The Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

Laboratories and Equipment

The departmental laboratories are located in the Sawyer Building, Modules 4 and 5. They are equipped for teaching and research in the areas of chemistry, materials science, environmental sciences, chemical and materials engineering, environmental engineering as well as nuclear engineering relevant to the course of study and to defence interests. More specifically, they include the following:

Materials Science and Engineering

Materials selection for engineering applications and determination of the chemical, physical and mechanical properties are the foci of study. High temperature furnaces are used in the preparation and treatment of metals, alloys and ceramics while an injection molder is among the tools employed in the area of polymer blends and with composites. Atomic absorption, IR, FTIR, and NMR spectrometers together with gas and liquid chromatography, gel permeation chromatography and viscometry are used in chemical analysis. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), metallurgical and polarised-light microscopy, hardness, shear and tensile testing are used to determine physical properties. The various materials are also characterized by thermal gravimetry, by adiabatic and differential scanning calorimetry, by differential thermal analyses, by polarography and Karl Fischer titration.

Chemical Engineering

The chemical conversion of natural or synthetic materials into useful engineering products together with their management and maintenance are the foci of these studies. Various experiments, some of which are computer controlled, are performed in heat and mass transfer, which include the use of a bubble cap distillation tower, ion exchange and gas absorption columns, flame propagation and stability apparatus. Chemical reactions are studied using flow tank reactors, and a continuous combustion furnace, which also serves to characterize gaseous and liquid fuels. Rates of corrosion are determined under various environmental conditions. A bench-scale heat pump provides a study in applied thermodynamics.

Nuclear Science and Engineering

Experiments include neutron activation analysis, neutron radiography and isotope production applied to various military problems. Related experiments deal with health physics, radiation protection, liquid scintillation counting, reactor physics and thermal hydraulic studies.

Computer Resources

A variety of IBM compatible microcomputers is available within the Department to support our students. Various software packages including FORTRAN, HYSIM, DIRA, LABVIEW and CODAS are used to automate and simulate chemical processes.

Comments:  infochem@rmc.ca