Sunday, May 22, 1988

Plasma processing’ the answer.

The Alaska Research Policy Act requires the governor to appoint the science and engineering advisory commission whose function is to recommend research priorities and facilitate cooperation between government and industry. This commission should confront our continued physical economic decline by focusing on plasma processing for manufacturing and resource development.

The first phase would be to advance the frontiers of very high energy-flux density plasma processes for capital goods production. Plasma processing must be complemented with related ceramics, lasers, and robotics.

The knowledge and production experience gained from this first phase can then be directed toward induced thermal and electromagnetic primary reduction of strategic minerals. Included in this second phase would be plasma processing for industrial waste recovery and disposal.

Governor Cowper has challenged the legislature to create the Alaska Science and Technology Foundation to fund long-term science projects such as plasma processing. Under such arrangements, research priorities of the Science and Engineering Advisory Commission can be coordinated with the investment plans of industry. Isn’t it time that government and industry work together to help solve our physical economic decline?

Charles E. Duncan