NEWS IN BRIEF: Chemistry professor discovers environmentally-friendly methods to create ceramics

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Professor of Chemistry and Material Science Andrew Barron has discovered a new environmentally-benign method of making aluminum-based ceramics. His findings were presented March 28 at the national American Chemical Society meeting in New Orleans.

The ceramics, 50 million tons of which are used every year in products from circuit boards to car parts, are traditionally made by two methods. Both methods produce large amounts of hazardous waste, like nitric acid, nitrogen oxide and carcinogenic chlorocarbons.

Rather than trying to clean up the wastes of the processes, Barron's new method deals with the process itself. His approach involves using water as a solvent and uses significantly less organic material than the traditional methods. The process' primary byproduct is carbon dioxide.

According to Barron, the method, currently pending patent, is inexpensive and easy to use.

"The chemistry is simple, but it will probably have a big impact on the industry," Barron said. "We can limit the amount of pollution that a very large industry produces."

Barron's findings were compiled in a paper called "A Chemie Douce (Soft Chemistry) Approach to Transition Metal and Lanthanide-doped Aluminum Oxides."

This item appeared in the News section of the April 12, 1996 issue.

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