Louise Ng

• MEng (Hons) Chemical Engineering
• Transforming circular economy 3D printing: producing sensors from waste material

Experts predict that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the planet’s water than fish. Therefore, it is necessary to either minimise the amount of plastic waste or recycle materials. In this project, we will use plastic waste from coffee cups and transform it into 3D printing filament. This new 3D printing filament will be compared to traditional materials and we will study its unique properties, including if it is possible to produce materials that is electrically conductive. I will use it to develop novel sensors that can be used for the detection of several compounds that can pollute our environment, such as traces of antibiotics and pesticides. Finally, I aim to measure these micropollutants in a number of real samples, including river water from the Tyne and from wastewater treatment plants.

Funding source: Newcastle University

Project supervisor: Dr Marloes Peeters