News and Events

ETAC provides confidential assistance to manufacturers to help them increase productivity, reduce energy costs and achieve and maintain environmental compliance. Choose from the links below to learn more about the latest news from ETAC.

National Pollution Prevention Roundtable
Partner of the Year Award
Western Pennsylvania Environmental Award
BFTDA Awards Grant
Fourth Microwave and Radio Frequency World Congress

DEP Energy Workshops
ETAC Wins B4B Award
B4B Press Release/Photos
DEP Offers Workshop to Help Small Business Owners Cut Energy Costs
DEP Secretary Kathleen McGinty visits ETAC
E2 Specialist Program

Calendar of Events
Photo Gallery
About ETAC

For more information, contact Shelly Mulè at 610-861-4109 or mule@etctr.com.

News Articles

FOURTH MICROWAVE AND RADIO FREQUENCY WORLD CONGRESS

ETAC staff members Joe Cresko, John Barkanic, Pete Roberts and Shelly Mule’ attended the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Annual Meeting and Fall Showcase, which also included the Fourth World Microwave and Radio Frequency Congress (4WC) in Austin, Texas, November 6-12, 2004. ETAC was an exhibitor at the event which included over 4,000 participants, 540+ technical sessions, and 13 topical conferences, including Environmental Issues, Sustainable Engineering, Food, Pharmaceutical & Bioengineering, Energy & Transport Process, Nanotechnology, etc.

The 4WC Technical Program encompassed many areas of Microwave and Radio Frequency research and development, as well as sessions on industrial applications in areas such as Materials Processing, Waste Processing and Remediation, Semiconductor and Microelectronic Fabrication, Organic and Inorganic Chemistry, Biochemistry and Biomed, Dielectric Property Measurements and Techniques, Modeling and Materials Interactions and Plasma Processing.

ETAC’s Joe Cresko served as Chair for the Technology Fair for the 4WC, and is a member of the organizing committee of the Microwave Working Group, Ltd. He also delivered the Congress welcome and Keynote Address on Energy Efficiency and mediated a roundtable discussion on “The Impact of Electrotechnologies and Their Applications to Energy Efficiency & Manufacturing Economics.”

Pete Roberts was a presenter on the roundtable, as well as representatives from The National Institute for Fusion Science, Japan, The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium, Loughborough University, Belgium, The Universität Bayreuth, Germany, and The International Union for Electroheat (UIE), France.

John Barkanic delivered a paper in the Technical Session “Plasma Processing,” entitled “Anisotropy and Selectivity Interdependence using NF3 Gas Mixtures.” Other participants in this session were from S. Demirel University, Turkey, BOC Edwards, UK, The Centre for Materials Science, UK, and The General Physics Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow.

 

BFTDA FUNDING AWARDED TO ETAC

Some segments courtesy: Shope, Dan, The Morning Call, November 16, 20004

The Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority (BFTDA) recently awared the Electrotechnology Applications Center at Northampton Community College a $396,000 grant to develop an electron beam system to reduce volatile emissions from plants across the state and country. ETAC was awarded 1.1million over three years (see: News Events Archives; NCC Gets Grant to Zap Pollution) by the Department of Environmental Protection to do research and development on this technoogy. Current methods used in controlling these emissions are catalytic oxidation or absorption of VOcs on activiated carbon, according to Mike Vasilik, Ph.D and Director at ETAC. These grants will allow the center to develop an electron beam device small enough to be placed in smokestacks, keeping the emissions from reaching the environment. Any industry that creates the emissions, from manufactureers of wood and metal products to the aerospace industry, could use the electron beam to reduce pollutants, Vasilik said. The development of this technology also represents the creation of jobs in Pennsylvania when the technology is perfected and put into production.

Pennsylvania State Senator Lisa Boscola presented a check on behalf of the BFTDA to Dr. Art Scott, NCC President and Mike Vasilik, Director of ETAC. Senator Boscola is a member of the BFTDA Board. The Senator endorsed the project, and was very excited about the positive impact this project can potentially have on the state economy.

photo courtesy Northampton Community College

SECRETARY McGINTY VISITS ETAC

Falsone, Nick, Bethlehem Area Edition The Express Times August 19, 2004 B1;NCCB5

Recently, ETAC's scientists and chemists had an opportunity to showcase their efforts to the secretary of Pennsylvania's Department of Enviroonmental Protection, Kathleen McGinty.

McGinty toured the center for about an hour, and praised its scientists for the contributions they've made toward helping hundreds of businesses, small and large, find ways to cut down on emissions and make their production of goods more enrgy efficient. McGinty said the center's work couldn't come at a more appropriate time given the air pollution problems that are affecting many parts of the state. "To say we're scrapping to find additional emissions reductions is an understatement," she said.

The state DEP has also come to rely on the center's help, McGinty said, adding many of the center's scientists have expertise that the state DEP staff does not have. "Most of our staff is not trained to think of energy applications as a solution to envrionmental issues."

Photo Courtesy: Express Time

Partnering with the US Department of energy to Develop an E2 specialist Program

Northampton Community college (NCC) in Bethlehem, PA is working with the US Department of energy (DOE) to establish an Energy Efficiency specialist program. The purpose of this pilot project, which will be initiated at NCC, is to create the curriculum for a Community College-based energy efficiency program that can be used as a national model and replicated at Community Colleges throughout the country. Students will gain in-depth understanding of : energy usage in a manufacturing environment, application of appropriate energy efficient technologies, energy assessment methodologies, tools used to assess energy systems, and methods used in energy economic decision making.

The US DOE has made great progress in developing software tools and providing assessments and information to assist manufacturers in improving their energy efficiency. NCC will expand on these efforts by providing training in the tools and possible efficiency improvements to workers on the floor who can effect change. the focused nature of a Community College based program will fit the needs of industry for short-term job training in a subject that will help them improve their bottom line.

The overall approach is to adapt and transfer the tools and knowledge that have proven to be effective in the Best Practices and other DOE programs to manufacturing personnel. In preparation for the curriculum development the project team has established an advisory team which is key to ensuring that the developed curriculum will provide attractive benefits to industry and result in employment opportunities or career advancement for the course graduates. Members of the advisory panel include Community college faculty, regional manufacturing representatives, utility industry personnel, and federal and state government representatives.