Dr. André Bénard is an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Michigan State University.
Dr. Bénard’s research interests include sustainable manufacturing and materials processing, multiphase flow and heat transfer (liquid/liquid and solid/liquid mixtures), and the design and modeling of new separation and processing equipment. He works on developing technology that improves the sustainability of modern society. This includes separation and treatment processes for compromised waters such as oil and water, improved sanitation systems, as well as technology for the identification, sorting, and reuse of products at their end of life (recycling and remanufacturing). All these are rooted in fundamental engineering analysis and computational models.
Recently, Dr. Bénard’s research program has developed a focus on the identification, sorting, and remanufacturing of materials such as plastics, metals, and glass arising from products at their end-of-life. His group is interested in improving the separation of mixed plastics, their reuse in manufacturing systems such as in 3D printing, and the chemical recycling of plastics through benign processes such as hydrolysis (PET and PLA). Such approaches reduce the energy needed for manufacturing new products while mitigating their environmental impact.
He has taught numerous courses in multiphase flows, thermos-fluid sciences, and alternative energy systems. He is the founding advisor of SPARTA, a student organization focused on retrofitting MSU’s campus buildings to reduce the energy demand on campus. Dr. Bénard earned a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the École Polytechnique de Montréal and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Delaware. He was also a postdoctoral researcher at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
His Global Research Interests include:
- Clean energy
- Sorting and recycling (plastics, metals, glass)
- Chemical recycling of plastics
- Technology for a circular economy
- Water treatment systems
With a Geographic Focus in:
- India
- Germany
- China
