Challenges to achieving sustainable aqueous systems: a case study in metalworking fluids

Sustainable aqueous systems are designed for maximum societal or industrial utilization per unit of eco-impact. The current utilization of metalworking fluids (MWF) in manufacturing operations cannot be considered sustainable, yet economic and societal pressures to achieve metalworking fluid systems with minimum life cycle environmental impact have come to the fore. In response to these developments, a roadmap is required that integrates the following: 1) fundamental system characterization, 2) sensor development, and 3) actuator development. This article briefly reviews the state-of-the-art in each of these categories and discusses recent research efforts at iSAS to integrate these areas into sustainable MWF systems.