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J.
Douglas Way
Professor
BS,
MS, PhD University of Colorado, Boulder
Novel separation processes, polymer and inorganic membranes, membrane reactors, molecular simulations and computational chemistry
Research
Description
The central theme to all of my research projects is the application,
study, and synthesis of new materials such as microporous oxides (ceramics
and zeolites), metals, and ionic polymers for use in novel separation
processes. The separation processes currently under study in my laboratory
include organic and inorganic membranes, catalytic membrane reactors,
and membranes for PEM fuel cells, applied to energy, environmental and
chemical processing applications.
There is growing industrial interest in the use of synthetic membranes
for gas and liquid separations. In our current work, we are trying to
understand the factors such as pore size and surface chemistry that control
the transport of small molecules in chemically modified mesoporous membranes
and dense metallic and polymer membranes. Our approach includes both
experiments, transport modeling, as well as molecular simulations (quantum
mechanics, Monte-Carlo, molecular dynamics) to investigate the molecular
basis for separations in micropores. We are currently fabricating both
silane modified mesoporous ceramic membranes and mixed matrix membranes
such as zeolite filled dense polymers. Depending on the conditions, these
materials can separate by molecular sieving where small molecules can
be separated from mixtures of larger ones or can exhibit reverse selectivity
where a larger, heavier molecule can permeate faster than a smaller penetrant.
Examples include the separation of butane from methane or CO2 from nitrogen.
If microporous inorganic membranes with high selectivities can be synthesized,
they can be the basis for the development of membrane reactors, which
combine separation and reaction functions. We have fabricated Pd and
Pd alloy (Pd-Cu and Pd-Au) composite membranes which are highly selective
for H2 over a wide range of temperatures and high pressures and have
resistance to sulfur compounds such as H2S. In addition to hydrogen separations,
these membranes can be very effective chemical reactors for reactions
where hydrogen is a product such as the water gas shift reaction. Removal
of product hydrogen allows the reactor to operate in a non-equilibrium
mode, and conversions can exceed the equilibrium value. In the case of
the WGSR, performing this reaction in a membrane reactor would produce
both pure hydrogen and concentrated CO2 product streams.
Perfluoroionomer membranes such as Nafion and Flemion were designed to
chemically withstand aggressive acid and basic environments. These membranes
selectively permeate water while rejecting mineral acid anions such as
nitrate and sulfate. We are currently investigating environmental applications
of these membranes for dehydration of mineral acids and acid recycle
and for electrolyte membranes in fuel cells.
Click here (4.2MB) for one minute with Professor Way (requires quicktime)
Contact
Information
J. Douglas Way
447 Alderson Hall
Chemical Engineering Department
Colorado School of Mines
Golden, CO 80401
Office:
(303) 273-3519
FAX: (303) 273-3730
email: dway@mines.edu
