Chapman, Thomas W.

"Ionic Transport and Electrochemical Systems," Ch. 3 in Lectures in Transport Phenomena, (with R.B. Bird, W.E. Stewart and E.N. Lightfoot), in AIChE Continuing Series, No. 4, AIChE, New York (1969).
"Extraction-Metals Processing," Ch. 8 in Handbook of Separation Process Technology, R.W. Rousseau, Ed., John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York (1987).
"Indirect Electrochemical Processes at a Rotating Disk Electrode - Olefin Bromohydrination," (with R. Machado), J. Electrochem. Soc., 134, 385-391 (1987).
"Current Distribution on a Rotating Disk Electrode - Effects of Migration and Reactions," (with S.C. Yen), J. Electrochem. Soc., 134, 1964-1972 (1987).
"Continuous Ethanol Production from Xylose by Candida Shehatae," (with M.A. Alexander and T.W. Jeffries), Biotechnology & Bioengineering, 30, 685-691 (1987).
"Estimating Kinetics Parameters for Nickel-Zinc Alloy Deposition from Current Distribution Measurements on the Rotating Disk Electrode," (with M.F. Mathias), J. Electrochem. Soc., 137, 102-110 (1990).
"Simulation of Complex Electrochemical Systems," (with C. Villa), Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 34, 3445-3453 (1995).

Selected Awards, Honors and Societies

Director of International Engineering Programs
Environmental Division Award, AIChE (1974)
Fulbright Fellow, Germany (1992)
Chevalier, l'Ordre des Palmes Academiques, French Ministry of Education (1993)
Visiting Professor, Universidad de Oviedo, Spain (1997)
American Institute of Chemical Engineers, The Electrochemical Society, American Society for Engineering Education
Group of Advisors, National Security Education Program
Executive Committee, Global Engineering Educational Exchange

Summary

Our research program focuses on a variety of chemical processes in which interactions between specific chemistry and transport effects introduce some challenging problems in equipment design and operation. The processes of interest generally involve electrochemical systems or multi-phase reactors. Our approach is to seek a quantitative description of a particular process chemistry and incorporate its specific features in a reactor model suitable for design or simulation.

Much of our work is in the area of electrochemical reaction engineering. The analysis of electrochemical reactors involves consideration of all the phenomena important in conventional catalytic reactors. In addition, one must consider the effects of potential on electrode reaction kinetics and on ionic transport. As a result, reactor modelling requires characterization of potential and current distributions as well as the distributions of concentrations and temperature. Nonlinear interactions between transport processes and reaction kinetics give rise to some unique and challenging problems.

Active projects in this area include developing an electrochemical process for producing acrylic acid or butanediol from ethylene, characterizing the manganese dioxide cathode in alkaline cells, fabricating micromechanical components by electrodeposition, and using packed-bed electrodes to destroy toxic chemicals in wastewater. Each of these projects involves measurements of reaction kinetics and their subsequent use for electrochemical reactor design and optimization.

One growing area of research activity in biomass utilization is based on a collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Products Laboratory, located in Madison. We are working on chemical pulping processes and the production of chemicals from wood.

Earlier projects have involved kinetics, mass transfer and reactor modelling studies related to the production of xylose and acetic acid from hemicellulose by dilute-acid hydrolysis and to the fermentation of xylose to ethanol. Electrochemical conversion of biomass feedstocks

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