Kanu, R. C., & Betz, P. E., & Cotton, S. (2012, June), An Approach to Incorporating Sustainability in a Manufacturing Engineering  Technology Program  Paper presented at 2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, San Antonio, Texas. 10.18260/1-2--20912

\bibitem{asee_peer_20912}
  Kanu, R. C., \& Betz, P. E., \& Cotton, S. (2012, June), \emph{An Approach to Incorporating Sustainability in a Manufacturing Engineering  Technology Program}
  Paper presented at 2012 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition, San Antonio, Texas.
  10.18260/1-2--20912

Rex C. Kanu, Pamela Elizabeth Betz, and Samuel Cotton.  "An Approach to Incorporating Sustainability in a Manufacturing Engineering  Technology Program".  2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, San Antonio, Texas, 2012, June.  ASEE Conferences, 2012.  https://peer.asee.org/20912 Internet.  14 May, 2024

\bibitem{asee_peer_20912}
  Rex C. Kanu, Pamela Elizabeth Betz, and Samuel Cotton.
  "An Approach to Incorporating Sustainability in a Manufacturing Engineering  Technology Program".
  \emph{2012 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition, San Antonio, Texas, 2012, June}.
  ASEE Conferences, 2012.
  https://peer.asee.org/20912 Internet.  14 May, 2024

@INPROCEEDINGS{asee_peer_20912
author = "Rex C. Kanu, Pamela Elizabeth Betz, and Samuel Cotton"
title = "An Approach to Incorporating Sustainability in a Manufacturing Engineering  Technology Program"
booktitle = "2012 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition"
year = "2012"
month = "June"
address = "San Antonio, Texas"
publisher = "ASEE Conferences"
note = {https://peer.asee.org/20912}
number = {10.18260/1-2--20912}
}

TY  - CPAPER
AB  -          Incorporating Sustainability in a Manufacturing Engineering                            Technology Program       There seems to be a strong perception in many quarters that global economicactivities are not sustainable given the rate of consumption of non-renewablenatural resources such as hydrocarbons, in particular, fossil fuel. For example,since the land-based fossil fuel findings/wells are being depleted, there is anincreasing need to explore the deep seas for fossil fuel. Similarly, the mining ofmetal ores is becoming increasingly difficult as many of the easily accessiblemines are being depleted. Given this scenario, there seems to be a push fromenvironmentalists, industrialists, and concerned citizens to promote sustainability.However, not everyone agree on the definition of sustainability. In this paper,sustainability is defined as “the development that meets the needs of the presentwithout compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their ownneed.”1       In the Manufacturing Engineering Technology program at ------------------,aspects of sustainability are being incorporated in the many of its courses.Specifically, students in a junior level plastics course are required to undertakeresearch projects in plastics materials as a partial requirement for the course. Thisyear, some students are working with a biopolymer, polylactic acid (PLA) and claynanoparticles. PLA is considered a renewable resource and it is environmentallysafe. Clay nanoparticles are naturally occurring resources that are environmentallyand ecologically safe. The goal of this project is introduce the students to theconcept of sustainability by researching and working with renewable materialssuch as PLA and clay nanoparticles in a hands-on laboratory setting. The studentswill make polymer/clay nanocomposites by melt compounding with a twin-screwextruder, injection mold tensile specimens, and evaluate the tensile properties onthe PLA/clay nanocomposites. These results are compared with those of thecontrol, virgin PLA specimens and other traditional petroleum-based plastics suchpolyethylene and polypropylene. The flame retardant properties of the PLA/claynanocomposites will also be examined. The results of the project will be sharewith the entire class in presentation scheduled at end of the semester.      How much of the concept of sustainability is understood by students will beassessed in the final examination for the course. The results of the assessment willbe shared in a paper presentation at the 2012 conference.
AU  - Rex C. Kanu
AU  - Pamela Elizabeth Betz
AU  - Samuel Cotton
CY  - San Antonio, Texas
DA  - 2012/06/10
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - An Approach to Incorporating Sustainability in a Manufacturing Engineering  Technology Program
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/20912
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--20912
ER  -