This Major Research Instrumentation award supports the acquisition of an advanced gravimetric analyzer system at the University of Kansas. The instrument will significantly accelerate studies on the sorption of gases and vapors into liquids and solids over a wide range of temperature, pressure, and humidity. The results from using this advanced gravimetric analyzer system will provide a deep understanding of the key factors governing the interactions of sorbents in these materials. Chemical engineers and chemists will be able to study reactions and separations that operate at high pressure and using reactive gases that require catalysts and adsorbents to improve productivity. Geologists and geophysicists will be able to acquire data on how gases and vapors oxidize and reduce rocks and minerals at atmospheric conditions and at high temperatures and pressures. Physicists can measure the sorption of gases on various material surfaces, and pharmaceutical scientists will be able to study various types of interactions relevant to drug functions. The research project also will broaden participation in science and engineering by engaging individuals from groups underrepresented in STEM fields through outreach programs at the pre-college to post-graduate level.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology, American Chemical Society, American Institute of Chemical Engineers and National Academy of Engineers have identified a critical need to characterize materials in complex environments. Thus, there is a need for methods and instruments for measuring multicomponent phase equilibria and kinetic data. The advanced gravimetric analyzer system will be the first magnetic suspension balance capable of measuring adsorption and desorption of mixed gases that simulate real-world environments. In addition, the microbalance will be mated with an existing high-pressure calorimeter. The combination of a gravimetric analyzer and calorimeter will allow the simultaneous measurement of solubility, kinetics, and heats of sorption/reaction. Such a comprehensive understanding is essential for the rational development of functional materials such as, catalysts, sorbents, and biomaterials and to fundamentally understand, model, and simulate vapor-liquid equilibria and solid-vapor equilibria.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
