Improving the Properties of Biopolymers through Chemical Functionalization; Adding Value to an Industrial Side Product for Cascades

This project, in partnership with Cascades, will develop novel functional materials prepared from a biopolymer generated at Cascades. The development of these novel materials and composites will help to fine-tune the properties of the final paper sheet produced at Cascades and access high performance materials for many of their core business activities. The new polymer […]

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Influence of slag characteristics on dephosphorization and refractory wear in steel electric arc furnace

The Canadian steel industry experiences fierce global competition. It is also under an increasing pressure to decrease its environmental foot-print. Continuous process optimization is, therefore, necessary for a sustainable operation. To produce high quality steel and concurrently reduce costs, trial and error cannot be effective. This proposal aims to advance the knowledge of electric arc […]

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New directions for old aluminum: Innovating aluminum recycling through novel processes and materials

Demand for aluminum alloys is increasing rapidly, facilitation of electric vehicles being but one example. A consequence is increasing scrap supply; a positive as aluminum is highly recyclable with it consuming a fraction of resources compared to using primary aluminum. There is a growing concern, however, as high-performance alloys are compositionally tuned to maximize performance. […]

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Design and development of a mobile robotic platform for performing automated visual inspection on pipelines, automobiles, and infrastructures in extreme environmental conditions

An early damage/anomaly detection on objects such as: pipelines, turbomachinery, vehicles, and structural elements can save thousands of dollars that goes in the repair and maintenance costs. Various contemporary robotic inspection technologies exist that aim to solve this problem. However, a challenge arises when the objects of interest are present in remote regions with extreme/harsh […]

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Structural optimization of thin sheet metals subject to manufacturing constraints

The goal of the project is to develop an integrated platform for size, shape, and topology optimization of thin wall structures that can meet both manufacturing and performance requirements. The research fellow will receive guidance from Autodesk Researchers & Professionals as well as close supervision on the fundamental aspects pertaining the mechanics and optimization by […]

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Accelerating Packaging Machinery Design and Assembly

Edson designs and manufactures innovative machines used for case packaging of goods, food, pharmaceuticals, and other products into corrugated boxes. Machine steps include automatic feeding of the boxes, folding, adding the product, and closing the box top. Market pressures require client ability to swiftly change over to package a new product. Edson must also be […]

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Low Temperature Stabilization and Bulk Processing Techniques for the Production of Lower-Cost Asphaltene Based Short Carbon Fibres

NORAM Engineering and Constructors Ltd. (NORAM) has developed a bench-scale process capable of producing low strength fibres from Alberta oil sands asphaltenes (AOA). The objective of the proposed collaborative research between NORAM and UBC is to broaden the application space of AOA by improving the structural and functional properties of AOA-CF through polymer blend and […]

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Optimization of the tempering heat treatment cycle of large size forgings

Large size high strength steels parts used in transport and energy applications undergo several heating and cooling cycles during their manufacturing process (casting, forging, quench, tempering). Generally, in the tempering process the parts are heated in industrial furnaces and the impact of non-uniform heating on the subsequent steps is of critical importance. A non-uniform temperature […]

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