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Bruce A. Finlayson Lecture 2015

Join the University of Washington Department of Chemical Engineering for the 2015 Bruce A. Finlayson Lecture Featuring

Klavs F. Jensen


Professor and Department Head
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
May 4th Research Lecture & May 5th Public Lecture 2015

 

Research Lecture
Monday, May 4, 2015
4:00-5:00 p.m.

PAA A118
Reception at 3:30 p.m.

Chemical and Biological Microsystems Provide Increased Insight and Performance

Miniaturization and integration have fueled spectacular advances in the electronic and telecommunications industries, and more recently, in micro total analytical systems for chemical and biological applications. These systems transform classical laboratory procedures into integrated systems capable of providing new understanding of fundamental chemical and biological processes as well as rapid, continuous discovery and development of new products with less use of resources and waste generation. Presented case studies include multistep and multiphase chemical syntheses relevant pharmaceuticals and nanostructures. Surface tension based extraction units integrated with continuous reactors enable multistep processes. Emphasis is placed on applications that are enhanced by continuous flow and are difficult to perform by conventional batch techniques. The potential for small reconfigurable, mobile, production platforms is also discussed. Integration of reaction components with analytics, sensors, actuators, and automated fluid handling enables automated optimization as well as techniques for deriving mechanistic and kinetic insight with use of small amounts of material.  The use of segmented flow techniques further allows the considerations of discrete process variables such as solvents, catalysts, and ligands alongside standard continuous variables such as pressure, temperature, and composition. Cellular manipulation applications focus on microfluidic cell squeezing devices for delivery of macromolecules and nanoparticles to the cytosol.

Public Lecture
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
12:30-1:30 p.m.
 
145 Husky Union Building (HUB)
Pizza lunch will be served at 12:30 p.m.

Mico-Milli-Macro  -  The Importance of Scale

Chemical engineers transform molecules into products and processes, which typically implies large-scale manufacturing. So why the interest in microfluidics in the chemical engineering community? On the other hand, there is burgeoning interest in local 3D manufacturing of parts and maker spaces in other engineering disciplines. Analogously, we can envision on-demand and on-site chemical and biological production when it is competitive with the traditional centralized production and distribution model.  I discuss challenges and opportunities for small-scale systems along with the underlying chemical engineering principles, including mixing, dispersion and multiphase reactions. Case studies serve to illustrate the two primary drivers for miniaturization of chemical systems, information and on-site production.

About Klavs F. Jensen

Klavs F. Jensen is Warren K. Lewis Professor and Head of the ChemE Department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  He received his chemical engineering education from the Technical U. of Denmark (M.Sc.) and U. of Wisconsin-Madison (Ph.D.). He is the co-author of more than 530 journal and conference publications as well as several edited volumes and 39 US patents.  He serves on advisory boards to universities, companies, professional societies, and governments. He is the recipient of a NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award, a Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation Teacher-Scholar Grant, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Allan P. Colburn, Charles C.M. Stine, R.H. Wilhelm, and W.H. Walker Awards of the AIChE. He received the inaugural IUPAC-ThalesNano Prize in Flow Chemistry in 2012. Prof. Jensen is a member of the US Nat’l Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Science. He is also a Fellow of the AAAS, and the AIChE, and the Royal Society of Chemistry.

About Bruce A. Finlayson


Dr. Finlayson has taught chemical engineering and applied mathematics at the University of Washington for 38 years, serving as chair of the Chemical Engineering Department from 1989 to 1998. He received the prestigious Walker Award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineering for his contributions to chemical engineering literature. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and served as president of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.The Lecture, named in honor of Dr. Bruce A. Finlayson, Rehnberg Professor Emeritus of Chemical Engineering, features distinguished chemical engineers who demonstrate exceptional scholarship, teaching, and service in their field.