Ewha Students Win Four Awards, Including Grand Prize, at 2026 Chem Frontier Undergraduate Chemical Engineering Design Co N
- 작성처
- Date2026.10.22
- 227
Four teams of students from Ewha Womans University’s Department of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science won awards at the 2026 Chem Frontier Undergraduate Chemical Engineering Creative Design Competition, hosted by the Korean Institute of Chemical Engineers (KIChE). The teams received the Grand Prize and Gold Prize in the video category, as well as the Bronze Prize and Encouragement Award in the poster category.
Held on October 6 at BEXCO in Busan under the theme “Expanding Chemical Engineering, Designing a Changing World,” the competition brought together undergraduate chemical engineering students from across the country to compete with their innovative design ideas. The winners were announced in the KIChE notices on October 14.
The team “One Mountain After Another,” comprising students Yoo Jaeyoung, Nam Sujeong, and Lee Choeun and advised by Professor Kim Woojae, won the Grand Prize, the highest honor in the video category, for its project, “A Bio-Based Color-Changing Film for Early Detection of Acidic Chemical Leaks at Semiconductor Chemical Supply Line Connections.” The team proposed a film that changes color when acidic chemicals used in semiconductor manufacturing leak from supply line connections, allowing leaks to be detected visually at an early stage without additional power or equipment. The design was recognized for its potential to improve industrial safety by identifying hazards before they escalate into major chemical accidents.
Professor Kim Woojae of the Department of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science with the teams “One Mountain After Another,” “Watermelon Detectives,” and “Static Catch-Catch.”
The team “Watermelon Detectives,” comprising students Kim Nayeon, Kim Seoyun, Kim Jiwoo, Jung Hayoon, and Heo Dahee and advised by Professor Woojae Kim, won the Gold Prize in the video category for its project, “Cooling Hydrogel Recreated from Watermelon Rinds.” The research developed an eco-friendly, high-efficiency cooling hydrogel by upcycling discarded watermelon rinds. It addressed two challenges at once: turning agricultural and food-processing by-products into high-value resources and developing sustainable materials for thermal management.
The team “Static Catch-Catch,” comprising students Choi Seoyeong, Park Jaeryeong, Son Eunseong, and Lee Sojeong and advised by Professor Kim Woojae, won the Bronze Prize in the poster category for its project, “Development and Evaluation of a CNT-Based Non-Contact Real-Time ESD Monitoring System.” Using carbon nanotubes (CNTs), the system detects electrostatic discharge (ESD) in real time without physical contact. The technology can improve the reliability of semiconductor and advanced electronics manufacturing processes, where even minute amounts of static electricity can affect production yields. It is also expected to have applications in future mobility, including autonomous vehicles, which are increasingly equipped with electronic components.
The team “Precious Battery,” comprising students Kim Minjin, Park Yeojin, Seo Jeongin, Yoo Seohyeon, and Jang Seoyeong and advised by Professor Nam Kwanwoo, received the Encouragement Award in the poster category for its project, “Development of an Eco-Friendly Aqueous Zinc Battery Electrode Binder Using Pectin Derived from Citrus Peels.” Instead of using the toxic organic solvent N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), commonly used in conventional electrode manufacturing, the team dissolved natural polymer pectin extracted from citrus peels in water and used it as a binder. This enabled the development of a fully aqueous zinc battery that uses water throughout the process, from electrode fabrication to the electrolyte. The project is significant for reducing the environmental burden of electrode manufacturing and demonstrating the potential of using agricultural and food-processing by-products in battery materials.
The team “Precious Battery” received the Encouragement Award in the poster category.
Together, the four teams’ projects demonstrated the broad role chemical engineering can play in advanced industries and environmentally sustainable technologies. Their work covered chemical leak detection and safety in semiconductor manufacturing, static electricity control in the semiconductor and advanced electronics industries, sustainable thermal management materials made by upcycling agricultural by-products, and eco-friendly aqueous battery materials.
Professor Kim Woojae, who advised three of the teams, said, “Winning awards is certainly gratifying, but I believe the process itself was even more valuable for the students. By defining problems on their own and exploring and testing different ways to solve them, they must have learned many things that can only be learned outside the classroom.”
He added, “I hope this experience will serve as a solid foundation for the students as they continue to grow as researchers and engineers.”