Research-Led Green Engineering Framework Positions Industrial Waste as Strategic Resource at International Engineering Congress

Oluchi Chibuzor

As governments and industries worldwide intensify efforts to secure critical raw materials while reducing the environmental footprint of resource-intensive sectors, engineering solutions that enable the recovery of valuable materials from industrial waste streams are emerging as a strategic priority.

These issues featured prominently at the 4th International Turkish World Engineering and Science Congress, held in Antalya, Turkey, from 30 November to 3 December 2023, where sustainable separations, circular materials use, and low-waste process design were central themes of technical discourse.

One presentation that generated sustained interest among international delegates was delivered by Vincent Bailey Arohunmolase, Director of Research and Innovation at Şahbanlar Ferforje, (a Turkish-based industrial manufacturing company operating across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East) whose work focuses on sustainable separation technologies and resource recovery frameworks. Arohunmolase presented a research-based framework derived from his peer-reviewed article, “Green Engineering Approaches to Tailings Management in the Mining Industry: Chemical Process Design, Water Recycling, and Zero-Waste Goals,” which examines how established chemical engineering principles can be applied to transform mining and industrial tailings from long-term liabilities into secondary raw materials.

In his presentation, Arohunmolase outlined how process optimization, selective separation, and closed-loop water recycling techniques traditionally applied in mineral processing can be systematically integrated into industrial operations to reduce waste generation while improving material efficiency. Rather than treating tailings as unavoidable byproducts, the framework positions them as recoverable resources that can support manufacturing supply chains, reduce environmental risk, and lower lifecycle production costs.

Addressing delegates, Arohunmolase emphasized that the relevance of the work extends beyond mining operations.
“Waste is often a design failure rather than a material limitation,” he noted. “When engineering systems are optimized holistically, from resource extraction to final product—what was previously classified as waste can become a competitive industrial input.”

The presentation attracted commentary from senior academics in metallurgy, materials engineering, and mineral processing. Prof. Dr. Cemil Çetinkaya of Gazi University, Turkey observed that the research provides a practical bridge between academic sustainability concepts and industrial-scale implementation. He noted that the framework “demonstrates how metallurgical and chemical process design can directly support zero-waste objectives without relying on speculative technologies.”

Similarly, Prof. Dr. Yahya Bozkurt of Marmara University, Turkey highlighted the significance of integrating impurity control and selective separation into materials engineering workflows. He remarked during post-presentation discussions that Arohunmolase’s work “addresses root causes of material degradation and performance loss, which are often overlooked when waste management is treated as a downstream problem.”

The international relevance of the research was further underscored by Professor Mohsen Yahyaei, Director of the Julius Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre (JKMRC) at The University of Queensland, Australia, one of the world’s leading mineral processing research institutions. Professor Yahyaei noted that the framework aligns closely with global efforts to modernize resource industries, stating that the work “reflects a shift toward systems-level thinking that is increasingly essential for sustainable minerals and manufacturing industries worldwide.”

Conference participants observed that the research resonates strongly with industrial regions facing legacy waste challenges, where tailings storage facilities represent not only environmental risks but also unrealized economic value. By applying green engineering principles to materials recovery, the approach offers a pathway for industries to improve resource security while reducing dependence on primary raw materials.

Beyond its technical contribution, the presentation highlighted the role of research leadership within industry, particularly in translating peer-reviewed engineering concepts into operational strategies. As Director of Research and Innovation at Şahbanlar Ferforje, Turkey, Arohunmolase oversees the alignment of laboratory-scale research with industrial manufacturing objectives, ensuring that sustainability-driven process innovations are technically feasible at production scale.

As the congress concluded, delegates emphasized that engineering solutions grounded in rigorous research will be critical to achieving global sustainability and industrial resilience goals. Many pointed to Arohunmolase’s work as an example of how applied engineering research can reshape how industries define waste, value, and long-term competitiveness in an increasingly resource-constrained world.