Recent Advances in Separation Processes (CHEN90036)

AIMS

This subject provides an advanced focus on the separation processes that are part of the core knowledge and problem solving skills basis for chemical engineering unit operations. In addition, an advanced understanding of these processes will help enable students in the design of larger scale chemical engineers processes, particularly in the capstone deign project subject) as well as in chemical product design.

The separation processes covered in this subject include: multi-component distillation, absorption, solvent extraction, membrane, ion exchange, adsorption and gas-liquid contactors with reactions.
Each of these separation processes will be examined in detail and their application in a range of industries including oil and gas, mining, pharmaceutical, food and environmental remediation.

This subject is part of the c-Campus which is jointly taught with Tsinghua University in China. It will be delivered as a series of lectures half from Melbourne and half from China and students will need to interact with a similar class in China.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

The separation process theory covered in this subject will enable students to build and develop quantitative models of how these separation processes work and so enable the student to apply these in new applications. This will include models based on the equilibrium stage approach as well as a transfer unit approach. These models will also be extended to non-ideal and transient flow conditions and to situations where mass transfer and chemical reaction occur simultaneously.