The proposed research project aims at technology for environmentally benign recycling of nickel. Theprocess entails conversion of nickel found in the “black mass” from recycled Ni-based batteries intonickel carbonyl, Ni(CO)4, by reaction with CO at modest temperatures around 50-120°C (pressuredependent).Only nickel carbonyl is volatile under these conditions and is easily separated from othermetals and residual materials found in the “black mass”. Downstream, the nickel tetracarbonyl vaporsare introduced into a high-temperature zone (ca.
The demand for electricity is growing rapidly and it is expected to double by 2050. Currently, around 12% of this energy is supplied by renewable sources of energy. While wind and solar are the fastest growing energy generation sources, they are dependent on time and weather. To solve the instability of these energy sources, energy storage systems such as redox flow batteries is required. Alkaline zinc-air redox flow batteries, have been reported as promising candidates for energy storage technologies due to high energy densities and cheap raw materials.
Nowadays the spread of different kinds of pathogens such as bacteria and viruses like COVID-19, dyes, heavy metals, etc. into the environment cause a threat for all human beings, living microorganisms, and nature.
This project aims to develop a new technology for the production of biodegradable plastics that can decompose under various natural conditions, including soil and oceans, by up to 90%, which minimizes plastic waste and its environmental footprint. The technology will first target application in food packaging and drink containers, which is a main market for sing-use plastics and a key source of plastic waste. The project will allow Oligomaster, a Canadian technical start-up and the industrial partner on the project, to be a technical leader in the field of sustainable polymer production.
Due to the depletion of natural fish stocks, the aquaculture industry must build larger land-based farms to meet the growing demand for seafood. Currently, the availability of clean, inland fresh water is limiting the size of farms so the only way the industry can expand these farms is by reducing the water exchange. Cooke Aquaculture Inc. is currently constructing a state of the art zero-exchange system to produce salmon smolts. This research project aims to improve the understanding of zero-exchange systems by exploring three areas which require further research.
Bioethanol is well-established as an alternative to petroleum-based fuels. A current roadblock in ethanol fermentation is end-product inhibition: where the increasing concentration of ethanol slows the growth of the yeast cells and their ability to ferment biomass. There is work being done to use existing separation technologies to remove ethanol throughout the reaction to avoid end-product inhibition, however these methods are often energy-intensive and therefore not feasible on a commercial scale.
The long-term effects of COVID-19 on individual health remain to be elucidated, with numerous reports emerging of fibrotic changes in the lung beyond the acute phase of the disease. Considering the reported cases of COVID-19 worldwide, even a small percentage of these patients developing lung fibrosis can have detrimental consequences on our healthcare system.
The development of siRNA therapeutics has experienced many ups and downs since its discovery in 1998. Twenty years later, the first RNAi therapy OnpattroTM was approved for clinical use by the US FDA, which motivates pharma industries to make continuous efforts to explore siRNA therapies. In this project, we aimed to develop state-of-the-art vectors for successful siRNA delivery in cancer treatments.
Nucleic acids such as DNA and RNA offer exceptional opportunities to fight against cancers. To use nucleic acids effectively in a clinical setting, one needs to use effective delivery vehicles that can deliver the nucleic acids into the diseased cells. This project will develop effective delivery systems for this purpose. The delivery systems will be used to deliver RNA based therapeutic agents in 2 diseases, namely in solid cancers such as breast/lung cancers and in hematological cancers.
The proposed research focuses on developing biochar-plastic composite materials to support the product development goals of the industry partners. In this study, the intern will be accessing the effect of biochar properties and extrusion conditions on the properties of biochar-plastic composite materials and identify an optimum operating condition and formulation that results in higher mechanical properties. The project outcome will help to overcome current challenges faced by the industry partner in the product development and marketing.
