Research Areas

With new leadership and an energetic faculty, Tennessee Tech's Chemical Engineering Department blends scholarship and research with advanced studies, offering excellent opportunities to graduate students. The dynamic and flexible graduate program offers an M.S. in Chemical Engineering and a Ph.D. in Engineering with a concentration in Chemical Engineering. The program's interdisciplinary nature lends itself to relevant projects in current areas of research. Within this framework, the core faculty enhances student opportunities by working closely with faculty in Environmental and Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry, Biology, and Manufacturing and Industrial Technology to build a unique and effective environment for graduate research and learning. Currently, the program supports the following five areas of research.

Biological-Based Processes and Systems

Intelligent-based computational approaches (Signature) for drug design; drug delivery; bioinformatics; biological microflows in the human body; microseparation of biological macromolecules; micro-biosensors; dynamics of environments for biogrowth

Computational Mathematics and Modeling

Methods of lines; design of complex fluid mixtures; Monte-Carlo, molecular dynamic and integral-spectral sapproaches in multi-scale environments with and without electro/chemical/biological reactions; novel methods for phase-equilibrium calculations; micro-flows in drops at low Reynolds No.; averaging methods in multi-scale and field sensitive systems; particle flows in micro-channels

Electrical Field-Based Processes and Systems

Energy conversion (fuel cells) and energy storage systems (rechargeable batteries and supercapacitors); hydrogen storage processes; modeling and simulation of power sources; AC impedance spectroscopy for transport properties in batteries; microfluidics, field flow fractionation and bio-micro electrophoresis; electrokinetics in soil remediation and bioseparation; cold plasma high oxidation methods

Nanoscale-Based Engineered Materials and Systems

Multi-scale approach for the design, synthesis and characterization of advanced materials; micro- and nano-scale engineering of cementeous materials and soft, gel materials for bioseparation, i.e. colloidal and biodegradables, controlled-drug delivery, tissue engineering, and contact lenses; micro-rheology of bio-macromolecules in fibrous and porous matrices; visualization of bio-macromolecule micro-flows; design and characterization of foam blowing agents

Engineering Education

System-based learning and high performance (student-centered) learning environments; problem-based learning; social learning approaches; ABET-based models of assessments; research-based methods for undergraduate education