Interests and Projects
Projects
Biological Materials and Processes (BioMaP) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) (National Science Foundation)
Interests
R. C. Brown - The use of biorenewable resources (crops and biomass) as a source of chemicals and energy is the focus of our research activities. Combustion and gasification in fluidized bed for electric power production is one aspect of our work. In collaboration with fermentation experts, we are also evaluating a hybrid thermal/biological process to convert lingo-cellulose into alcohols and acids.
A. R. Clapp - We are interested in nanoscale colloidal and interfacial phenomena especially as they relate to biological systems. A variety of experimental techniques are implemented to study these systems including optical tweezers and single molecule microscopy. These tools provide sensitive quantitative measurements of interactions occurring at very small length and force scales.
E. W. Cochran - We are interested in the self-assembly of complex polymeric systems, with an emphasis on materials that feature competing assembly processes that lead to hierarchically ordered structures, e.g. rod-coil block copolymers and block copolymer nanocomposites. Through both experimental and theoretical/computational approaches we seek to elucidate the basic physics that drive the phase behavior in these fascinating materials.
R. O. Fox - Computation and modeling of turbulent reacting flows, computational fluid dynamics applied to the chemical process industry, applied mathematics with emphasis on stochastic processes, and high-end computing and visualization applications in engineering.
C. E. Glatz - Bioprocessing is the common thread running through our research on fermentation, product recovery, and waste treatment. Most of these projects focus on separations problems, and most are collaborative efforts that involve biochemists, microbiologists, genetic engineers, and chemists. In carrying out our work, we are able to use not only our laboratories and those of our collaborators, but also the instrumentation facilities operated by the ISU Biotechnology Council.
K. R. Hebert - Many materials used in structures and devices are intrinsically reactive with their environments and depend on thin surface film, formed by oxidation, for protection against degradation by corrosion.
When corrosion does initiate on oxide-covered metals, it is typically confined to certain sites where the corrosion rate is very high. The goal of our research is to develop a fundamental understanding of critical chemical and physical processes involved in localized corrosion so that it can be effectively controlled.
J. C. Hill – We are studying problems of turbulent transport and mixing using statistical turbulence theory and direct numerical simulations. With the latter, all details of the three-dimensional, unsteady fluid motion are resolved. This work is coupled with laboratory experiments using modern laser diagnostic techniques (PIV and PLIF) to validate computational fluid dynamics (CFD) procedures.
A. C. Hillier - My research group performs exploratory experimental studies that encompass topics from chemistry, materials science, catalysis, electrochemistry and interfacial engineering. Our activities focus on combinatorial experimental systems, fuel cell catalysts, responsive polymer membranes, synthesis and characterization of new materials, and the application of in-situ imaging techniques for characterization of the structure and chemistry of solid-liquid interfaces.
K. R. Jolls - Visualizing computer-based analyses through high-performance graphics holds great promise for chemical engineering research, practice, and teaching. Visual thinking utilizes powerful intellectual pathways that have traditionally been underused by scientists and engineers.
Many branches of chemical engineering analysis possess visualizable components - concepts dealing with structures, stresses, fields, and phases. Computer simulation in such areas yields results that are often more readily interpreted visually - through static or dynamic views of carefully conceived structures.
M. H. Lamm - We use molecular simulation to discover and interpret fundamental relationships between molecular structure and thermodynamic properties in advanced materials used in applications such as pharmaceuticals, electronic and optical devices, environmentally responsive coatings, energy storage, and biomedical implants.
S. K. Mallapragada - An understanding of transport mechanisms in polymeric systems is utilized in both traditional chemical engineering applications such as solvent removal, as well as biomedical applications such as drug delivery and tissue engineering.
B. Narasimhan - Transport phenomena in polymers, surface/interface modification in polymer systems, polymer/polymer adhesion, controlled drug/vaccine delivery, lithographic polymers.
P. J. Reilly - Our work is in the general area of biochemical engineering, and more specifically to mutate enzymes such as glucoamylase that hydrolyze polysaccharides, to determine sugar structures by computational molecular mechanics, to computationally dock oligosaccharides into the active sites of hydrolytic enzymes, and to use liquid and gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy to identify and quantify components of agricultural and food processing residues.
D. K. Rollins - Our research is in an area that has been termed statistical process control (SPC). It has been defined broadly as “the use of statistical methods to improve process performance.” The main thrust of our SPC research has been aimed at improving the quality of measured plant data. This area is called gross error detection (GED).
The second emphasis involves reducing high dimensional data sets to low dimensional, easily interpretable, summary statistics. This research is critical because chemical process data are highly dimensional and often very difficult to interpret.
The third item involves improving automatic process control by modeling both statistically and physically.
Finally, our work has also involved linear and nonlinear stochastic modeling that is important to chemical engineering.
B. H. Shanks - Our research is in the areas of heterogeneous catalysis and reaction engineering. We are interested in studying novel catalytic materials that can improve heterogeneous catalysis performance.
Currently, we are synthesizing and characterizing mesoporous alumina molecular sieves. In particular, we are attempting to produce thermally-stable mesoporous aluminas in which we can tune the median pore diameter to a desired size.
Our group is also looking at catalytic routes to useful chemical species using biorenewable feedstocks. One reaction we are examining is the conversion of inexpensive carbohydrate feed streams to polyols.
J. V. Shanks - Our research group specializes in metabolic engineering of plant secondary metabolites and in phytoremediation of explosives. Much of metabolic engineering work has focused on the production of indole alkaloids (secondary metabolites with high pharmaceutical value) in Catharanthus roseus hairy root tissue cultures.
Our research program has developed quantitative tools (NMR, HPLC, etc.) and methodology in determining the sources of flux limitation in indole alkaloid production. We use the same plant tissue culture system, C. roseus hairy roots, as a model system for plant roots in our phytoremediation studies. Explosives are widespread and persistent in our environment, and plants may be one way to remediate contaminated soil and water.
Our research group is determining the metabolic structure and kinetics of the transformation products of trinitrotoluene (TNT) and related nitroaromatic contaminants in plant tissues.
R. D. Vigil - We are studying heterogeneous reacting systems including 1) multiphase reacting Taylor-Couette flow, 2) reactive precipitation, and 3) triphase catalysis.
T. D. Wheelock - Specific problems of environmental pollution are being addressed through the development of an advanced calcium-based sorbent for desulfurizing hot coal gas and the development of better methods for removing sulfur and ash-forming mineral matter from coal.
A method for removing unburned carbon particles from coal ash is also being investigated to find a way to increase the utilization of ash in concrete and alleviate a large-scale waste disposal problem. The present effort is based on extensive experience gained by studying a number of potentially useful methods for cleaning and utilizing coal including chemical leaching, particle separation based on differences in surface properties, and coal gasification.
Currently work is proceeding on the development of a combined catalyst and sorbent for promoting the steam reforming of methane to produce hydrogen for fuel cells and other applications.
