About Our Lab

At the Purdue S.E.T.S, we apply life cycle assessment (LCA), techno-economic analysis (TEA), and circularity analysis to advance sustainable technologies across critical sectors. Current efforts include developing an integrated tool to evaluate circular strategies for electric vehicle batteries, creating carbon-negative processes for mineral extraction, and quantifying emissions in industrial heat treatment. We also assess innovative lithium extraction pathways and explore low-carbon methods for recovering gallium from electronic waste. Together, these projects highlight our lab’s role in providing rigorous, data-driven insights to reduce environmental impacts and strengthen clean energy supply chains.

Recent Publications

Guiding early-stage technology development by modifying TEA and LCA workflows

Xiaohan Wu, Jue Mo, Yiming Liu, Aristotelis Lygizos, Catherinne A Mejia-Melara, Neha Shakelly, Tapajyoti Ghosh, Heather P.H. Liddell, Fu Zhao

Chem Circularity 1 (2)

In collaboration with the National Laboratory of the Rockies

Integrating Carbon Capture into Copper Comminution: A Combined Techno-Economic Assessment and Carbon Footprint Analysis

X Wu, X Wang, Y Wang, W Zhang, R Honaker, F Zhao

Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration 43 (2), 915-926

Dynamic life cycle assessment of NdFeB magnet production–case for carbon emission intensity

TY Huang, S Kulkarni, F Zhao

Frontiers in Energy Research 13, 1713982

Scaling Bioleaching from Lab to Industry: A Life Cycle Assessment of Cathode Copper Production

X Wu, X Yang, F Zhao

ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 13 (39), 16577-16587

Transforming E-Waste Into Strategic Resources: Techno-Economic Analysis of Gallium and By-products Recovery from LEDs via Bioleaching

X Wu, V Roy, Y Liu, N Shakelly, T Ghosh, X Yang, JW Sutherland, F Zhao

Techno-Economic Analysis

Bioleaching Gallium From E-Waste: Comparative Techno-Economic Analysis

X Wu, V Roy, N Shakelly, JW Sutherland, F Zhao

International Manufacturing Science and Engineering Conference 89022

Life cycle assessment for primary gallium production at industrial-scale

H Luo, TY Huang, X Wu, F Zhao

The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 1-15

Lithium from clay: Assessing the environmental impacts of extraction

V Roy, MP Paranthaman, F Zhao

Sustainable Production and Consumption 52, 324-332