Bashu Aman (he/him)

College of Engineering

PhD in Mechanical Engineering

Hometown: gaya, india

1. Briefly describe the research you're doing in your program at CMU.

   At CMU, I am working on materials processing, mainly ceramic manufacturing. Ceramics are extensively used in automotive bodies, EVs, high-temperature refractories, and many more. I use electromagnetic waves, mainly microwaves, to process these ceramics at high temperatures (>1000 °C). The high temperature processing, termed "sintering," compacts the ceramic and makes it more dense for functional applications. Using microwave-assisted sintering, I research how we can reduce ceramic processing time, cost, energy, and associated emissions as compared to the current state-of-the-art traditional furnace-based ceramic processing.

2. How did you develop an interest in this area? 

   During my undergrad, I was competing extensively in student formula car events in India. I used to build suspension, steering, and brake components, exploring a variety of materials from metals, carbon fiber composites, to polymers. During my summer internships at Ohio State and NTU Singapore, I studied acoustics and waves inside cars, how we can reduce resulting noise, and how we can manufacture topologically optimized EV battery housing. All these experiences, as well as others, ignited a spark about electromagnetic waves and how they affect manufacturing. My current lab’s (Jayan lab) thrust is on ceramic manufacturing and far from equilibrium processing, so I found my lab at CMU a perfect spot to study these.

3. What are your academic and/or professional goals? 

   I want to continue exploring the material processing domain, expanding my expertise from ceramics and metals to other next-generation materials. I am always passionate about researching new manufacturing processes and believe my career will be more inclined toward national laboratories and academia. With that said, I am flexible and am also interested in growing my research to end-product, so if given an option, I could also explore the business and corporate aspects of it.

4. How do you spend your time beyond academic work?

   I am an automaniac and love to go on road trips and explore new places. So, whenever I find time from my research or academic work, I go on a half day or longer road trip, listening to music and enjoying the trip vibe. I also cook and try new recipes, though I would prefer going to new restaurants in and around Pittsburgh.