October_2021_AMP_Digital

A D V A N C E D M A T E R I A L S & P R O C E S S E S | O C T O B E R 2 0 2 1 2 8 I n December 2015, multiple nations signed the landmark Paris Agreement to intensify actions needed for a sus- tainable low-carbon future in order to combat extreme weather. If the nations fulfill their promises, the global econo- my is anticipated to gain $400 trillion by 2100; if they fail, it will cost an estimat- ed $600 trillion [1] . The primary objective of sustainability efforts and the circu- lar economy (CE) approach is to enable a low-carbon, modern society in which the technologies and business models least compromise the needs of future generations. In other words, intelligent product design could reduce waste gen- eration and resource needs for greater sustainability. Micro and nanotechnologies are akin to modern societal development. The worldwide science and engineering community shouldaccept responsibility for developing emerging technologies to realize the circular economy, which is characterized by a pollution-free envi- ronment and low-carbon resources for the survival and sustainability of life on Earth. Developing a circular economy around materials at various scales (nano to micro) is the focus of the hour, desire of the day, and need of the cen- tury. The University of Central Flori- da (UCF) and the National University of Singapore (NUS) jointly organized a three-day workshop on the circular economy and sustainability of nano- micro materials [2] . At the same time, the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources of Singapore released the Zero Waste Masterplan. It defines Singapore’s objective to promote re- cyclability to 70% by 2030, contrasted with the current 60% [3] . Ongoing global and national activ- ities proclaim the circular economy as the new focal pathway toward sustain- ablemethodsof creationandutilization. Skeptics question the methodology, de- spite its accomplishments in catalyzing conversations about product design (e.g., life span, reparability), choic- es for sharing products, and reposi- tioning products as services [4] . Figure 1 indicates the total number of existing pieces of literature on “circular econo- my and sustainability,” showing incre- mental research interest in the last 10 years (January 2010 - August 2021). The CE approach has gained steady momentum and popularity and has established four material pil- lars as its foundation: regenerating resources, maximizing resources’ life- times, mining resources from waste, and substituting with materials from renewable sources. In parallel, materi- als science and engi- neering research has started engaging ar- tificial intelligence and data analytics as new tools. Therefore, a new platform is to be established in the emerging areas of ar- tificial intelligence and data science-driv- en education and re- search, as well as a repositioning of the manufacturing sector to utilize the opportunities of cyber- physical space (i.e., the fourth industri- al revolution). Combining nanotechnol- ogy with the circular economy would provide a platform for sharing scientific knowledge related to reuse, recycle, re- design, remanufacture, reduce, and re- cover (the 6 Rs), in addition to life cycle engineering and life cycle assessment of sustainable materials, thus minimiz- ing damage to the environment and hu- man health. This circular model would remove waste and raise efficiency by focusing on: the reuse and recycling of materials; product design to highlight longevity and restoration; and the production of new plans of action, including the shar- ing economy and the expansion of lo- cal closed-loop frameworks (Fig. 2). The advantage of adopting the CE model consists of additional business oppor- tunities through new product creation and enhanced resource effectiveness, diminished dependence on uncommon materials and different products, and SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS AND THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY The circular economy and sustainability are multifaceted concepts and thus should be pursued through collective advancements across various scientific fields. Tamil Selvan Sakthivel and Sudipta Seal, FASM,* University of Central Florida Seeram Ramakrishna, FASM,* National University of Singapore *Member of ASM International Fig. 1 — Bibliography review of the keyphrase “circular economy and sustainability” (data collected fromGoogle Scholar, January 2010 - August 28, 2021).