 | December 19, 2000.
Article about Supercritical CO2 in Chemical
Engineering News from December 18 2000, Volume 78, Number 51: Research
from Erik Hoggan (NCSU) and Devin
Flowers (UNC) at Kenan CO2
Center. "Dense fluid's talents as a solvent for materials R&D go beyond environmental correctness." [link to the article (only if you have a password)] |
| December 14, 2000.
Joseph M. DeSimone new Chairman of the national NSF STCs: STC
ERSP Leadership Participates in NSF-Sponsored Workshops Joseph DeSimone,
Ruben Carbonell, Denis Gray and Ev Baucom attended the Science and
Technology Centers Directors' Workshop, which took place December 5 and 6,
2000 in Tucson, Arizona. The meeting was hosted by the Center for
Sustainability of Semi-Arid Hydrology and Riparian Areas at the University
of Arizona, headed by Prof. Soroosh Sorooshian, Director. Also attending
were NSF leadership of the STC program, STC Directors and their top
associates of all five STCs funded in 1999. Several STCs funded in 1989 and
1991 were also represented to provide perspective to the new Centers based
upon their years' experience. Prof. DeSimone reported on our Center's first
year of operation. There was a great deal of interest in our videoconferencing setup. Prof. Carbonell chaired a session discussing startup issues. Each STC Director will receive a copy of Prof. Gray's recently published book on "best practices" developed from studies of NSF Engineering Centers. The STCs Directors' Workshop was intended to help build bridges among leadership of the newly funded STCs and to provide a networking opportunity for participants. STC leadership shared startup up issues and discussed common problems. NSF reiterated its desire for the STCs to devote significant resources to outreach programs, both toward K-12 education and industrial participation. Despite the diverse nature of the Centers, ranging from studies of nanobiotechnology to studies of galaxies, many common grounds were found. One of the most important outcomes of the meeting will be a common reporting basis for the STCs, whose definition will be led by Abt Associates in conjunction with the STC leadership. Joseph DeSimone was elected Chairman of the National Directors' Network for the "1999 Cohort" of NSF STCs. The 2001 annual meeting will be hosted by the Center for Environmentally Responsible Solvents and Processes. The NSF would like to see the STCs become increasingly visible, both inside and outside the scientific and technical community. Our Center's strong K-12 partnering via the Science House, innovative social science programs, and industrial outreach on all campuses should provide a good backdrop for this discussion next year. Following the Tucson meeting, Ev Baucom participated in an NSF-sponsored workshop at Berkeley, CA, on December 8-9, 2000. The purpose of this workshop was to introduce leaders in outreach activities of the newly funded STCs to members of the academic and industrial community advocating historically underrepresented groups. This was the first national workshop of its kind and resulted in strengthening of ties within and among these groups. One clear conclusion of this meeting is the high regard in which NSF and the other participants hold one of our participating institutions, North Carolina A&T State University. One outcome of this meeting will be our developing a plan to include North Carolina's community college network in our outreach program. |
| December 4, 2000.
Air
Liquide joins Kenan
Center as 16th corporate member CHAPEL
HILL – Air Liquide,
a global producer of high-quality industrial and medical gases, recently
joined the Kenan Center
for the Utilization of Carbon Dioxide in Manufacturing as a corporate
member. The Kenan Center is based at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and N.C. State University. Air Liquide specializes in electronic specialty gas production, with facilities in Tuskuba, Japan; Chalon-sur-Saone, France; and Morrisville, Pa. Founded in 1902, Air Liquide has operations in 60 countries through 125 subsidiaries, and supplies oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen and many other products and services to industries as varied as steel and oil refining, chemistry and glass, electronics and paper, metallurgy and food-processing, health care and aerospace. Air Liquide has committed $35,000 annually over a three-year period to support Kenan Center research, center officials announced. The Kenan Center receives the support of 16 corporate members and is dedicated to a sustainable vision of technological, scientific and educational advances in processing systems. The center is made up of chemists, chemical engineers and materials scientists from UNC-CH and N.C. State. In addition, National Laboratory partners at Oakridge, Los Alamos and the Pacific Northwest allow use of their facilities for Kenan Center studies, and industrial members such as Air Liquide provide financial support and guidance The Kenan Center is the industrial outreach arm for the National Science and Technology Center for Environmentally Responsible Solvents and Processes. This NSF center is a $40-million, multi-institutional, multidisplinary research center focused on establishing the fundamental engineering and scientific principles necessary for large-scale commercialization of the carbon dioxide technology platform. The carbon dioxide technology platform holds the promise for energy-efficient and pollution-prevention approaches in the chemical, biotech, microelectronic and textile industries. The NSF center has more than 30 faculty participants from UNC-CH, N.C. State, the University of Texas at Austin and North Carolina A&T State University. For more information on the Kenan Center and the NSF Science and Technology Center, go to www.nsfstc.unc.edu and www2.ncsu.edu:8010/champagne/. |
| November 9, 2000.
NSFSTCenter participants meeting at AIChE in L.A. Final notice for AIChE: After collecting people's thoughts about the most suitable day and time for us to get together during the AIChE meeting in L.A. next week, i propose to meet on Wednesday, Nov. 15th, after the end of the afternoon session and before the 7 pm poster session, so around 6pm at the California Foyer on the 2nd level (California ballroom). There we can decide if we all want to go somewhere or have dinner together e.t.c. Peter Psathos, UT-Austin |
| November 6, 2000.
New course at NCSU in: Life Cycle Concepts for the Environment (CHE
597A). Life cycle concepts are the fastest emerging issue in
environment and manufacturing. Challenges of sustainability, carbon tax,
global environment, as well as local decisions on environment, depend on
quality life cycle information. Life cycle is at the cutting edge, much as
pollution prevention was 15 years ago. North Carolina State University has
had a leading U.S. university role in development of life cycle technology,
particularly in the applications for decision-making. In addition, the
multi-disciplinary effort with the College of Management in supply chain
management has broadened the technical aspects of life cycle research. [click here for more info] |
| November 6, 2000. Brian Novick, grad. student from NCSU, won second place in the ICE 2000 Annual Meeting Technical Program Poster Session Competition. This is the International Coatings Technology Conference and Expo, sponsored by the Federation of Societies for Coatings Technology. Since these are coatings experts, the award is quite meaningful. |
| November 3, 2000. New Postdoc and Research Associate position. Research Project Involved in the Use of Supercritical CO2 for Extractions (click for more information) or go to "About the Center" - "Position Sought". |
| October 31, 2000.
Joe DeSimone and Darlene Taylor recently seen in Marrakesh
(Washington DC)
|
| September 28, 2000. See pictures from the Kenan Review Meeting, Fall 2000 [to the pictures]. |
| September 26, 2000. See pictures from the NSF Site Visit 2000 and EAB Meeting [to the pictures]. |
| September 22, 2000.
Symposium on Ionic Liquids for the 221st American Chemical
Society National Meeting in San Diego, April 1-5, 2001. I would like to bring to your attention a symposium on Ionic Liquids that Ken Seddon and I are organizing for the 221st American Chemical Society National Meeting in San Diego, April 1-5, 2001. Our symposium, Green Industrial Applications of Ionic Liquids, will bring together the largest number of researchers in this growing field as has ever been assembled in the US. This will be a great opportunity for students, new faculty, and interested industrial representatives to find out what the excitement is all about and meet the people involved. We also hope it will be an opportunity to let newly funded investigators present the ‘first results’ of the many new IL projects initiated over the past year. The abstract deadline is October 15 and is a firm deadline, but abstracts will be submitted electronically. [click for abstracts information] Regards, Robin D. Rogers Professor of Chemistry Director, Center for Green Manufacturing Department of Chemistry The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 205/348-4323 205/348-0823 (FAX) Email: RDRogers@bama.ua.edu |
| September 22, 2000. The UNC system is finalizing an agreement with Roskilde University in Denmark and other Scandinavian universities to facilitate student exchanges. Under this agreement, students from UNC universities can attend Roskilde University and the other universities covered under the agreement simply by paying their local university tuition. [click for all information] |
| September 8, 2000. The Fun Day pictures are now online [click for pics]. |
| September 6, 2000.
The CO2 Patent Assessment, Acquisition and Transfer Initiative
(PAATI) has a new web presence within the NSF STC site! [click here for "Patent Transfer Initiative web"] |
| August 22, 2000.
The whole web site is updated with the content of the Annual Report, and:
The Annual Report is now Online available! [click here for "Annual Report 2000"] |
| August 16, 2000.
Nael Zaki, a postdocs
research associate at NCSU working with Peter Kilpatrick and Ruben Carbonell
has been chosen as a member of the editorial board for the internationally
recognized journal, Petroleum Science and Technology. This journal receives
international attention and is published by the Society of Petroleum
Engineers once a month. This is a great honor and congratulations to Nael Zaki. [link to the "Journal of Petroleum Science and Technology"] |
| August 11, 2000. There
will be a short course on Green Chemistry offered in conjunction with the
ACS National Meeting in Washington D.C. Green Chemistry: Economic and Environmental Benefits SATURDAY, AUGUST 19, 2000 (...) [click here for the full information] |
| August 3, 2000.
After a lot of work from Everett Baucom and his team, the Annual
Report about our NSF Science & Technology Center was sent to the NSF at
Washington DC last week. Now, you can download the (MS Word-File) here: Download NSFSTC Annual Report |
| July 28, 2000.
"Helping Small Dry Cleaners Adopt Safer Technologies: Without Losing
Your Shirt!" Testimony of Joseph DeSimone/UNC at House Committee on Small Business from July 20 (...) Micell now has 12 liquid CO2 machines in operation serving 28 dry cleaning stores in five states - Illinois, Massachusetts, Nebraska, North Carolina and Rhode Island. The EPA has published a case study on our technology with favorable reviews and we have successfully cleaned more than 725,000 pounds of clothing to date using liquid CO2. The proof that our technology and small business plan works is the success of our partners in these five states and the plans for a total of almost 100 Hangers stores prior to the year's end. The additional cost involved, nearly
double the cost of a new per machine (from $50,000 for a new dry cleaning
machine using perchloroethylene to $150,000 for a Micell liquid carbon
dioxide machine) is a major impediment for small business dry cleaners. That
is why we were so pleased when Congressmen Dave Camp and David Price agreed
to draft and introduce H.R. 1303, the Dry Cleaning Environmental Tax Act of
1999. If enacted, H.R. 1303 would offer small business dry cleaners a 20
percent tax credit against the cost of environmentally friendly technologies
such as liquid CO2 and wet cleaning (water-based) systems. Congressman Camp
and Price's efforts have resonated on Capitol Hill as H.R. 1303 enjoys the
support of cosponsors from both parties representing 14 different states.
Dry cleaning consumers and owners, environmentalists, health advocates, and
womens' groups are solidly behind the five-year, 20 percent tax credit to
help small business afford new and safer technologies. |
| July
11, 2000. Fun
Day for all NSFSTC Participating Universities (at August 29th)
Dear Groups: Sincerely, |
| June 21,
2000. UNC-CH and
N.C. State launch initiative to seek patent donations focusing on carbon
dioxide-related technologies North Carolina’s two public research universities are teaming up to encourage private industry to donate carbon dioxide-related intellectual property to both campuses. The Carbon Dioxide Patent Assessment, Acquisition and Transfer Initiative will build a portfolio of technology patents jointly owned by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University in Raleigh and draw upon expertise in engineering, science, law, business and information science at both campuses. Dr. Joseph M. DeSimone, William R. Kenan Jr. distinguished professor of chemistry and chemical engineering at both schools, developed the concept of searching the literature for carbon dioxide-related patents and asking companies to consider donating them. New discoveries made through ongoing research can enhance the value of such patent portfolios. |
| June 6, 2000. The NSF STC 2000 Group Meeting Schedule is now online available |
| May 23,
2000. All the pages
below are updated and/or have new links: - Research Thrust Areas (and most of the pages in this paragraph) - Cool Stuff - K-12 Outreach - Contact us and Request to visit - Database, News and Publications - Suppliers - Events and Conferences - External Advisory Board - Collaboration and Innovation Studies |
| May 12,
2000. Professor Joseph
M. DeSimone receives THE OLIVER MAX GARDENER AWARD 2000 Acknowledging his international recognition for basic science and engineering applications, and applauding his development of carbon dioxide as a replacement for water and organic solvents in a variety of synthetic and manufacturing processes, the Board of Governors is honored to name Joseph M. DeSimone, William Rand Kenan, Jr. Professor of Chemistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and William Rand Kenan, Jr. Professor of Chemical Engineering, North Carolina State University, as the recipient of the 2000 Oliver Max Gardner Award. That he holds distinguished professorships in both of the Research 1 institutions of The University is eloquent testimony to his truly remarkable accomplishments. (see also article in University Gazette) |
| May
12, 2000. Thar
Designs Inc. joins Kenan
Center project on carbon dioxide technology Thar Design Inc. has joined an innovation public-private research initiative aimed at finding environmentally friendly solutions in manufacturing processes using carbon dioxide. Thar Designs is the latest private company to partner with the Kenan Center for the Utilization of Carbon Dioxide in Manufacturing, which is based at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University in Raleigh. The Kenan Center is dedicated to a sustainable vision of technological, scientific and educational advances in processing systems. The center is comprised of chemists, chemical engineers, an materials scientists from UNC-CH and N.C. State. Currently more than 20 faculty and 40 students and postdoctoral associates participate in Kenan Center research. National Laboratory partners at Oak Ridge, Los Alamos, and Pacific Northwest allow use of their facilities for Kenan Center studies, and industrial members such as Thar Designs provide financial support and guidance. Thar Designs has committed $35,000 annually over three years to support the carbon dioxide-related research of faculty at UNC-CH and N.C. State as part of of the Kenan Center project. Based in Pittsburgh, Pa., Thar is a pioneer in designing, manufacturing, commercializing technology and equipment optimal for high-pressure fluids. The company has developed new products and instruments aimed at addressing the needs of high-pressure fluid applications. The Kenan Center serves as the industrial outreach component for a newly established Science and Technology Center for Environmentally Responsible Carbon Dioxide Processes, a project funded by the National Science Foundation that involves scientists from campuses in North Carolina and Texas including UNC-"H and N.C. State. |
University Gazette
| Mar 24 2000: DeSimone receives system's highest honor |
| Mar 3 2000: DeSimone first N.C. scientist to receive national chemistry award |
Chemical & Engineering News
| Mar 6 2000: Polymer workshop defers to NAACP boycott of South Carolina |
Journal of the American Chemical Society
| Nov 24 1999: Patterned Growth of the Well-Aligned Carbon Nanotubes: A Photolithographic Approach |
Endeavors UNC-CH's magazine of research and creative activity
| Fall 1999: In The Business |
| Fall 1999: Why We Got Our Wires Crossed |
Macromolecules
| Sep 21 1999: Sorption of Gases and Vapors in an Amorphous Glassy Perfluorodioxole Copolymer |