(4da) Development of New Generation of Separation Technologies Through Energy-Efficient Processes and Advanced Materials

My research focuses on various aspects of chemistry and engineering of chemical adsorption, separation and reaction. During my PhD at Monash University and Lulea University of Technology with Prof. Paul Webley, I introduced a new methodology for optimizing the structure of adsorbents being used in cyclic gas separation units, in particular in post-combustion CO₂ capture process, whereby I adapted recent developments in adsorptive separation science to advance the development of new structured adsorbents which offer attractive characteristics compared to conventional packed bed systems. This work was successfully resulted in several collaborations with several companies to make/develop structured adsorbents and more recently was selected as the recipient of the International Adsorption Society Award for Excellence in the PhD Dissertation.

Currently, I am a post-doctoral fellow at Georgia Tech, where I am expanding my expertise in gas separation by designing next generation materials and processes for gas management in cyclic units.  Based on my background and my expertise, I have been involved in both theoretical and experimental sides of this project. This position has allowed me to work as a cross-functional team member between theoretical and experimental research groups where I develop and implement computational models for rapid temperature swing adsorption (RTSA) process and in the meantime, I validate the simulation results by obtaining experimental data via synthesis, characterization and evaluation of adsorbent materials in the laboratory.

Integrating my background of material synthesis, process design and simulation, and modeling and optimization of chemical processes, my future research will address the fundamental issues concerning clean energy and global warming through development of novel materials and cost-effective technologies for gas and liquid separation applications. Given the context of the global energy security and greenhouse needs, I will strongly focus on performing cutting-edge research in the field of separation science by designing efficient and low-energy systems such as hybrid adsorbents/membranes or catalyst/membranes materials/processes with the emphasis on energy conservation and environmental footprint reduction.

Selected Publications (22 total, 11 first author, 200 total citations, h-index: 8):

1. F. Rezaei, R.P. Lively, Y. Labreche, G.Chen, Y.Fan, W.J. Koros, C.W. Jones, "Aminosilane-Grafted Polymer/Silica Hollow Fiber Adsorbents for CO₂ Capture from Flue Gas." ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 5 (2013), p. 3921.
2. F. Rezaei, S. Subramanian, R.P. Lively, J. Kalyanaraman, Y. Kawajiri, M.J. Realff, "Modeling of Rapid tTemperature Swing Adsorption Using Polymer-Supported Amine Hollow Fibers." Chemical Engineering Science, (2013), submitted.
3. Y. Labreche, R.P. Lively, F. Rezaei, G. Chen, C.W. Jones, W.J. Koros, "Post-Ppinning Infusion of Poly(ethyleneimine) into Polymer/Silica Hollow Fiber Sorbents for Carbon Dioxide Capture", Chemical Engineering Journal, 221 (2013), p. 166.
4. F. Rezaei, P. Webley, "Optimal Design of Engineered Gas Adsorbents: Pore-Scale Level."Chemical Engineering Science, 69 (2012), 270-278.
5. F. Rezaei, M. Grahn, "Thermal Management of Structured Adsorbents in CO₂ Capture Process." Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, 51 (2012), 4025-4034.
6. F. Rezaei, et al. "The effect of Wall Porosity and Zeolite Film Thickness on the Dynamic Behavior of Adsorbents in the Form of Coated Monoliths." Separation and Purification Technology, 81 (2011), 191-199.