Chemical Engineering News

Chem-E Car Going to AIChE Annual Challenge

Published October 22, 2012

A team of six chemical engineering students will represent Michigan Tech in the 2012 National Chem-E Car Competition in Pittsburgh, Penn., on Oct. 28. They are one of 32 student teams competing in the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) annual challenge.

Chem-E cars are small vehicles, about the size of a shoebox, powered by chemical reactions.

Co-leaders of Tech’s 2012 team are David Hutchison and Christian Dale, both second-year chemical engineering students. Other team members are Justin Levande and Benjamin Veenstra, both second-year chemical engineering students; Ross Koepke, a third-year chemical engineering student; and Ben Markel, a senior in chemical engineering. Interim faculty advisor is Tony Rogers (CEE).

The team took first place in the North Central Region Chem-E car regional competition last April to earn their place in the lineup at next weekend’s national event. The Tech team’s car also won an award for creativity in the regional competition at the University of Akron.

AIChE meeting in Pittsburgh

Published October 17, 2012

News

You are cordially invited to stop by the Michigan Tech Hospitality Suite at the AIChE meeting in Pittsburgh. We will be located in the David Lawrence Convention Center, Room 318, from 7 to 10 pm on Monday, October 29th. It would be great to visit with you personally and show you how Michigan Tech is helping create the future in chemical engineering. This year, we will feature the 23 books written by our faculty, and there will be a short presentation by Daniel Crowl, “Blowing up a House Safely.”
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Students Meet Alumni from Industry

Published October 9, 2012

Chemical engineering faculty and students at Michigan Tech attended a forum of “Challenges and Opportunities in Chemical Engineering” at the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts Atrium where several chemical engineering alumni talked about their career experiences and then meet with students and enjoyed some pizza.

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Sustainability, Ecosystem Services, and Bioenergy Development Grant

Published September 26, 2012

Research

Kathleen Halvorsen (SS), David Shonnard (ChE), and Rodney Chimner (SFRES) have received $777,206 from the National Science Foundation as the first year of a five-year grant totaling $4,841,735 for the project, “OISE-PIRE Sustainability, Ecosystem Services, and Bioenergy Development Across the Americas.”

Precipitation and Self-Interaction of Viruses by Preferential Hydration

Published September 14, 2012

Research

Caryn Heldt (Chem Engg) has been awarded a research grant of $81,821 from the National Science Foundation for “Precipitation and Self-Interaction of Viruses by Preferential Hydration.” This is the first year of a three-year project totaling $247,736.

Environmentally Responsible Treatment and Generation of Useful Products from Aluminum Extraction Waste Materials

Published September 7, 2012

Research

New Funding: Professor Gerard Caneba (ChE/CEBFM) has received $14,711 from the Environmental Protection Agency for a project, “Environmentally Responsible Treatment and Generation of Useful Products from Aluminum Extraction Waste Materials.”

Sustainable Forest-Biofuel Pathways Research

Published September 5, 2012

Research

Professor David Shonnard (ChE/SFI) and CoPIs Associate Professor Andrew Burton and Assistant Professor Audrey Mayer (both SFRES) and Professor Ezra Bar-Ziv and Professor Jeffrey Naber (both ME-EM) have received $1.8 million from the National Science Foundation for a four-year project: “SEP: Sustainable Forest-Biofuel Pathways to Hydrocarbon Transportation Fuels; Biomass Production, Torrefaction, Pyrolysis, Catalytic Upgrading, and Combustion.”

Michigan Tech among the top 157 universities for licensing income

Published September 4, 2012

Research

In a story about how universities commercialize technologies developed by their faculty, the Chronicle of Higher Education listed Michigan Tech among the top 157 universities for licensing income, licenses issued, research expenditures, start-up companies formed and patents applied for and issued. The report was based on statistics compiled by the Association of University Technology Managers. See Technologies.

2012 ASISC conference a remarkable success

Published August 30, 2012

The 2012 ASISC conference held in Houghton was a remarkable success this year with people travelling from all over the world to share their
research in mineral processing. Along with presenters from industry,
Michigan Tech graduate and undergraduate students presented their latest research centered around sustainable developments for mineral processing. It provided a great networking opportunity for Michigan Tech students to meet representatives from leaders in the mining and steel manufacturing industry as well as other researchers from many other institutions.

ASISC Conference Picture Page

Selective Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Biorenewable Polyols Over Bimetal Catalysts

Published August 23, 2012

Research

Assistant Professor Wenzhen Li (ChE/SFI) has received $259,998 from the National Science Foundation for a three-year project, “Selective Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Biorenewable Polyols Over Bimetal Catalysts.”