jobs, enhancing the U.S. economy and increasing the nation’s competitiveness
Founded in 2017, REMADE is a 141-member public-private partnership established by the U.S. Department of Energy with an initial investment of $140 million. REMADE is the only national institute focused entirely on the development of innovative technologies to accelerate the U.S.’s transition to a Circular Economy. In partnership with industry, academia, and national laboratories, REMADE enables early-stage applied research and development that will create jobs, dramatically reduce embodied energy and greenhouse gas emissions, and increase the supply and use of recycled materials. The cumulative, five-year embodied energy savings, greenhouse gas reduction, and increase in recycled materials use expected to result from REMADE’s investment is approximately 1 Quad of energy, about 50 million metric tons of CO2equivalent greenhouse gas reduction, and more than a 40 million metric tons per year increase in the supply and use of recycled materials, respectively. For additional information about REMADE, visit www.remadeinstitute.org.
Megan Connor Murphy
Director, Marketing and Communications
REMADE Institute
585-213-1036 office
585-339-8379 cell
Barbara Reck
Senior Research Scientist, Yale University School for the Environment, and Systems Analysis & Integration Node Lead, REMADE Institute
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — January 19, 2022 — The REMADE Institute, a 141-member public-private partnership established by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) with an initial investment of $140 million, today launched its newest online training offering and certificate pathway in Systems Analysis for the Circular Economy.
A live, online, three-hour certificate training on the topic - part of the Institute’s REMADE Academy - will take place over two days next week. It is scheduled to run from 12:00-1:30 pm ET on Monday, Jan. 24, and from 12:00-1:30 pm ET on Wednesday, Jan. 26.
The course, titled “Systems Analysis and First Insights From REMADE Projects,” will be taught by Dr. Barbara Reck, a Senior Research Scientist with the Yale School of the Environment, and Node Leader, Systems Analysis and Integration, with REMADE. Learning objectives of the course include introductions to:
The Circular Economy concept, its motivation and goals
Material Flow Analysis, the research questions it addresses (e.g., material efficiency, future scrap supply), and examples
Life Cycle Assessment, the research questions it addresses, how it complements MFA in systems analyses, and examples
Calculation of recycling metrics “end-of-life recycling rate” and “recycled content,” barriers to their improvement, and examples for different materials
Techno-Economic Analysis, the research questions it addresses (e.g., cost of current and future technologies), with examples
Systems Analysis and how a holistic use of the above mentioned tools creates new insights for REMADE that help prioritize future research
The live, three-hour training is open to all. Innovators, researchers and leaders in industry, academia, government, and the non-profit sector who are interested in learning more about the U.S.’s transition to a Circular Economy are especially encouraged to attend.
Instruction will focus on metals, plastics/polymers, and fibers, including paper and textiles. A certificate of completion will be issued to participants upon successful passage of a quiz to validate course attendance.
To register for training, click here. Cost is free for REMADE members and is $450 for non-members.
In her role at REMADE, Reck’s work helps identify and prioritize opportunities to save energy and reduce embodied emissions across product design, material optimization, reuse and remanufacturing, and recycling and recovery initiatives. In her nearly 20-year research career in the field of industrial ecology, she has focused on evaluating how sustainably materials are used in society, information relevant to environmental and resource policy as well as Circular Economy assessments. Prior to her research career, Dr. Reck worked in industry as Manager of Environmental Affairs for Lufthansa Airlines.
Reck holds an MS and PhD in Environmental Engineering from the University of Applied Sciences in Bingen, Germany, and the Technical University of Berlin in Berlin, Germany, respectively.
Through its REMADE Academy, the Institute offers members more than 50 hours of online training content focused on systems analysis, design, materials optimization, remanufacturing and end-of-life, and recycling and recovery of four energy-intensive material classes: metals, plastics/polymers, fibers, and electronic waste.
For more information and to learn more about REMADE’s Education and Workforce Development (EWD) offerings, visit EWD Overview — The REMADE Institute.
Founded in 2017, REMADE is a 141-member public-private partnership established by the U.S. Department of Energy with an initial investment of $140 million. REMADE is the only national institute focused entirely on the development of innovative technologies to accelerate the U.S.’s transition to a Circular Economy. In partnership with industry, academia, and national laboratories, the REMADE Institute enables early-stage applied research and development that will create jobs, dramatically reduce embodied energy and greenhouse gas emissions, and increase the supply and use of recycled materials. The cumulative, five-year embodied energy savings, greenhouse gas reduction and increase in recycled materials use expected to result from this investment is approximately 1 Quad of energy, about 50 million metric tons of CO2equivalent greenhouse gas reduction, and more than a 40 million metric tons per year increase in the supply and use of recycled materials, respectively. For additional information about the REMADE Institute, visit www.remadeinstitute.org.
For additional information contact:
Megan Connor Murphy
Director, Marketing and Communications
REMADE Institute
585-213-1036 office
585-339-8379 cell
mconnormurphy@remadeinstitute.org
The REMADE Institute, a 132-member public-private partnership established by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) with an initial investment of $140 million, today announced $33.2 million in new technology research, selecting 23 new projects as part of the Institute’s latest round of funding.
This latest round of investment is cost-shared between REMADE and the funding recipients. The 23 R&D projects are expected to lead to technologies capable of:
Increasing recycled, or secondary, materials by as much as 8.9 million metrics tons per year
Saving up to 407 petajoules (PJ) of embodied energy per year — the equivalent of conserving 66.5 million barrels of oil per year
Decrease greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 24.1 million metric tons per year — eliminating the annual emissions of more than 5.2 million cars
REMADE’s Letter of Intent deadline for our latest RFP is fast approaching. Learn more about our RFP to grow U.S. manufacturing and accelerate the U.S.’s transition to the Circular Economy in the June 23 Scrap News story below. The article, written by Dan Hockensmith, includes a statement from REMADE CEO Nabil Nasr, information on the education and workforce development topic areas of the RFP, and ISRI's involvement with REMADE, including their project selected from the fourth round of funding. Read more:
The REMADE Institute is pleased to announce a new, extended deadline for Education and Workforce Development (EWD) projects as part of the organization's fifth Request for Proposals. Letters of Intent and Project Abstracts for EWD projects are now due by 5 p.m. ET on Thursday, July 1, two weeks from today. The original due date was June 3.
"REMADE and our partners are committed to addressing knowledge gaps and training incumbent and emerging workers as the U.S.'s transition to a Circular Economy accelerates," said Nabil Nasr, CEO of REMADE, a $140 million public-private partnership established by the U.S. Department of Energy. "In addition, our workforce initiatives increase U.S. manufacturing competitiveness and ensure that our nation's researchers, engineers, technicians and others stay on the cutting edge."
REMADE issued its latest RFP last month, representing $50 million in available funding, including $1 million for Education and Workforce Development proposals. These EWD projects must develop short courses to educate, train, and develop incumbent workers in reuse, remanufacturing, recovery, and recycling. EWD topics include:
Advanced Materials Separation Technologies
Chemical Recycling of Plastics
Simulation Techniques to Optimize Material Use in Manufacturing and Recycling
Condition Assessment for Remanufacturing
Reverse Logistics for Remanufacturing
Cleaning for Remanufacturing
Design for Remanufacturing, Recycling, and/or Re-Use
Systems Thinking in Material Management: Benefits and Tools
Companies, universities and organizations that have workforce development projects that might align with the EWD section of REMADE's RFP can read the detailed RFP here.
Efforts are ongoing worldwide to move from today's linear economy, where we take-make-dispose, to a Circular Economy, where we make-use-reuse-remanufacture-recycle. Conserving resources, reducing energy consumption, decreasing greenhouse gas emissions, and increasing U.S. competitiveness are major components of that transformation. Within a five-year period, REMADE is developing solutions that are capable of:
Saving 1 Quad of energy, which equates to the electrical use by all U.S. households per year
A 20% decrease in U.S. manufacturing's GHG emissions in metals, polymers/plastics, fibers and e-waste
Increasing the supply and use of recycled materials by more than 40 million metric tons per year
Creating up to 700,000 direct and indirect jobs, enhancing the U.S. economy and increasing the nation's manufacturing competitiveness
For more information on the EWD section of REMADE's RFP, read the detailed RFP here. For details on the Institute's 2020 EWD Roadmap, which is guiding the RFP, review the roadmap here.
Please note that letters of intent and project abstracts for the RFP's transformational research, development and demonstration, as well as traditional research and development submissions are closed as of June 3.
REMADE issued its fifth RFP last month, initially representing $45 million in available funding. Today, we are pleased to announce that that amount has now been increased to more than $50 million. Companies, universities and organizations that have research or workforce development projects that might align with REMADE’s RFP are strongly encouraged to submit an LOI next week.
REMADE’s Letter of Intent deadline for our latest RFP is fast approaching. Learn more about our RFP to grow U.S. manufacturing and accelerate the U.S.’s transition to the Circular Economy in the May 14 Scrap News story below. The article, written by Hannah Zuckerman, includes an interview with REMADE CEO Nabil Nasr, information on the transformational and traditional research and development topic areas of the RFP, details on the education and workforce development component of the RFP, and insights into how REMADE’s work will enable the U.S. to meet the nation’s aggressive climate goals. Read more:
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — April 28, 2021 — Celebrating Earth Day every day, the REMADE Institute, a public-private partnership established by the United States Department of Energy, today issued its fifth Request for Proposals, representing a $45 million investment in the research, development and demonstration of technologies to sustain American manufacturing and accelerate the U.S.'s transition to a Circular Economy.
Acting Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Kelly Speakes-Backman said this investment is focused on reducing the nation's energy consumption, decreasing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, fostering clean tech innovation, and addressing manufacturing's impact on climate change.
"President Biden last week proudly announced our new national climate target - a 50-52% reduction in U.S. emissions by 2030," Speakes-Backman said. "Investments like this with the REMADE Institute will accelerate the U.S.'s transition to a Circular Economy, ensuring we meet this ambitious and exciting new commitment."
REMADE Chief Executive Officer Nabil Nasr said the Institute is seeking proposals for large-scale transformational research, development and demonstration projects that are industry-led and address issues across the materials supply chain. Proposed transformational projects must address the recovery and recycling of plastics, metals, fibers, and electronic waste (e-waste); or address the recovery and remanufacturing of durable goods and components.
"By focusing REMADE's investment on industry-led projects within these four key material classes, we can develop solutions that have the most significant impact nationwide," Nasr said.
REMADE is also seeking R&D projects that complement the Institute's existing portfolio. This includes proposals that focus on creating logistics models to improve materials recovery and recycling, increasing the circularity of metal alloys, identifying novel automation solutions to improve recycling economics, creating design tools that enable greater remanufacturing and recovery, utilizing recycled and cross-industry materials in manufacturing, introducing condition assessment and process technologies in remanufacturing, as well as projects that target materials with low recycling rates such as No. 3-7 plastics.
In addition, as part of this RFP, REMADE has allocated $1 million for education and workforce development. These projects must develop short courses to educate, train, and develop incumbent workers in reuse, remanufacturing, recovery, and recycling.
For more information, read the detailed RFP here. For details on the Institute's 2020 Technology Roadmap, which is guiding the RFP, review the roadmap here.
Efforts are ongoing worldwide to move from today's linear economy, where we take-make-dispose, to a Circular Economy, where we make-use-reuse-remanufacture-recycle. Conserving resources, reducing energy consumption, and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions are major components of that transformation. Within a five-year period, REMADE is developing solutions that are capable of:
Saving 1 Quad of energy, which equates to the electrical use by all U.S. households per year
Reducing 50 million metric tons per year in greenhouse gas emissions
Increasing the supply and use of recycled materials by more than 40 million metric tons per year
Creating up to 700,000 direct and indirect jobs, enhancing the U.S. economy and increasing the nation's competitiveness
Those interested in learning more about this RFP are invited to participate in REMADE's upcoming live informational session webinar and Q&A, as well as upcoming teaming sessions. To register for the webinar and the teaming sessions, which will take place in early May, visit https://remadeinstitute.org/rfp.
About REMADE
Founded in 2017, REMADE is a Manufacturing USA™ Institute and public-private partnership established by the U.S. Department of Energy. REMADE is the only national institute focused entirely on the development of innovative technologies to accelerate the U.S.’s transition to a Circular Economy. In partnership with industry, academia, and national laboratories, REMADE enables early-stage applied research and development that will create jobs, dramatically reduce embodied energy and greenhouse gas emissions, and increase the supply and use of recycled materials. The cumulative, five-year embodied energy savings, greenhouse gas reduction and increase in recycled materials use expected to result from REMADE’s investment is approximately 1 Quad of energy, about 50 million metric tons of CO2equivalent greenhouse gas reduction, and more than a 40 million metric tons per year increase in the supply and use of recycled materials, respectively. For additional information about REMADE, visit www.remadeinstitute.org.
For additional information contact:
Megan Connor Murphy
Director, Marketing and Communications
REMADE Institute
585-213-1036 office
585-339-8379 cell
mconnormurphy@remadeinstitute.org
The REMADE Institute is proud to announce that our Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Nabil Nasr, has been named a Fellow by the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (iise.org), the organization’s highest honor. The designation recognizes outstanding leaders who have made significant, nationally recognized contributions to industrial and systems engineering. Nasr will be recognized by IISE during its virtual conference on May 24.
Nasr is a renowned international leader in sustainable manufacturing, remanufacturing, and the Circular Economy. He has served as an expert delegate for the federal government in several international forums and is a member of the United Nations Environment Programme’s International Resource Panel. He is also a trustee of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in North America.
“I am honored and humbled to be recognized by IISE, a professional society I joined as a student a long time ago,” said Nasr. “From teaching to management and technology development, I have continually focused on applying the system thinking and approaches that IISE promotes.”
IISE is the world's largest professional society dedicated solely to the industrial engineering profession and individuals involved with improving quality and productivity. Founded in 1948, IISE is an international, nonprofit association that provides leadership for the application, education, training, research, and development of industrial engineering.
Dr. Barbara Reck, REMADE Institute Systems Analysis & Integration Node Lead and Senior Research Scientist at Yale University’s School of the Environment shares her thoughts on the urgency of the concept of a circular economy and the need for businesses to take into account the recyclability in their products in this exciting interview on the design for recycling with Brink News. Read more to find out about how recycling rates could be higher, how remanufacturing is preferable to recycling and if urban mining of landfills is a viable option.
The REMADE Institute is proud to announce $43 million in new technology research, selecting 24 new projects as part of the institute’s latest round of funding. We are pleased to congratulate all of the award winners.
This latest round of funding, REMADE’s fourth, brings the institute’s total number of research projects to more than 60, representing a total combined value of $63 million since the institute’s founding in 2017.
Of the 24 projects, many involve new partners for REMADE, including the Ford Motor Company, BASF, and Case Western Reserve University. They join more than 90 existing partners, including industry innovators and academic researchers with Caterpillar, John Deere, Michelin, Nike, MIT, RIT, Yale University and many more.
REMADE Chief Executive Officer Nasr said a new round of funding, valued at an additional $46 million, is expected to be announced in late spring. Projects that address education and workforce development will be considered in the fifth round, in addition to the transformational and traditional research projects that REMADE prioritizes.
“Our mission is to reduce energy consumption and decrease emissions, while increasing the U.S.’s manufacturing competitiveness,” Nasr said. “Our experts are working diligently to reach these critically important goals and, in the process, accelerate the U.S.’s transition to a Circular Economy.”
A list of our 24 projects is below:
Selective Recovery of Elements from Molten Aluminum Alloys
Phinix, LLC, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), Kingston Process Metallurgy, Smelter Service Corporation, Certified Flux Solutions, LLC
Dynamic Crosslinking to Enable EVA Recycling
Braskem America, Case Western Reserve University (CWRU), Allbirds, Inc.
Diverting Mixed Polyolefins from Municipal Solid Waste to Feedstocks for Automotive and Building Applications
Michigan State University (MSU), National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), PADNOS
Chemical Recycling of Mixed PET/Polyolefin Streams Through Sequential Pyrolysis and Catalytic Upgrading
The Pennsylvania State University (PSU), Northwestern University, Shaw Group Industries, Inc., Process Systems Enterprise, Inc. - A Siemens Business
Smart Additive Manufacturing Towards Use of Recycled Paper Fibers for Producing High-quality Fiber-Reinforced Plastic (FRP) Composites
University of Iowa, Impossible Objects, Inc.
Identification of Mixed Plastics and Valuable Electronics at the Source
University of Miami, Lid Vizion, LLC
Recycling of PET in Sustainable Food Packaging Systems
MuCell Extrusion LLC, Plastilene SAS a Plastilene Group Company, Wingate Packaging, Sugar Creek Packaging Co., Center for Innovative Food Technology (CIFT), The Ohio State University (OSU)
Reprocessing and Upcycling of Mixed Polyurethane Waste Streams
Northwestern University, BASF
Efficient Purification and Reuse of Carbon Black Recovered from End-of-Life Tires
University of Utah, Idaho National Laboratory (INL), OTR Wheel Engineering/Green Carbon
Delamination as Key Enabler for the Recycling of Polymer-based Multilayer Packaging
The Research Foundation for SUNY - University of Buffalo, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Modern Corporation, Honeywell (Performance Materials Technologies)
Zero-Waste Recycling of Blended PET Fiber to Transform Polymer Sourcing
Circ, Fiber Industries, SeaChange Technologies, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), lululemon
Development of Instruments and Techniques That Can Assess Tire Life and Increase Re-Manufacturing of Commercial Vehicle Tires
Michelin North America, Northwestern University
Development of Additive Manufacturing Material and Process Technologies to Improve the Re-Manufacturing Efficiency of Commercial Vehicle Tires
Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Arizona State University (ASU), Michelin North America, Nike Inc., Sealed Air Corporation
Remanufacturing of Surface-Hardened Steel Components by Ultrasonic Surface Modification
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Caterpillar, Inc., University of Pittsburgh (PITT)
Supramolecular Interfacial Reinforcement for Manufacture Utilizing Mixed Secondary Plastic Feedstock
The University of Akron, Braskem
Achieving 100% Recycling Aluminum in Die Casting Applications
The Ohio State University (OSU), Alcoa USA Corp., North American Die Casting Association (NADCA), CompuTherm LLC
Enabling Cross-industry Reuse of Comingled Waste Plastics as Quality Asphalt Modifier for Sustainable Pavement
University of Tennessee - Knoxville, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Paragon Technical Services Inc. (a subsidiary of Ergon Asphalt and Emulsions, Inc.)
Sustainable Automotive Manufacturing
Michigan State University (MSU), American Chemistry Council (ACC), BASF
Chemical Conversion and Process Control for Increased used of Polyethylene and Polypropylene Secondary Feedstocks
University of Massachusetts Lowell (UM-L), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), SER North America LLC, iMFLUX Inc.
Material and Vehicle Design for High-Value Recycling of Aluminum and Steel Automotive Sheet
University of Michigan, Ford Motor Company, Novelis, Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), The Aluminum Association, Light Metal Consultants
Analysis and Design for Sustainable Circularity of Barrier Film in Sheet Molding Composites
The Ohio State University (OSU), Kohler Co., National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Arizona State University (ASU)
Building Re-X (BREX): Data, Methodology, and Design Integration
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Building Transparency, Skidmore Owings & Merrill
Dynamic Systems Analysis of PET and Olefin Polymers in a Circular Economy
Michigan Technological University (MTU), Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Resource Recycling Systems (RRS), Yale University, Chemstations, Honeywell UOP
The REMADE Institute announced the selection of 9 projects for negotiation dedicated to improving the competitiveness of U.S. Manufacturing and advancing the circular economy.
These projects align with REMADE’s mission to drive down the cost of technologies essential to reuse, recycle and remanufacture materials such as metals, fibers, polymers and electronic waste. This is expected to save the U.S. manufacturing base billions in energy costs and will strengthen the nation’s economic competitiveness through cutting-edge innovation. REMADE is pursuing this mission by enabling early stage applied research and development of key industrial platform technologies that could dramatically reduce the embodied energy and carbon emissions associated with industrial-scale materials production and processing.
The following teams have been selected for negotiations:
Quantification of Financial and Environmental Benefits Tradeoffs in Multi-Generational Product Family Development Considering Re-X Performances
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Iowa State University, Deere and Company, Green Electronics Council
The objectives are to develop fundamental models and new design tools with capabilities of generating and comparing design for Re-X alternatives considering economic profitability and environmental impact savings. The specifics of the research objectives are to (1) identify design for reliability processes factors that are interdependent with Re-X options, thus establish models for the interdependencies, (2) integrate these interdependence models with existing reliability analysis tools so that new analysis tools could take into account Re-X options in design for reliability, (3) create a decision support system for the optimization of product family design considering reliability and Re-X options concurrently, and (4) take into account the uncertainties resulted from post design activities so that robust design tradeoff decisions can be made.
Design Iteration Tool to Sustain Remanufacturability
Iowa State University, Danfoss
The overall goal of this project is the development and application of a software plug-in to enable the design of components that will satisfy both EPA standards-driven light weighting efforts and parametric feature designs that enable remanufacturability (e.g., remove material where feasible for light-weighting and, at the same time, add material where needed to sustain remanufacturability). To achieve this goal, the first objective of this project is to establish a best practice approach to modify a typical design process for DfReman. The second objective is the creation of a software plugin for mainstream CAD software to enable design for remanufacturing consideration of high-value components. This tool will use realistic life estimates to automatically generate design alternatives for sustained remanufacturability, thereby reducing energy, emissions, material consumption and cost. This tool development will focus on engine cylinder heads and industrial pump components and will facilitate the generation of designs that will make components more readily available for remanufacturing processes, such as, re-machining of critical wear features for return to service, complete with estimates of cost/benefit of analysis for multiple lifecycles. The third and final objective disseminate the results of this project by developing training videos on the application of DfReman rules and the software plugin and creating a website to disseminate the plugin and training materials.
Low Heat Repair of Cast Iron
Rochester Institute of Technology, John Deere Reman
The objective of this project is to develop a robust weld repair process that does not require pre-heat temperatures greater than 315°C and shortens cool down periods to less than eight hours. In addition, the process will be able to consistently create a weld with minimal regions of high hardness and no cracks in or around the weld.
Rapid Damage Identification to Reduce Remanufacturing Costs
Iowa State University, John Deere & Company
The objective of this project is to develop and validate a remanufacturability assessment method that will support decision making about the viability of remanufacturing a component. The proposed method is based on development of machine learning (ML) techniques for recognizing different types of component damage, embedding developed ML algorithms in low-cost, damage-identification hardware for use in-process at the remanufacturing factory floor, and using this in-process technique to develop a real- time estimate of remanufacturing costs for a component. Although most high-value, metal-alloy components can be remanufactured, sufficiently accurate and rapid decision making support tools are needed to significantly reduce remanufacturing costs and increase the throughput and volume of remanufactured components.
Low-Concentration Metal Recovery from Complex Streams Using Gas-Assisted Microflow Solvent Extraction (GAME)
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Phinix, LLC
The objective of this project is to develop GAME for efficient and cost- effective extraction and purification of low-concentration, high-value metals from complex streams. The successful development of this technology will contribute to the production of high- purity precious metals from end-of-life PCBs of various sources. GAME uses three phases (aqueous, organic, and gas) to achieve an efficient separation in a confined microchannel.
Development and Validation of Metal Separation Technology for Complex Metal Systems
The Pennsylvania State University, CHZ Technologies LLC
The goal of the proposed work is to develop, design, and demonstrate novel bench scale processes for efficient, low-cost, and environmentally benign elemental separation from low concentration solutions obtained from leaching of electronic waste (e-waste) processing streams. These are key processes for the recovery of valuable materials from e-waste and will provide a pathway to profitable recycling processes for high-value metals. Separation of multiple elements from complex metal-bearing waste streams (with low concentration) through traditional metal separation processes, such as solvent extraction (SX), ion exchange (IX), and precipitation, is economically and environmentally challenging. The objective of this proposal is to evaluate two innovative processes/technology, viz., electrosterically stabilized nanocrystalline cellulose (ENCC), and Continuous Ion Exchange and Ion Chromatography (CIX-CIC) with modified zeolite and polymers, for the separation of Al, Cu, Au, Ag, and Pd from e-waste streams (i.e., printed wiring boards).
CombiCleanTM: Facilitating Contaminant Removal in Recycled Plastics
Michigan State University, Sealed Air
The objective of the project is to develop a hyperspectral data base to enable more effective sorting and cleaning of secondary plastics feedstocks. The project will produce several tangible outcomes. An open source database, CombiClean™, will be developed, disseminated and archived in a publicly available repository. Hyperspectral characterization (combined FTIR, Raman, and LIBS) for model systems in virgin, contaminated, and cleaned conditions will be collected. Generated data will be used to train machine learning algorithms and demonstrate improved sorting. High throughput methods will be used to develop customized cleaning solutions based on specific contaminants incorporating enzymes. A process model will be populated by the cleaning data. Process economics and life-cycle impacts will be calculated to compare the new optimized processes against the present baseline of simple caustic / surfactants at high temperatures.
Biological & Bio-Mechanical Technologies for Recycled Fibers to Regain Fiber Quality and Increase Secondary Feedstock in High Value-Added Paper Grades
Western Michigan University, Idaho National Laboratory, Graphic Packaging International, WestRock Company
The goal of this project is to develop new technologies for removing contaminants from recycled paper to less than 0.5% and to develop technologies for regaining or fiber quality without using only mechanical refining. The new technologies developed will help paper recycling industry to produce much cleaner pulp and higher quality fibers so more recycled fibers can be used in place of virgin fibers in high grade paper. The new technologies developed based on new enzyme applications will also reduce the energy consumptions in both contamination removal and fiber refining process and increase the yield of the fiber recycling.
Advanced Education and Workforce Training in Fibers Recycling
Western Michigan University, Graphic Packaging International, Resource Recycling Systems
The goal of this project is to develop curriculum and coursework for training modules in advanced fibers recycling for the REMADE Education and Workforce Development Tiered Certificate Pathway program . The specific objectives of the project are develop course content that fill the knowledge gap including (1) develop course materials to cover all the major recycled fibers and all major paper grades; (2) develop course materials to cover the entire fiber recycling process; (3) develop course materials to address specific challenges in the paper recycling process; (4) develop course materials to cover fiber identification, testing and quality control, and senor technologies in sorting; (5) develop a coursework structure that is in line with REMADE Tiered Certificate Pathway framework and that can be delivered through traditional teaching methods, online and distance learning, and hands-on experience in in-person short course format.
ROCHESTER, N.Y., August 17, 2020 –
The REMADE Institute has issued its fourth Request for Proposals (RFP) to invest up to $35M for research and development of transformational technologies to increase the recovery, reuse, remanufacturing and recycling of metals, polymers, fibers, and e-waste. The funding will be matched by project participants, for a total investment of up to $70M.
REMADE has made it a priority to focus on the plastic value chain by especially seeking proposals that will significantly increase the domestic recycling of plastics. Using recycled plastic instead of virgin plastic can reduce energy consumption by up to 79% and greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 67%*
Nabil Nasr, REMADE’s CEO, stated “With the challenges facing industry today, it is increasingly important to improve U.S. manufacturing competitiveness. Our partnership of 100 industry, national laboratory, and academic innovators are working together to reduce the energy and environmental burden of domestic manufacturing while delivering value to industry, the economy, and the environment.”
REMADE has invested $20M in projects to date. These promising technology advancements cut across multiple industries and the entire material lifecycle. For a detailed description and application process for the current Request for Proposals (RFP), visit https://remadeinstitute.org/rfp.
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About the REMADE Institute
Founded in 2017, REMADE is a $140 million Manufacturing USA® Institute co-funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. REMADE is the only national institute primarily focused on the development of transformational technologies to support U.S. manufacturing in the transition to a Circular Economy. In partnership with industry, academia, and national laboratories, the REMADE Institute enables early-stage applied research and development of technologies that will create new jobs and will dramatically reduce embodied energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with industrial-scale materials production and processing and increase the supply and use of recycled materials. The cumulative embodied energy savings, greenhouse gas reduction and increase in recycled materials use expected to result from REMADE’s 5-year $140 million investment in research is approximately 1 Quad of energy (approximately 180 million barrels of oil per year), about 25 million metric tons of CO2equivalent greenhouse gas reduction and more than a 40 million metric tons per year increase in the supply and use of recycled materials, respectively. For additional information about the REMADE Institute, email contact@remadeinstitute.org
*Franklin Associates, A Division of Eastern Research Group (ERG), (December 2018), Life Cycle Impacts for Post-Consumer Recycled Resins: PET, HDPE, AND PP, The Association of Plastic Recyclers
Contact: REMADE Institute
Phone: 585-226-1313
Email: media@remadeinstitute.org
