The laboratory is equipped to study the flow behavior of polymeric fluids, separation processes using membranes and polymeric resins, and polymer/solid interfaces.

Major Instrumentation

Analytical equipment available for the characterization of polymers include:

•  Molecular weight characterization instruments:
  • vapor pressure osmometer
  • membrane osmometer
• Three high pressure size exclusion chromatography systems that includes a number of different detectors (photodiode array light scattering detector, refractive index detector, photodiode array UV detector, conductivity detector and an infrared detector).
• Research grade Bio­Rad FTS­60 FTIR with a thermogravimetric (TGA) interface
• Perkin­Elmer System­2 TGA.
• Dual­column HP Gas Chromatograph
• HP photodiode­array UV/VIS spectrophotometer
• SRI gas chromatograph
• Veeco MultiMode atomic force microscope

Membrane Studies
Membrane ultrafiltration studies are carried out using two ultrafiltration membrane systems capable of generating a wide range of flow conditions. Membrane pervaporation studies are conducted in a pervaporation system in which online analysis is carried out using a dedicated GC with an automatic sampling valve. Two pervaporation systems are available for studies of organic-organic and organic-aqueous separations.

Tony (Deng-Jeng Jou) is Preparing for a Membrane Pervaporation Experiment

Virtually all of the experimental equipment and analytical instruments are controlled by desktop computers and workstations. The laboratory is equipped with 12 desktop computers and has a direct Ethernet connection to the School of Engineering Ethernet Network (SEASNET). Each Graduate student has a workstation for himself and access to shared resources is provided over the LAN.

Adsorption/Regeneration Studies
The removal of organics from contaminated water streams is studies in a fully automated sorption/regeneration system interfaced with a data acquisition and control system. The surface area and pore size distribution of polymeric resins and inorganic supports can be analyzed using an Autosorb­1 unit which is capable of handling two samples simultaneously.

Automated Adosprtion/Regeneration System
for Solute Separation from Aqueous Systems

  Rheology Characterization and Flow of Complex Fluids
The rheological characterization of complex fluids can be carried out using a number of rheometers. These include an R­19 Weissenberg Rheometer with solid-state transducers, a Brookfield cone­and­plate rheometer, an intrinsic viscosity measurement system, a high pressure capillary rheometer system. The laboratory is also equipped with a system to study the flow of complex fluids through porous media, fractures and fine capillaries. In addition, a large couette viscometer is available for conducting flow­visualization studies of complex fluids and suspensions under various shear conditions.

Last update:

01/04/2004