Budny 10:00am
L04
ETHICAL CONCERNS IN ENGINEERING WITH SELF-HEALING
POLYMERS
Bridget Csongradi (btc26@pitt.edu)
ENGINEERING CODES OF ETHICS
The American Institute of Chemical Engineers code of
ethics states that, “members shall uphold and advance the
integrity, honor and dignity of the engineering profession by:
being honest and impartial and serving with fidelity their
employers, their clients, and the public, striving to increase
the competence and prestige of the engineering profession,
and using their knowledge and skill for the enhancement of
human welfare.”[1]. This code establishes the duties,
responsibilities, and expectations of chemical engineers, like
myself. This code also helps engineers develop a moral and
ethical understanding in order to act appropriately and
professionally. The preamble of the National Society of
Professional Engineers Code of Ethics states, “As members
of this profession, engineers are expected to exhibit the
highest standards of honesty and integrity. The services
provided by engineers require honesty, impartiality, fairness,
and equity, and must be dedicated to the protection of the
public health, safety, and welfare. Engineers must perform
under a standard of professional behavior that requires
adherence to the highest principles of ethical conduct.”[2].
This preamble to the code parallels the message from the
American Institute of Chemical engineers as it stresses the
importance of honesty, integrity, and protection for all
engineering professions.
MY ETHICAL DILEMMA
There are engineers every day that are affected by ethical
issues and I am not an exception. I worked for Boeing trying
to develop self- healing polymers for use in aircrafts. The selfhealing materials are be used in areas such as the wings,
tailfin, fuselage or nose of the plane [3]. After working for
Boeing, I moved jobs and began working for Piper, another
aircraft company. Originally I was not working on selfhealing polymers as I was working with other materials;
however, after some time I was asked to work on these selfhealing materials to advance their technology. I understand
that this company would like to improve their technology;
however, I fear that if I begin these projects I will be revealing
too much of the technologies that we used at Boeing. After
suggesting to my boss that they find a new person for this job,
he offered me a higher pay and some extra benefits including
extra vacation days. I see this as bribery and do not think it is
appropriate. I need to decide what the appropriate action is
in order to solve this dilemma. Do I continue to work for
Piper, take the added benefits at the risk of revealing some of
Boeing’s technology? Or do I leave Piper as they may not be
University of Pittsburgh, Swanson School of Engineering 1
Date of Submission 2013-10-01
abiding by the code of ethics set forth by the National Society
of Professional Engineers.
My Resources
In order to make my decision about my career I need to be
fully educated on all the codes of ethics. These will help me
determine what is right and wrong. It will guide me and help
me make an educated decision with professionalism and
integrity in mind. I believe it will also be helpful if I look to
other resources and articles that address engineering ethics
generally, while not explicitly stating the code of ethics.
Lastly I will look to Dr. Michael Loui from the University of
Illinois. His online videos explaining examples and solutions
to common breaches in ethics will give me concrete examples
of what I should be aware of as I make my decision.
MY CAREER
At Boeing I worked with self-healing polymers in order to
make materials for aircrafts. There are currently many
benefits of using self-healing materials. The main benefit is
the ability to cut cost over a period of time. These materials
are lighter than the present materials being used on aircrafts.
As airplanes get lighter, less fuel is needed. When the amount
of fuel needed decreases, the overall cost associated with air
travel will decrease for both the airlines and the passengers.
The Boeing 787 is already beginning to incorporate these
materials into their designs which is making it about 20%
lighter than the average jetliner” [4]. This plane which is
using self-healing materials has a significant decrease in
weight which will translate into a significant decrease in cost.
The benefits of these polymers are finally beginning to be
realized. A reduction in maintenance cost is another benefit
for the airlines. The maintenance cost for a typical Boeing
plane can range from $7,000 to $33,000 per hour depending
on the plane [5]. While there is not yet an exact determined
cost for maintenance of planes with the self-healing materials,
Doug Adams says, “self-healing materials will be able to help
mechanics swap out parts based on the life cycles of the part
instead of according to a schedule. Now mechanics won’t
have to guess when the part will no longer be able to withstand
minor damages” [4]. This process will make the largest
saving for the airlines. Maintenance crews will have a more
accurate determination of when parts need to be replaced
which limits the amount of wasted parts. As less frequent
parts are replaced, the less parts need to be bought which will
help decrease the prices for the airlines. In a video from
DNews the benefits of self-healing polymers in concrete are
Bridget Csongradi
BOEING’S TECHNOLOGY
examined and are nearly identical to the benefits of selfhealing materials in airplanes. DNews says, “By making the
concrete self-healing you limit the need to repair concrete
structures, less cost, less concrete being made. It also means
stronger safer buildings” [6]. The benefits of concrete with
self-healing materials is very similar to that of airplanes. You
could say that by making the airplane materials self-healing
you are able to limit the repair of airplanes’ structures, which
results in a decrease cost because you are using less materials.
It also means safer planes. These planes have the potential to
be safer because they can correct their own small damages
right away. This will keep these small errors from getting
more problematic or going unnoticed.
In order to realize what might be considered trade secrets I
need to look at what specific technologies I used at Boeing.
At Boeing, we used a catalyst free process in which the
polymers heal autonomously. There are many different
methods to creating self-healing polymers but we used one
more suited to airplane materials. At Boeing we used fiberreinforced polymer (FRP) composites in areas such as the
wings, tailfin, fuselage or nose of the plane [3]. The hollow
capsules containing the composite breaks open upon damage
and lets the resin leak out and harden. This process heals the
composite” [4]. Another technology we have used for
materials in airplanes includes a dye mixed with the liquid
polymer, an epoxy resin. When the epoxy resin with the dye
leaks upon damage and repairs itself, the area can be seen
under ultraviolet light. This aids mechanics and maintenance
crews in detecting the damages to the plane after a flight.
Because these materials heal themselves and work on a
microscopic scale, the damage might not be visible to the
human eye. The materials on the aircraft still do need to be
inspected so the maintenance crew needs to be able to see the
repaired damage. This dye is necessary for the work crews to
see the where the damage and healing occurred. They will
notice the area because the changes color under UV light after
it is leaked with the epoxy resin after upon damage. [4].
Science Daily explains, “The material systems are capable of
increasing the toughness of a specimen by 11 times. After
toughening the material, the crack can be closed using the
shape-memory effect to recover an unprecedented 96 percent
of the object's original strength. In fact, after the crack is
closed, the new material is nearly five times as tough as the
original specimen, even though it has been strained past its
original failure strain point by a factor of four. The material
and healing process can be applied while the structure is in
operation, which has not been possible with existing healing
techniques.” [10]. After the process of self-healing takes
place, the material becomes much stronger. It still has
incredible strength and durability which is crucial in an
airplane’s material.
ETHICS ABOUT ENGINEERING
I am beginning to look deeply into the ethical codes and
my other resources about engineering ethics which I hope will
help me decide on the best path to take. I consulted my
sources about engineering first. Even though they were not
specific codes of ethics, they had insight to information on
ethics and decision making. Lynch and Cline say, “Engineers
need to avoid conflicts of interest, protect trade secrets and
confidentiality, and have the right to dissent, professional
responsibility, and the obligation to protect public safety,
health and welfare.” [7]. Lynch and Cline make an important
point in stating our rights and responsibilities. They explain
that we are to be responsible in our thoughts and actions. They
stress the importance of protecting trade secrets, something I
believe has a major influence in my dilemma. I learned that I
may be divulging some of Boeing’s trade secrets if I work on
self-healing materials at Piper because the nature of the work
at both companies is so similar. Norman Augustine writes,
“Engineers do have consequences, both positive and negative
and are often irreversible” [8]. In the same publication
Herkert writes, “Engineering ethics is typically concerned
with conflicts of interest, the integrity of data, whistleblowing, loyalty, accountability, giving credit where due,
trade secrets, and gift-giving and bribes” [9]. Both of these
men believe that ethical codes are important to teach to
students and to live by. The consequences can arise from a
variety of things and are crucial to the development as an
engineer. One wrong move can affect your life and career.
They also support the education of ethics to engineering
students. In my situation, I have a similar view. I understand
the importance of obeying the code of ethics as the decisions
I make now have the potential to affect me later in my career.
These articles also gave concrete examples of ethical
situations which validated my concern and gave me some
examples of different solutions. I also gained a better
understanding of trade secrets, bribery, loyalty, and the
integrity of data and how they relate to my situation.
Trade Secrets
The divulging of trade secrets is a common breach to the
engineering code of ethics. The National Society of
Professional Engineers Code of Ethics states, “Engineers
shall not, without the consent of all interested parties, promote
or arrange for new employment or practice in connection with
a specific project for which the engineer has gained particular
and specialized knowledge.”[2]. This code does not allow us
to work on the same project, for example self-healing
polymers, for two different companies because the work is so
seminar. In my case it would be very easy to accidentally
reveal some of Boeing’s technologies to Piper which would
result in a bad consequence and could harm Boeing. As an
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Bridget Csongradi
engineer I have a loyalty to all the employers, past and
present. If I chose to accept the self-healing materials job at
Piper I risk giving away information and harming Boeing.
The processes Boeing uses are trade secrets. Even though
they are not patentable, they are still unique to Boeing as they
were developed there. By bringing these processes and
specific knowledge of materials to Piper, I would be disloyal
to Boeing and would be at risk of divulging private
information which is against the code.
MY DECISION
I believe I have enough information to make a wellinformed decision about my job offer at Piper. I fully
consulted the codes of ethics of National Society of
Professional Engineers and the American Institute for
Chemical Engineers.
I looked for other sources of
information about engineering ethics in articles and online. I
also consulted Dr. Michael Loui’s lecture videos. After much
thought and consideration, I realize that I would be harming
Boeing, my first employer, and myself if I took the selfhealing material job at Piper. I decided to quit working for
Piper as I felt I could not contribute beneficially where they
need work. I also decided to leave Piper as I felt they were
not abiding by all the codes of ethics or demonstrating
professionalism. I did not want to accept the bribes or act as
if they were not a problem. I also did not want to divulge any
confidential information from Boeing through work at Piper
even if it was by accident. I believe that ethics are a crucial
part of engineering and each engineer should be motivated to
make decisions in a moral and ethical way. Engineers are
expected to withhold the integrity of our profession by
keeping the safety of all parties in mind and staying loyal to
our clients and employers
Confidentiality
These materials for planes are not currently in flight as they
are still being brought to safety regulations [4]. Many
different companies are trying to get their materials on the
market as soon as possible. Piper needs someone to help with
their self-healing polymer research and design. Both
companies want their product to be successful however, it is
important to keep certain processes, otherwise known as trade
secrets, confidential to your company. Which is why I feel
like I cannot work for Piper. The National Society of
Professional Engineer’s Code of Ethics states, “Engineers
shall not disclose, without consent, confidential information
concerning the business affairs or technical processes of any
present or former client or employer, or public body on which
they serve.”[2]. We are expected to keep information and
processes unique to our company. Engineers cannot disclose
this information to another company. In the video segments
of Dr. Michael Loui of the University of Illinois, he defines
trade secrets and discusses their importance and the
importance of not giving them to other companies. He
stresses the importance of loyalty to companies and the risks
that are associated with disloyalty [11]. This helped me better
understand the differences between companies and what type
of situations can be controversial and the interest of
professionalism has on this topic. In another one of his videos,
Dr. Loui explains some other responsibilities that are required
of engineers such as professionalism, safety to others, and
moral responsibility [12]. This gave me insight into more
general responsibilities which broadened my mind in looking
at my dilemma.
REFERENCES
[1] (2013). “Code of Ethics”. American Institute of Chemical
Engineers.
(Online
Article).
http://www.aiche.org/about/code-ethics
[2] (2013). “Code of Ethics.” National Society of Professional
Engineers.
(Online
Article).
http://www.nspe.org/Ethics/CodeofEthics/index.html
[3] T. Hume. (2013). “Heal thyself: The ‘bio-inspired’
materials that self-repair.” CNN. (Online article).
http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/22/tech/self-healingmaterials/index.html
[4] T. LeCompte. (2009, July). “How Things Work: SelfHealing Airplanes”. AirandSpace. (Online Article).
http://www.airspacemag.com/flight-today/How-ThingsWork-Self-Healing-Airplanes.html
[5] (2013). “Aircraft Cost Summary.” Conklin & de Decker
Associates.
(Online).
https://www.conklindd.com/CDALibrary/ACCostSummary.
aspx
[6] “Self-Healing Tech of the feature”. DNews. (2013, June).
(Video). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSpifeA4G30
[7] W. Lynch, R. Kline. (2000, Spring). “Engineering Practice
and Engineering Ethics. Sage Publications. (online article).
http://www.jstor.org/stable/690111. p. 195-225
[8] Norman R. Augustine. (2002) “Ethics and the Second Law
of Thermodynamics”. The Bridge. (online article).
http://www.nae.edu/File.aspx?id=7378 p. 5-7
Bribery
The other problem I feel I am faced with is being bribed
from Piper to work on the self-healing products. The small
bribes such as extra pay or extra vacation days are not
professional and go against the Code of Ethics. The National
Society of Professional Engineer’s code states that members
must, “Be honest and impartial and serving with fidelity their
employers, their clients, and the public”. [1] Bribery is not an
honest way of going about this situation. I believe if Piper is
truly obeying the Code of Ethics, they would understand why
I do not want take the job. Taking the offers from Piper would
be dishonest and not professional.
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Bridget Csongradi
[9] Joseph R. Herkert. (2002) “Continuing and Emerging
Issues in Engineering Ethics Education” The Bridge. (online
article). http://www.nae.edu/File.aspx?id=7378 p.8-12
[10] American Institute of Physics. (2010, December 2010).
“Self-healing autonomous material comes to life.”
ScienceDaily. (online article). http://www.sciencedaily.com
/releases/2010/12/101207091813.htm
[11]“Can You Keep a Secret? Confidentiality &
Engineering.” Illinois Foundry. (2008). (Video).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Is9R35WVk98&list=PL7
46AE3CCB29B64B8
[12]“Ethics & the Responsible Engineer.” Illinois Foundry.
(2008).
(Video).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5yGTtKQLco&list=PL7
46AE3CCB29B64B8
ACKNOLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank the Forbes Hall Engineering community
for helping me bounce ideas and focus on a topic. I would
like to that Katy Rank Lev for giving feedback on assignment
2 so I could improve on assignment 3. I would like to thank
the writing instructors and librarians for explaining the
assignment directions for us to be able to understand what we
were asked to do.
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Bridget Csongradi
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