Two groups from the Chemical and Petroleum Engineering (CPE) programme of the American College of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK) earned high honours within the prestigious 2025 AIChE Chemical Engineering for Good (ACE4G) Problem, a worldwide competitors organized by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).
Competing towards different scholar chapters from main universities worldwide, the AURAK scholar groups demonstrated the college’s dedication to innovation, sustainability, and community-focused engineering on the competitors which was open to 432 AIChE scholar chapters worldwide (https://www.aiche.org/community/awards/aiche-chemical-engineering-good-challenge-ace4g).
The primary workforce comprising 9 CPE college students received 1st Place globally for his or her challenge, “Thermo-Catalytic Compost Reactor,” whereas a second workforce earned an Honorable Point out Award for his or her challenge, “Defluoridation of Fluoride-Contaminated Groundwater Utilizing Iron-Impregnated Bagasse Biochar in Ziway, Ethiopia.” Each groups had been acknowledged in the course of the AIChE Annual Pupil Awards Ceremony in Boston, Massachusetts, on November 2, 2025.
AURAK Provost Prof. Khalid Hussain commented: “These accomplishments stand as a strong testomony to the AURAK rising stature as a regional and international chief in socially accountable, innovation-driven engineering training. The CPE college students have demonstrated an distinctive skill to translate superior chemical engineering ideas into impactful options addressing real-world challenges from clear water entry and sustainable agriculture to nationwide vitality safety and AI-enabled infrastructure.”
Dr. Sara Faiz Hanna Tasfy, Affiliate Professor and Chair of the Division of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at AURAK, mentioned: “These outstanding accomplishments not solely mirror the creativity, teamwork, and technical excellence of our college students, but in addition stand as clear proof of the excessive commonplace of training upheld inside the CPE Division. Our scholar’s success on a worldwide stage reaffirms the division’s dedication to delivering an distinctive studying expertise one which empowers college students to innovate, lead, and compete confidently with high universities worldwide.”
The profitable challenge introduces a Thermo-Catalytic Compost Reactor that accelerates composting whereas reducing dangerous emissions. Utilizing a biochar–EM catalyst, passive photo voltaic heating, and a rotating drum, it reduces composting time from 100 days to 40–60 days and lowers key greenhouse gases by as much as 68%. Reasonably priced and adaptable, it strengthens rural farming by enhancing soil fertility and supporting sustainable agriculture.
The Honorable Point out challenge tackles harmful fluoride contamination in Ethiopia’s Rift Valley with a low-cost, culturally delicate family filtration system. Utilizing iron-impregnated bagasse biochar and a easy gravity-fed design, it removes as much as 98% of fluoride and produces 20 liters of secure ingesting water each day. All supplies are domestically accessible, and the system is environmentally pleasant, with spent biochar reusable as a soil conditioner.