Funded PhD opportunity in Chemical Engineering
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Department of Chemical Engineering to take part
in a new research project.
Tuning a membrane and reaction like you would a guitar: Tuneable Catalysed Membrane
Reactors.
About the project
Start date: April 2012
Funding: Three years tuition
Stipend of £13,600 (tax free) for first year, with an increase in year 2 and 3.
Catalysed reactions are used to increase the cost effectiveness and environmental sustainability production of chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and in waste treatment. Synthetic polymer membranes find widespread use in the process industries for the separation of foods, water and pharmaceuticals. Membrane reactors offer the possibility of combining these reactions and separations in a single unit.
We will be investigating the use of unique conducting polymer membranes that can externally tuned to different pore sizes and/or molecular selectivity using an applied potential. This will enable us to externally control and change the product spectrum from the catalysed reaction using the membrane, thereby giving an additional method of controlling and tuning a range of different reactions. This could enable a step change in reaction control and environmental benefit in the chemical, pharmaceutical, water and waste treatment industries, giving them more precise rate, yield and product selectivity control than ever before.
Contact us
For further information contact Dr Darrell Patterson, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering and main supervisor for this project.
