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Research
in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Strong departmental
research programs exist in polymer processing, rheology, fiber and
film formation, supercritical fluids, separation processes, kinetics
and catalysis, and membrane applications. The research activities
of these groups encompass most of the traditional branches of chemical
engineering as well as several of the newer areas such as advanced
materials, bioseparations, visual process modeling, and molecular
simulation. Research interests of the faculty range from purely theoretical
topics to the analysis and improvement of full-scale industrial processes.
Chemical
and Biochemical Separations
Dr. Scott Husson and his students are synthesizing materials, identifying, and
developing separation methods that use molecular recognition principles
to recover products produced biologically by fermentation. In addition,
Dr. Husson has initiated work to collect and interpret kinetic
and thermodynamic data associated with molecular recognition processes
that occur at solid-liquid interfaces. A number of research tools
are used by the bioseparations group; they include high-performance
liquid chromatography, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy,
ellipsometry, and surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy.
In the area of chemical separations, Dr. Mark Thies and his students are investigating processes for both materials and energy applications. For example, carbonaceous pitches are being fractionated by dense-gas extraction into their oligomers, which are being used for the molecular design of advanced carbon materials, such as fibers and composites. On the energy side, Dr. Thies and his students are investigating separations that are critical to the success of thermochemical hydrogen cycles, the leading candidates for the centralized production of hydrogen via water splitting.
Dr. Charlie Gooding and his students are currently conducting modeling studies to assist Argonne National Laboratory in the evaluation of thermochemical cycles for hydrogen production as well as modeling and experimental studies on a chlorine scrubber for the Department of Energy's mixed oxide nuclear fuel program.
Kinetics
and Catalysis
Our department
has several professors interested in this area and are conducting active
research.
Dr. David Bruce is developing reaction processes and catalysts for the pharmaceutical
and petrochemical industries. His research interests include the development
of chiral heterogeneous catalysts for the synthesis of food additives and
drugs, the replacement of corrosive acids such as hydrogen fluoride with
solid superacids, and the synthesis of novel zeolite molecular sieves that
can be used for a variety of chemical and environmental applications.
Dr. James Goodwin's research involves the study of heterogeneous catalysis.His research group has been in the forefront in developing the use of
steady-state isotopic transient kinetic analysis for studying surface catalyzed
reactions. A major goal of his research is to develop an understanding of
the underlying causes for the kinetics of surface-catalyzed reactions.
Dr. Richard Rice's kinetics and catalysis lab has undertaken several studies
on catalyst characterization, deactivation, and reactivation. He is also involved
in the removal of pollutants from waste gas streams via heterogeneous reaction.
Dr. Rice's lab is equipped with a variety of customized microreactors, as
well as analytical equipment for pore-size and surface-area analysis, chemisorption
studies and temperature-programmed reduction, and composition determinations.
Molecular
Modeling and Simulations
The
traditional approach to discovery has been through the
interaction of theory and experiment; however, the digital
computer now makes possible an entirely new way of learning
via computer simulation. Molecular simulation is an activity
distinct from both theory and experiment, but the complementary
aspects of all three broaden and deepen the learning process.
Dr. David Bruce is involved in research in this field.
Polymers,
Fibers, and Films
A new generation
of fibers and films is creating new and improved consumer products
and revolutionizing today's aircraft and automotive industries.
Advanced films are being used to extend the shelf-life of food
products, thermally shield satellites and protect electronic devices.
The complexity of fiber and film products, which represent a major
growth market for the chemical industry, makes this an exciting
and challenging topic for chemical engineering research. Much of
the work in polymers and advanced materials is conducted under
the auspices of the Center
for Advanced Engineering Fibers and Films (CAEFF), a National
Science Foundation-funded Engineering Research Center.
Supercritical
Fluids
As a fluid
approaches its critical point, dramatic changes in its properties
occur. It becomes more compressible than an ideal gas, develops
the solvent power of a liquid, and develops transport properties
intermediate between those of a gas and a liquid.
This unusual combination of physical properties makes supercritical
(SC) fluids attractive for a variety of applications, including separation
processes, environmental remediation, and materials processing. Currently, Dr. Thies and his students are using supercritical fluids to synthesize organic nanoparticles by rapid expansion and to isolate liquid crystalline mesophases from isotropic pitches by supercritical extraction.
Drs. Bruce, Edie, Husson, Ogale, and Thies are currently involved in research
projects along with faculty in the chemistry and polymer science departments.
Their students are investigating a number of projects, including the rapid
expansion of SC solutions for the production of unique product morphologies
such as nanoparticles, the destruction kinetics of chlorinated hazardous
wastes using SC water oxidation, and the fractionation of isotropic pitches
via SC extraction for producing liquid crystalline mesophases.
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