Formation of aggregates and flocs from fine suspended particles is of great significance in industrial applications involving solid-liquid separation (dewatering) stages, whose objective is to clean and recycle water. Fine particles in waste suspensions are inherently difficult to remove from process water. As a result, a number of steps are taken to increase the size […]

The proposed project mainly focuses on developing an innovative gas/liquid contacting technology that is of critical importance to a wide range of process industries and environmental-management operations. Successful development and implementation of this project are expected to: • Reduce the environmental impact of a variety of operations that are needed to meet human needs and […]

To reduce the negative impact on the environment and increase the competitiveness of Canada’s oil resources in the global economy it is essential to improve the ability to separate crude oil from water. This proposal aims to advance the understanding of a novel mechanism to do this by studying individual oil and water droplets. The […]

Cellulose nanocrystals are plant-based materials that will enable us to shift from a reliance on oil and gas to the bioeconomy by replacing plastics and other chemicals made from oil. Potential products include biodegradable films for food packaging and thickening agents in food products and cosmetics. Nonetheless, their affinity for water limits the range of […]

The proposal focuses on the design and synthesis of novel bio-based, biodegradable materials to be used in packaging and protective coatings (varnishes), and targeted at replacing the nonrenewable, non- biodegradable materials currently used to manufacture these products. Our new process allows us to obtain a desired combination of material properties, and also eliminates the need […]

This project will combine filtration characterization and advanced 3D imaging and modelling of material structures to find ways to improve the recovery of process water from difficult-to-treat tailings that are the by-product of mining and mineral processing. This process is called solid-liquid separation and it is a critical area for the reduction of oil sands […]

In case of an oil spill in a marine environment, an important aspect of an early response is to confine the oil spill and prevents it from getting dispersed. The objective of this master thesis project is to contribute to better understand the stability of a liquid/liquid flow subjected to imposed shear, as a toy […]

This project will combine filtration characterization and advanced 3D imaging and modelling of material structures to find ways to improve the recovery of process water from difficult-to-treat tailings that are the by-product of mining and mineral processing. This process is called solid-liquid separation and it is a critical area for the reduction of oil sands […]

This project involves the synthesis, characterization and evaluation of new low-molecular weight gelators for cleaning up oil spills. First responders to oil spills can add these gelators to the oil / water mixture to prevent spreading of the oil before additional resources are available to clean up the spill. This project will involve collaboration with […]

While technologies exist for cleaning up marine oil spills, they become decreasingly effective with increased lag-time between spill and initiation of remediation efforts. Rapid-deploy chemicals could potentially reduce the spreading of marine oil spills, increasing the time available for teams to clean it up. The hybrid spill-treating agents (STAs) under development by BC Research Inc. […]

Oil spills pose both acute and chronic hazards to ecosystems and require effective and timely treatment. As large quantities of crude oils are transported across and in the proximity of oceans. rivers. and other waletways, it is especially important to be prepared for spills into water. The dynamic and variable character of aquatic environments especially […]