Chemical engineering useful in an OSE context

See the wikipedia page on Chemical engineering.

The replab will manipulate atoms at a micron scale and above very well.

Chemical engineering essentially fills in the capacity to manipulate atoms at lower scales, at an atomic level.

We are currently (june 2011) looking at more than a dozen different chemical engineering processes as being desirable for OSE use, as mentioned throughout the wiki. Instead of having these scattered around and thought of as separate endeavors, it may be better to consider them all in the context of each other.

This way, the processes can be more easily designed so the inevitable wastes from one process can be fed into another etc. Parts, designs, maintenance procedures can be more easily made compatible and/or interchangeable where desired.

See forum discussions: http://forum.opensourceecology.org/discussion/289/open-source-chemical-engineering-kit

Chemical Engineering processes that we have been noticed as particularly desirable for OSE:

- production of bioplastics

- sodium hydroxide, sulphuric acid, hydrchloric acid, hydroflouric acid and other basic chemicals etc.

- starting materials for the nife battery (or any other battery)

- Arguably refining of scrap steel back to virgin steel is a chemical engineering process.

- Recycling of waste-stream materials is much easier if chemical engineering is harnessed effectively

- The aluminum production is essentially a chemical engineering process.

- production of fuels, lubricants etc.

- other useful materials like silicon carbide etc.

Related pages

See other pages in this category.