A team of the Separations Technology Research Group from the Process Engineering Department recently attended the 24th IUPAC International Conference on Chemical Thermodynamics in Guilin, China. The conference provided a gathering place for like-minded researchers to share their respective applications of thermodynamics.
The department was represented by Prof Cara Schwarz, Jamie Cripwell, a PhD student, and Sonja Smith, a master’s student. Prof Schwarz delivered an address on High pressure bubble- and dew-point measurements for ternary solute + supercritical solvent mixtures, showcasing some of the interesting research done in the field of supercritical fluids and the related phase behaviour of these systems. Jamie presented his work, titled Phase Equilibrium and SAFT Modelling of Polar Isomeric Systems. Part I: Polar-Non-Associating Molecules, with Sonja presented Part II: Polar-Associating molecules. The researchers also presented three posters based on the work of current and past postgraduate students and postdoctoral researchers, namely Frederick Fourie, Leanne Brits, Leon Burger and Dr Cédric Kouakou, covering the development of state-of-the-art experimental equipment, vapour-liquid-liquid equilibria, azeotropic distillation, and parameter sensitivity in distillation systems. The researchers received good feedback and appreciative comments from peers and industry representation at the conference.
Prof Cara Schwarz, Sonja Smith, and Jamie Cripwell
Sonja Smith at ICCT
Jamie Cripwell at ICCT
