Research & Initiatives

Separation processes become progressively significant in this era. A necessity for the design of novel separation processes for biotechnology and nanotechnology emerges, which demands a low level of impurities. The rise of environmental concerns for resource recovery and recycling leads us to devise additional separation units or improve traditional separation methods. More importantly, the separation process uses approximately 45 – 55 % of the industrial energy use. 

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Thus, the design of novel separation processes that are energy-efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally benign has become one of the most crucial tasks that humankind encounters. The overarching goal of our group is to design and operate an environmentally friendly and energy-efficient separation process based on theoretical methods in the field of physical chemistry and chemical physics, and properly designed experiments. To this end, we employ the following theoretical and experimental methods.

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In a theoretical aspect, molecular simulations and statistical mechanical models from the fluctuation theory of solutions to the kinetic mean-field model are exploited to understand the chemical systems at the molecular level and to prove the initial idea of novel separation techniques. These molecular-level insights are transferred to predict bulk thermodynamic and kinetic properties of materials based on equations of state or other semi-empirical models.

 

In the experimental side, our group carries out thermodynamic and dynamic measurements of chemical systems and design, build, and operate lab-scale separation units. Theoretical and experimental results are complementary. They are going to be compared for improving the theory of thermodynamics and kinetics, and vice versa.

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The following is our specific research activities at present.

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Theoretical Framework Development

1. Extend the theory of critical phenomena. The theory of critical phenomena studies anomalous behavior observed in the vicinity of the gas-liquid, liquid-liquid, and liquid-solid criticality. Of initial ideas are the philosophy of fluid polyamorphism and two-state thermodynamics for the extension of critical phenomena from near-critical to supercritical region. The methodology devised in this line of research can be used to understand the solute solvation quantitatively and the prediction of the phase behavior of fluid mixtures.

2. Extend the theory of isomorphism and the kinetic theory of fluids to predict transport properties based on structural and thermodynamic characteristics. The follow-up study is to Model the mass transfer in a multi-component mixture based on the Stefan-Boltzmann diffusion beyond the Fick’s law to be readily applicable at the industrial level.

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Design, Build-up, and Operation of Separation Processes

1. Create a computational interface and algorithms to measure thermodynamic, kinetic, and structural characteristics. Of the initial interests are the transverse electromagnetic (TEM) mode model and the solution for the Fredholm integral equation for interpreting complex permittivity data.

2. Measure fluid phase equilibria under a variety of thermodynamic and kinetic environments. Optical view cells, together with in-situ spectroscopic devices or electrochemical probes, will be built and used to explore the fluid behavior. The systems of an initial interest are surfactant-based and surfactant-free micro-emulsions or nanostructured fluids at a high-pressure environment and under the external field.

3. Design, build and operate lab-scale separation processes. Experimental optimization and analysis of results based on a variety of operating parameters should be performed in this research theme. The current interest is to commingle the electric field effect and supercritical fluid technologies to obtain critical materials from a variety of sources.