MAE Seminar – 3D Printing of Biomass-fungi Composite Materials

Details

MAE Seminar – 3D Printing of Biomass-fungi Composite Materials

October 10, 2024 at 12:50pm, Location: MAE-A 303

Dr. Zhijian (ZJ) Pei, Ph.D.
Professor, Texas A&M University
Wm Michael Barnes ’64 Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering

Abstract
This presentation is about a 3D-printing based method to manufacture environmentally friendly products using biomass-fungi composite materials. In the biomass-fungi composite materials, the biomass (from agricultural wastes such as wheat straw and switchgrass) serves as a nutrition source for fungi, and the fungi grow through and bind the biomass particles together. Products manufactured using this method can substitute those currently made from petroleum-derived plastics. Initial targeted applications of these manufactured products will be in packaging, furniture, and construction. The presentation will cover several experimental studies on feasibility of this new method, the relationship between the composition of the mixture (prepared for 3D printing) and print quality, and the effects of waiting time (from the time when the mixture is prepared till the time 3D printing is performed) and mixing on properties of the prepared mixture. The presentation will conclude by discussing research challenges and future research topics for this new manufacturing method. This work is funded by an NSF Future Manufacturing Research Grant.

Biography
ZJ Pei is a professor in the Wm Michael Barnes ’64 Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Texas A&M University (TAMU). He is the holder of the Mike and Sugar Barnes Professorship II. Prior to joining TAMU, he was a professor and the inaugural holder of Ice Professorship in the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering at Kansas State University. From November 2016 to November 2017, he was an ASME Foundation Swanson Fellow, serving as the Assistant Director for Research Partnerships at the Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office hosted by NIST. From August 2012 to August 2016, he served as the Program Director of the Manufacturing Machines and Equipment program at NSF and received Director’s Award for Excellence Program Director. He has served as an associate editor for four journals and an editorial board member for seven journals. He has published more than 210 journal papers and more than 160 conference papers. He is a fellow of ASME, SME, and IISE. He received his PhD degree in Mechanical Engineering from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

MAE Faculty Host: Yong Huang Ph.D.