Research lines
The PPG-FEQ is organized into ten lines of research covering the different areas of chemical engineering, listed below.
Thermodynamics
The thermodynamics research line focuses on the field of applied thermodynamics, with an emphasis on the experimental determination of thermo physical and equilibrium properties, as well as the development of thermodynamic models and the thermodynamic analysis of processes. Statistical mechanics, molecular simulation, and non-equilibrium thermodynamics.
People: José Vicente Hallak Dangelo, Luís Fernando Mercier Franco, Maria Regina Wolf Maciel, Mariana Conceição da Costa, Reginaldo Guirardello, Roberta Ceriani
Separation Processes
The separation process research line focuses on the process of separation in the chemical industry. Among the separation processes, it can be listed distillation, extraction, filtration, flotation, and lixiviation.
People: Adilson Pires Afonso, Elias Basile Tambourgi, Maria Regina Wolf Maciel, Mariana Conceição da Costa, Patricia Fazzio Martins Martinez, Roberta Ceriani
Chemical Reaction Engineering
The chemical reaction engineering research line focuses on chemical process kinetics and catalysis, both homogeneous and heterogeneous. It also addresses the development and characterization of new catalysts.
People: Gustavo Doubek, Gustavo Paim Valença, Raphael Suppino, Roniérik Pioli Vieira
Transport Phenomena, Particulate Systems and Porous Media
The transport phenomena research line focuses on the underlying physics governing the unit operations. It also addresses process engineering (energy generation, biomass conversion, biofuel production). Particular emphasis is given to particulate systems and porous media. The research line also covers fluid dispersion, fire, and explosion modeling applied to process safety.
People: Ambrósio Florêncio de Almeida Neto, Antonio Carlos Luz Lisboa, Dirceu Noriler, Guilherme José de Castilho, Katia Tannous, Marco Aurélio Cremasco, Melissa Gurgel Adeodato Vieira, Meuris Gurgel Carlos da Silva, Osvaldir Pereira Taranto, Sávio Souza Venâncio Vianna
Materials
The materials research line focuses on the interdisciplinary approach with emphasis on the development of new materials, formulations, and processes. It addresses the synthesis, processing, characterization, simulation of production processes and material behavior. In polymerization processes, the research line investigates the kinetics and techniques of condensation and addition. In the processing of composites, blends, and nanocomposites, physical-chemical, thermal, mechanical, and morphological characterization, the techniques of the obtained products are contemplated with application in the most diverse areas, such as aerospace, medical, environmental, automotive, electronics, packaging, civil construction and nautical.
People: Ana Rita Morales, Ângela Maria Moraes, Liliane Maria Ferrareso Lona, Lúcia Helena Innocentini Mei, Marisa Masumi Beppu, Roniérik Pioli Vieira
Engineering of Bioprocesses and Bioresources
The research line focuses on biotechnological processes, with a wide variety of applications, such as the development of biomaterials, purification of bioproducts, fermentation, and enzymatic processes. It also covers renewable energy and nanobiotechnology.
People: Adriano Pinto Mariano, Aline Carvalho da Costa, Ângela Maria Moraes, Elias Basile Tambourgi, Everson Alves Miranda, Lucimara Gaziola de La Torre, Marisa Masumi Beppu, Rubens Maciel Filho, Sônia Maria Alves Bueno, Telma Teixeira Franco
Environmental Engineering
The research line focuses on the environmental impact of chemical processes, with an emphasis on the treatment of industrial and hospital waste and effluents, on the validity control of chemical products, and the control of atmospheric pollution and accidental releases.
People: Ambrósio Florêncio de Almeida Neto, Edson Tomaz, Katia Tannous, Melissa Gurgel Adeodato Vieira, Meuris Gurgel Carlos da Silva, Sávio Souza Venâncio Vianna
Synthesis, Analysis and Optimization of Processes
The research line focuses on the modeling, improvement, and optimization of chemical processes. It uses techniques such as computational fluid dynamics, process intensification, energy integration, and artificial intelligence. Applications cover a wide range of areas, including biotech, petrochemical, environmental, risk analysis, and safety processes.
People: Adilson Pires Afonso, Adriano Pinto Mariano, Dirceu Noriler, José Roberto Nunhez, José Vicente Hallak Dangelo, Leonardo Vasconcelos Fregolente, Liliane Maria Ferrareso Lona, Marisa Masumi Beppu, Reginaldo Guirardello, Roger Josef Zemp, Roniérik Pioli Vieira, Rubens Maciel , Sávio Souza Venâncio Vianna
Process Control and Automation
The research line focuses on applied process control, automation and modeling of chemical, petrochemical, biotechnological, and polymerization processes. It uses conventional tools (phenomenological modeling, feedback, optimization) and unconventional ones, such as fuzzy logic, neural networks, and artificial intelligence. It also addresses instrumentation with the use of optical and acoustic sensors.
People: Aline Carvalho da Costa, Ana Maria Frattini Fileti, Flávio Vasconcelos da Silva, Luz Adriana Alvarez Toro, Rubens Maciel Filho
Chemical Engineering Education
The research line focuses on the education and teaching of chemical engineering. It also comprises teaching techniques applied to distance education, as well as the study of new contents and routes of approaching fundamental and applied concepts.
People: Katia Tannous, Marco Aurélio Cremasco