On April 10, 2019, Dr. Pendo Nandiga Bigambo, a mechanical engineer from the University of Dar es Salaam visited the University of Ottawa and took the time to tell us about her project that uses nanoprocessing technology to reduce waste.
If you aren’t already aware, textiles produce a lot of waste! With the use of an electrospinning machine (a form of nanotechnology), her team (comprised of 2 women and 3 men) plans on reusing cotton waste fabrics to make fresh fibres that can, once again, be used to make textiles. The idea is to reduce the cotton waste in Tanzania that is either made into rugs, goes into landfills or is burned.
Electrospinning is fairly new and is still in the research stage. However, it seems likely that this nanotechnology will aid us in biomedical applications (i.e., healing wounds), to make protective clothing and to filter air and liquids.
Thank you Dr. Bigambo for sharing your knowledge and shedding some light on your worthwhile project!
