Creating Valuable Products From Wasted Gas
When we are lost, we can turn to GPS to figure out where we are. But when a chemical plant is trying to find a more efficient energy process, there is no map to guide them in the right direction.
Advanced thermodynamic modelling can provide that map. Thermodynamics is one of the most fundamental aspects of modelling in materials science and chemical engineering. It provides basic but important scientific information about how materials in a process will behave in terms of energy and stability. It also provides information about which crystal or molecular structure they may exist in after a chemical reaction has occurred. This knowledge is crucial for designing the new high-temperature processes we need to feed tomorrow’s metallurgical, chemical and energy sectors.
Dr. Patrice Chartrand, Canada Research Chair in Computational Thermodynamics for High Temperature Sustainable Processes, is developing new modelling tools to simulate high-temperature metallurgical and energy processes.
Chartrand and his research team are focusing on four key areas: 1) advanced computational techniques for thermodynamic calculations; 2) models in energy conversion and corrosion phenomena for biomass conversion and fossil energy; 3) thermodynamic models for high-temperature extraction of strategic metals, including rare earths and lithium; and 4) models to improve the efficiency of energy-intensive metal reduction and recycling processes for aluminum, titanium and silicon production.
Ultimately, this research will help scientists develop sustainable new high-temperature processes to transform resources into strategic metals and energy.