faculty pics
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Robert Huang
Professor Emeritus
Office: DWE 2525
Phone: 519-888-4567 ext. 32092
Email: ryhuang@uwaterloo.ca
Degrees: BEng,
Taiwan; MASc, PhD, Toronto
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Research Interests
Preparation of Chitosan Based Polymer Membranes for Pervaporation, Ultrafiltration
and Medical Applications
- This project will involved the synthesis, characterization and testing
of membrane properties in terms of membrane flux, selectivity and other
transport properties of membranes based on chitosan an abundant natural
polymer extracted from the shells of crustaceans such as shrimps, crabs
and lobster shells.
- It will also involve the preparation of compatible blends of chitosan
with polyvinyl alcohol, polyacrylic acid and other compatible hydrophilic
polymers. The applications of these chitosan and chitosan blend membranes
will be in the pervaporation dehydration of isopropanol and ethanol as
well as their possible use in medical applications for hemodialysis.
Development of a new transport model for the pervaporation process will
be part of the investigation. In the preparation of the chitosan based
membranes the phase inversion technique will be utilized to prepare assymetric
membranes with a high degree selectivity and good membrane flux. The
pervaporation apparatus already exists but will require some minor modifications
and fine tuning.
Selected References
- X.S. Feng and R.Y.M. Huang "Pervaporation with Chitosan Membranes
I. Separation of Water From Ethylene Glycol by a Chitosan/Polysulfone
Composite Membrane". Journal of Membrane Science, (1996)
67-76.
- J.J. Shieh and R.Y.M. Huang "Pervaporation with Chitosan Blend
Membranes II. Pervaporation Dehydration of Ethnol." Journal
of Membrane Science, (in press).
- M. Ghazali M. Nawawi and R.Y.M.
Huang "Pervaporation with Chitosan Membranes
Pervaporation Dehydration of Isopropanol Using Chitosan-Polyvinyl Alcohol
Blended Membranes". Journal of Membrane Science, (in press).
