The Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

Graduate Studies

Areas of research

The current areas of research are as follows:

Chemical Defence and Environmental Control

  • carbons as adsorbents
  • air quality control
  • life support systems
  • pigments for visible radiation therapy of diseases
  • development and testing of NBC protective gear
  • decontamination, detection and monitoring chemical agents

Environmental Sciences and Engineering

  • environmental assessment; impact and risk assessment
  • remediation technologies
  • environmental standards and guidelines
  • monitoring programmes and pollution prevention
  • environmental analytical chemistry - especially pertaining to effective field testing

Fuels, Energy Storage and Energy Conversion

  • electrochemical power sources and batteries
  • hydrogen production, purification and storage
  • fuel cell development for applications in submarines and military bases
  • liquid fuels purification processes
  • catalytic chemical reactions
  • explosives, propellants and pyrotechnics

Materials Science and Engineering

  • corrosion of alloys in aircraft frames, marine systems and armoured materials
  • calculation of phase diagrams from thermochemical data
  • non destructive evaluation, materials management and expert systems
  • polymer systems
  • composite materials
  • ceramics, high temperature superconductors, solid electrolytes and solid lubricants
  • aircraft engine wear monitoring (quantitative filter debris analysis)

Nuclear Science and Engineering

  • radiochemistry and neutron activation analysis
  • radiation effects on materials
  • neutron radiography
  • nuclear reactor analysis and design
  • fuel cycles and fuel management
  • neutron and gamma bubble dosimetry
  • nuclear fuel and fission product release behaviour response
  • artificial intelligence applications to nuclear systems
  • health physics and radiation protection
  • nuclear accident response
  • nuclear radiation detection and measurement

Basic Studies

  • analytical chemistry and radiochemistry
  • chemical kinetics
  • chemical thermodynamics of new materials and advanced technologies
  • surface chemistry
  • x-ray crystallography
  • vibrational, absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy
  • synthesis of therapeutic agents
  • solid state chemistry of inorganic materials