Laboratories

Advanced Groundwater-surface Water Interactions Laboratory

 

Advanced Oxidation Laboratory:

Main areas of research: 

              i) advanced treatment technologies for water and waste treatment

              ii) environmental modelling

All our contributions in research have a direct bearing on the reduction of environment pollution or understanding the fate processes of the pollutants in natural environment. Some of our pioneering research in advanced treatment technologies include:

1) removal of bioaerosol using indoor lighting and a thin layer of TiO2 for designing sanitary surfaces for hospital

2) food processing industry or other clean room applications

3) improving the surface area and subsequent improvement in adsorption of organics by TiO2

4) doped TiO2 nanowires for water treatment and hydrogen production

5) photochemical reaction pathways relating hydroxyl radical, electron/hole, and superoxide radicals involved in photocatalysis of micropollutants in water

6) ultrasonication to pretreat anaerobic sludge prior to digestion to improve biogas production, odor removal, and sludge dewatering

7) membrane processes for removal of volatile compounds and micropollutants from water

8) application of bioassays for water quality evaluation; and modification of petroleum coke for adsorption of naphthenic acids from oil-sand processed water

In environmental modeling, we use both traditional approaches based on first principles, kinetics and equilibrium processes, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The recent work in this area includes modeling of pneumatic dryers for municipal sludge, determination of kinetic constants due to ultrasonic pretreatment of anaerobic sludge in traditional anaerobic digestion model and its sensitivity to relevant pretreatment parameters; design of open channel UV-disinfection reactor using CFD and CFD modeling of jet-mixing in wastewater reactor.

 

Biotron Experimental Climage Change Research Centre, Inlcuding Integraded Microscopy Facilities

 Integrated Microscopy

Experienced Service
With over 55 years of combined experience in light, confocal and electron microscopy, our staff provide the expertise you need to help you achieve your research goals. We work with you from sample preparation to imaging and analysis to ensure that you obtain publication-quality results.
Teaching Excellence
Integrated Microscopy offers state-of-the-art equipment, software, and expertise for a variety of applications. We are the only facility in London that offers light microscopy, LSM, SEM, TEM and Image analysis all under one roof, allowing you to follow wherever your research leads.
Consultative Approach
Our facility is not affiliated with any one research group, so we focus on helping YOU succeed. We offer training, consultations and demonstrations. Please contact us to arrange a meeting and see the difference quality support can make.

 Equipment and Services

Training
Laboratory Services offers a unique opportunity to learn from skilled analysts the techniques and operation of specialized equipment with a high level of Quality Assurance background. This training can also be tailored to meet the requirements of project development.

Specific equiqment:

Mercury Analyzers

Make Model Features Method Reporting Limits
Milestone DMA - 80
  • Tri Cell;
  • Auto-zero and concentrate function
 0.13 ng
Milestone DMA - 80
  • Duel Cell; Solid Matrices
  • Auto sampler
 0.24 ng
Tekran 2600
  • CVAFS analyzer for Total Mercury
  • Auto sampler
 0.215 ng/L
Tekran 2700
  • CVAFS analyzer for Methyl Mercury
  • Auto sampler
 0.023 ng/L

Gas Chromatograph

Make Model Features Method Reporting Limits
Agilent 7890 GC-MS FID
  • Headspace analyser
  • Programable for any chromatographic organic parameter
  • Built-in library
  • Auto sampler
 Parameter specific
in the range of 0.01 ppm

Inductively Coupled Plasma - MS

Make Model Features
Agilent 7700
  • Auto sampler
  • HPLC-ICP-Ms capable

CHNS Analyzer

Make Model Features Method Reporting Limits
Elementar Vario Isotope Cube
  • High temperature combustion (up to 1800°C)
  • Purge & trap chromotography

N: 0.006 mg

C: 0.077 mg

H: 0.033 mg

S: 0.017 mg

Microwave Digestion 

Make Model Features
Milestone EHTOS

Closed vessel digestion system offering a wide variety of applications.  Precision temperature control.

 

Hydraulics Open Channel Flume

 

Industrial Bioproduct Laboratory

Research
Conversion of lignin and forestry/agricultural biomass/residues into bio-energy/bio-fuels and industrial bioproducts (bio-based platform chemicals and functionalized polymeric materials), value recovery from wastewater sludge, food processing/greenhouse wastes and oil sands process-affected water and tailings, and applications of biomass in metallurgical processes, etc. The specific research activities include: 
  • Biorefining technologies: conversion of lignin and agro-forestry biomass/residues into bio-based platform chemicals and functionalized polymeric materials;
  • Hydrothermal conversion technologies for recovery of water and bioproducts from water-containing wastes and bioresources: Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) or hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) process for conversion of water-containing wastes and bioresources into valuable bioproducts, i.e., bio-crude oils or bio-char, while recovering water;
  • Supercritical water gasification (SCWG) process for generation of renewable H2 and CH4 as well as clean water from high-COD wastewater from food processing industry or landfill leachate or other wet bioresources.
  • Catalytic conversion of glycerol/sugars to platform chemicals;
  • Treatment of oil sands process-affected water and tailings for value recovery;
  • Biomass applications as alternative fuels and reductants in metallurgical processes.

 

 

Major Research Contributions

(1) Biorefining technologies: conversion of lignin and agro-forestry biomass/residues into bio-based platform chemicals and functionalized polymeric materials

(2) Hydrothermal conversion technologies for recovery of water and bioproducts from water-containing wastes and bioresources

(3) Catalytic conversion of glycerol/sugars to platform chemicals

(4) Treatment of oil sands process-affected water and tailings for value recovery

(5) Biomass applications as alternative fuels and reductants in metallurgical processes

Learn More   

RESTORE Facilities

leading experimental facilities with five state-of-the art laboratories. These facilities enable RESTORE to conduct cutting-edge research and provide a world-class training experience:

https://www.eng.uwo.ca/research/restore/facilities.html

Trojan Technologies Laboratory

Research Projects

covers a broad range of topics in engineering of chemical reactions and processes, which can be categorized in the following areas to give a better overview:

1) Simulated Moving Bed Systems and Integrated Reactor-Separator

2) Band-Engineering Photocatalysis ... for water Purification, Production of Clean Hydrogen Fuel and Self-cleaning of Building Surfaces

3) Modeling, Simulation and Multi-objective Optimization

4) Performance Improvement of Chemical Reactors by Natural Oscillations

Projects

Accelerate development of new technologies and applications for advanced water treatment
Principal Investigator
Funding: Mitacs (Partner Organization: Trojan Technologies)
Duration: 2015/7 - 2018/6


Clean technologies for water refining and nutrient and energy recovery
Co-Investigator
Funding: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
Duration: 2012/4 - 2018/3


Integrated approaches and technologies to ensure safe drinking water supply in Beijing: Water diversion from South to North China
Co-Investigator
Funding: Ontario-China Research and Innovation Fund (OCRIF)
Duration: 2014/4 - 2017/3


Advanced Reaction and Process Engineering for Applications in Energy, Environment, Food and Health
Principal Investigator
Funding: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
Duration: 2011/4 - 2016/3

Learn More

Bioprocessing Laboratory

TEB 313 is a dedicated biochemical engineering lab equipped with the three fume hoods and an autoclave. The laboratory is certified for biohazard containment level 1. A section of the lab (TEB 313A) is equipped with two laminar flow cabinets and certified for biohazard containment level 2.

Bioreactors

Micro-Scale:

Two Teacan M1000 microplate readers

  • Up to 1538 well plates
  • Shaking and incubating function
  • Absorbance, fluorescence (top and bottom) and luminescence capacities
  • Injectors
  • One located in anaerobic glove box

Two Teacan M200 microplate readers

  • Up to 384 well plates
  • Shaking and incubating function
  • Absorbance capacities (monochromators)
  • Equipped with gas control unit

Bench-Scale:

Four InforsHT Labfors 4 reactors

  • 2-7.5 L vessels
  • Dissolved oxygen, pH, redox and optical density probes
  • Gas mixers and mass flow controllers
  • Analog feed and harvest pumps
  • Off-gas analyzers for oxygen, hydrogen and carbon dioxide

Pilot Scale:

Newly refurbished 150L pilot reactor

  • 150L steam sterilizable vessel (TSSA approved)
  • Dissolved oxygen, pH and redox probe
  • Gas mixers and mass flow controllers
  • Analog feed and harvest pumps

Analytical Equipment

Agilent 7890A Series GC

  • Autoinjector
  • FID w/EPC, for packed & capillary column
  • Capillary split/splitless inlet with EPC - 150 psi
  • On-column capillary inlet with EPC
  • Biodiesel ASTM D6584 certified

Agilent 1260 Infinity Quaternary UHPLC

  • Maximum pressure 600 bar

  • 1260 Infinity Standard Autosampler
  • 1260 Infinity Diode Array Detector VL+
  • 1260 Infinity Evaporative Light Scattering Detector
  • 1260 Infinity Refractive Index Detector

https://www.eng.uwo.ca/chemical/faculty/rehmann_l/lab.html