Dr. Adam J. Gesing

PhD metallurgy and materials scientist with over 30 years of research and development experience in:

• Technology management and leadership
• Equipment specification, design, construction and piloting (furnace, electrolytic cell, sorter)
• Plant design and construction
• Process development, modeling and optimization
• Scrap recycling including: conventional shredding, sizing, density, magnetic and eddy current separation processes; and leading-edge scrap recycling technology including high speed on line sorting using machine vision, x-ray imaging, and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) elemental chemical analysis
• Ceramics: synthesis, processing and structure/property relationships in oxides, borides, nitrides and carbides
• Al extractive metallurgy, electrochemistry and Al scrap remelting

Employment

Current - Gesing Consultants Inc. - President

Through Gesing Consulting Inc., works on contracts in the areas of waste processing and recycling technologies; shredder residue sorting and recycling; metal and plastic sorting; aluminum reduction and electrochemistry, melting and solidification.

Huron Valley Steel Corp., Belleville, MI
Director of R&D, Senior R&D scientist (1996-2004)

• Directed R&D and plant teams involved in the development of scrap recycling processes, technologies and equipment, including eddy current separators, color shape and size sorters, x-ray absorption sorters, and LIBS-based Al alloy sorters.
• Process developments included shredding, sizing, cleaning, density separation, coin sorting, Al production, Al wrought-cast separation, LIBS-based Al alloy sorting, Al-Mg sort, copper-brass-zinc-stainless sorts. Also involved in process modeling, process control, and theoretical developments of sorting science.
• Had full responsibility for the successful design, construction and integration of the 50,000-ton annual capacity LIBS alloy sorting plant.
• Was responsible for supervising a team of approximately 12 engineers, designers, technicians, and fabricators. I molded this team into an innovative, cohesive and productive departmental unit.
• Wrote specifications for and supervised large sub-contracts for plant construction, laser and optical system components, computer programming and system integration.
• Managed for HVSC a highly successful Aluminum Auto Alliance-sponsored project for demonstration of Al scrap sorting technologies to DOE, car manufacturers and Al producers.
  

Alcan (1973-1996)

• Multi-polar Mg electrolytic cell design at Alcan Int., Kingston Labs (1995-1996). The resultant design was later successfully implemented in the Noranda Magnola Mg plant.
• Aluminum recycling at Alcan Int., Kingston Labs as Project Leader (1990-1995) for a team of up to 15 scientists and technologists working on rationalization of Alcan’s recycling strategy and then using this strategy to guide the recycling process development. Process development achievements included methods for LIBS analysis for sorting of scrap by alloys; method of decoating of Al-paper and Al plastic recovery with organic recovery; loss-free method for melting of Mg-Al alloys. The work also included support for Alcan’s operating scrap remelting facilities including optimization of shredding, thermal decoating, side well and rotary furnace melting, melting flux development. This work resulting in improvements in metal recoveries and reduced energy consumption in operating plants
• Ceramic injection molding of oxide and non-oxide ceramic components for Alcan Corp., Technical Ceramic Laboratories in Alpharetta, GA, as Vice President Technology (1989-1990). Responsible for definition and execution of R&D program and its coordination with Alcan Int. research centers.
• Ceramic matrix Al-Al2O3-SiC composite components, at Alcan Int., Kingston Labs as Project Leader, Alanx support (1988-1989). Instrumental in setting up Alanx the first commercial production plant for Lanxide components. Plant support included radiography and other NDE characterization methods of Lanxide components.
• Ceramic piston engine components, at Alcan Corp. Lanxide, as Project Technical Director (1986-1987) The $2.2 million task, involving 17 researchers demonstrated technical feasibility of using Lanxide cam shafts, valve seats and exhaust port liners.
• Ceramic matrix composite Technology, at Alcan Int., Kingston Labs as Project Leader, Lanxide (1985-1986). Assembled 15-man-year team to explore the limits of Lanxide technology and elucidate the process’s basic mechanisms.
• Dimensionally stable electrodes for Hall cells at Alcan Int, Kingston Labs as research scientist, (1978-1984). Novel aluminum electrolytic cell designs incorporating ceramic anodes and cathodes were taken from material synthesis and evaluation through bench scale cells to 10 kA pilot plant scale.
• Carbon electrode materials for Hall cells as development engineer, Alcan Arvida Laboratories and Carbon plant (1973-1975). Electrode binder control method became standard for Alcan Arvida plants and is still used.

Education

PhD, Materials Science, Ceramics, Pennsylvania State University (1975-1977)
Thesis research performed under supervision of Drs. R.C. Bradt, P.L. Walker Jr. and R.E. Tressler. Dealt with the effects of microstructure and temperature on the fracture mechanics and kinetics of slow crack propagation in ceramic materials.

Publications