Fu Zhao

Fu Zhao is a Professor at Purdue University's School of Mechanical Engineering and Division of Environmental and Ecological Engineering. His research focuses on sustainable manufacturing, life cycle assessment, bio-based materials, and renewable energy systems.

His work includes analyzing bio-jet fuel sustainability, optimizing manufacturing energy consumption under real-time tariffs, and assessing environmental impacts of metalworking fluids and electronic waste. Recent studies explore rare earth material recovery, carbon footprint reduction in machining, and smart grid-integrated production scheduling.

• Biomass Thermo-chemical Upgrading
• Energy-efficient Machining Processes
• Life Cycle Assessment Frameworks
• Circular Economy Strategies

Current projects examine time-of-use electricity scheduling, water footprint quantification, and biofuel production resilience. He advises graduate students in topics like disassembly planning, solar cooling optimization, and additive manufacturing sustainability.