Veena Sahajwalla facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Veena Sahajwalla
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Veena Sahajwalla (2013)
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| Nationality | Indian |
| Education | IIT Kanpur |
| Occupation | Materials scientist, inventor |
| Known for | 'Green Steel', 'Recycling science', 'Micro factories' |
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Materials science Metallurgy |
| Institutions | University of New South Wales |
Veena Sahajwalla is an amazing Indian inventor. She is a Professor of Materials Science at UNSW Australia. She leads the UNSW SM@RT Centre for Sustainable Materials Research and Technology. She is also an Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow.
Professor Sahajwalla is known for her work on the Australian Climate Council. She was also a judge on the TV show The New Inventors. She appeared on the science show Catalyst in 2008. Veena Sahajwalla was born in Mumbai, India. She studied in Canada before moving to Australia.
Contents
What Does a Materials Scientist Do?
Veena Sahajwalla has been a professor at the University of New South Wales since 2008. She started the Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT) Lab there in 2008. This lab focuses on recycling and managing waste.
Professor Sahajwalla writes many scientific papers. These papers are about material engineering. She has published over 380 papers. She has written for both the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur and UNSW. She also writes chapters for books about recycling science. One book is called Unmaking Waste in Production and Consumption: Towards the Circular Economy.
Green Steel: A Smart Way to Make Steel
Professor Sahajwalla is famous for helping to create a world with less waste. One of her biggest ideas is a cleaner way to make steel. This new method is called polymer injection technology, or green steel.
How Green Steel Works
She found that old truck tires can replace coal in making steel. This is good for the environment. It stops over 2 million tires from going into landfills each year. It also creates a new energy source. Tires can be ground into small pieces. These pieces are then used instead of coal. They release fewer greenhouse gases. Making steel in the old way creates about 7% of all global greenhouse gases.
Tires cannot replace all the coal used. But they can replace some of it. This helps lower carbon emissions. It also stops waste from ending up in landfills. This idea is very helpful as the world tries to reduce carbon.
Green Steel Around the World
Professor Sahajwalla has worked with Australian steel companies. These include OneSteel and MolyCop. They have helped develop green steel technology. Now, green steel is used in steel factories all over the world. This makes Australia a leader in making steel with low emissions.
Her work on green steel has won her many awards. It has also helped her get grants for more environmental research. This project has brought her international fame. She now works with many government groups focused on climate change. In 2012, the US Society for Manufacturing Engineers listed her green steel process as a top innovation. It also won her the Australian Innovation Challenge that same year. In 2019, she won the BHERT Award for her green steel idea.
Micro-factories: Recycling in Small Spaces
Professor Sahajwalla also invented micro-factories. These are small factories with special machines. They are much more sustainable. These small factories can be set up in existing businesses. They can recycle waste that is available nearby.
Recycling Electronics
She opened her first micro-factory in 2018. It was at the SMaRT Lab at the University of New South Wales. This factory focused on recycling e-waste from old technology. She found that old electronics have many valuable metals. They also contain rare earth minerals. This micro-factory saved gold, electrical conductors, and other rare materials.
These materials are processed using heat. Then they can be recycled into new technology. Glass and plastic from electronics can also be melted down. They can be used to make strong ceramics. They can also make plastic parts for 3D printing. This new idea changed how e-waste is recycled. Her work has led to new micro-factories for different materials.
Recycling Glass and Textiles
In 2019, she launched her second micro-factory. This one recycles glass and textiles into green ceramics. Glass is easy to recycle. But it can be expensive because of lids and labels. Professor Sahajwalla's method means you don't need to separate these materials.
Her ceramics are made from a mix of different materials. This mix makes them strong and good at blocking sound. These ceramics can be used for tiles and furniture. They are used in new green buildings. She has worked with architects on projects. These include a Mirvac project in Marrickville, the Hunters Hill library, and recycled rubbish bins for Canberra.
Benefits of Micro-factories
These micro-factories help local governments recycle materials. These materials would otherwise go to landfills. They have created recycling centers for rural areas. They have also created jobs for many Australians. Before, waste from rural areas had to travel to big cities to be recycled. This created more carbon emissions. Micro-factories solve this problem.
Working with Government Groups
Professor Sahajwalla is a member of important Australian groups. These include the Australian Climate Council and NSW Circular. She was also part of the Australian Climate Commission.
She is a councillor on the independent Australian Climate Council. In 2014, she won the Australian Research Council Laureate Fellowship and the Georgina Sweet Award.
In 2019, she became director of the NSW Circular Economy Innovation Network. This group aims to make NSW a zero-carbon circular economy. Professor Sahajwalla helps lead the environmental efforts of this group.
She was also a commissioner on the Australian Climate Commission. This group gave reliable information about climate change to the public. Professor Sahajwalla also leads the green manufacturing part of the ARC Industrial Transformation Research Hub. This group connects university research with Australian industries. This helps industries use the best research. It brings environmental and economic benefits to Australia.
Awards and Recognition
Professor Sahajwalla is one of Australia’s most famous engineers. She has been invited to speak at many international events. These include the Farm2Fork Summit and the Falling Wall conference. In 2015 and 2016, Engineers Australia named her one of Australia’s most influential engineers. They also called her one of Australia’s most innovative engineers.
Professor Sahajwalla also runs a program called Science 50:50. This program helps inspire women in Australia to study Science and Technology.
Television Shows and Talks
- Professor Sahajwalla was a judge on ABC TV’s show “New Inventors”.
- She was featured on ABC’s “Australian story”. This show focused on her achievements and research.
- She was a guest on ABC TV’s Q&A program in 2020. They talked about the future of the world.
- Professor Sahajwalla was on ABC TV’s show Catalyst in 2008.
- She gave a Ted Talk in Sydney in 2011. It was called Reviving Waste.
Her Amazing Achievements
Professor Sahajwalla is known around the world as the inventor of green steel. Her research has changed how we understand materials that contain carbon. These include coal, coke, graphite, plastics, and rubber.
Her work has greatly impacted the iron-making, steel-making, and ceramics industries. She showed that waste plastics and rubber can replace some coal and coke in making steel.
Professor Sahajwalla's special focus on how carbon changes at high temperatures has helped science. It has also given industries cheaper ways to be more sustainable and eco-friendly.
She has also changed how Australia recycles. Her small, specialized recycling factories have cut carbon emissions. They have also given rural communities a way to reuse old items.
Honours and Awards
- 2005: Winner, Eureka Prize for Scientific Research
- 2006: Winner, Environmental Technology Award for her work in Engineering Sciences
- 2008: Winner, NSW Scientist of the Year for Engineering Sciences by the NSW Government
- 2011: Winner, Nokia Business Innovation Award at the Telstra Business Women's Awards
- 2011: Winner, Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award by the Government of India
- 2012: Winner, Banksia Environmental Foundation GE Innovation Award
- 2012: Winner, Australian Innovation Challenge for turning recycled rubber tires into steel
- 2013: Winner, AIST Howe Memorial Lecture award
- 2014: Winner, Georgina Sweet Australian Laureate Fellowship by the Australian Research Council
- 2015: Winner, Innovation category in the Australian 100 Women of Influence 2015
- 2016: Finalist, NSW Premier's Award for Woman of the Year
- 2018: Elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science (FAA)
- 2019: Winner, BHERT Award for her Green Steel innovation
- 2022: Winner, NSW Australian of the Year
- 2022: Winner, Celestino Eureka Prize for Promoting Understanding of Science
- 2023: Winner, Women in Design Award as part of Australian Good Design Awards
- 2025: Appointed Officer of the Order of Australia in the Australia Day Honours
See also
In Spanish: Veena Sahajwalla para niños
