The department's instructional laboratories for chemical
engineering majors contain numerous modern analytical instruments and
process engineering apparatus. Most equipment, such as the
computer-coupled, closed-loop, continuous-flow distillation unit,
features advanced microprocessor design, representing the
state-of-the-art in automation. The department also maintains its own
personal computer laboratory. This facility, which is conveniently
located within the department's laboratory complex, contains 20 Hewlett-Packard computers. The PC laboratory also has two Hewlett-Packard
LaserJet printers and plotters, a local area network, and extensive
software for problem solving. The facility also provides ready access
to the Rutgers network.
As a special feature, the department's
research equipment is available for students in the James J. Slade Scholars Program. The impetus for this unique offering stems from the
department's strong commitment to graduate research and its active
involvement with sponsored research projects at the university and
state high-tech centers. Research is in such areas as biotechnology,
process system engineering, fiber optics, kinetics and catalysis, polymer science and engineering, and pharmaceutical engineering, among
others.
The department's major instructional laboratories
include a chemical-process engineering laboratory, a biochemical
engineering laboratory, laboratories for the study of polymer
processes and materials, and pharmaceutical engineering laboratories. The chemical-process engineering laboratory is
devoted to the study of chemical reactions and physical phase
separations for multicomponent systems. Typical apparatus includes
distillation, gas absorption, liquid extraction, wiped-film
evaporation, falling-film evaporation, and computer-coupled process
control units. Special devices are used for the study of fluid flow in
pipe systems and heat transfer in heat exchangers. Analyses of changes
in chemical compositions are aided by gas chromatographs, UV and IR
spectrophotometers, refractometers, and many other modern analytical
instruments.
The department's biochemical engineering laboratory is devoted to the study of biochemical engineering processes
and the detection and separation of biospecies resulting from these
bioprocesses. Specific experiments in enzyme and fermentation kinetics,
for batch and continuous systems, are provided. This fully equipped biolaboratory contains a wide range of analytical instruments and
specialized devices, including a Pharmacia Fine-Chemicals
microprocessor-controlled and automated liquid chromatograph analyzer,
and a computer-coupled BIOFLOW III fermentor system. A modern
pilot-scale fermentation facility, located at the Waksman Institute of
Microbiology, is used in conjunction with department facilities to
provide excellent practical experience for students in the biochemical
option. Also, a fully equipped immunotechnology laboratory for
specialized experiments concerned with monoclonal antibody production,
identification, and purification is open for use by select groups of
students in the James J. Slade Honors Program.
The polymer electroprocessing laboratory is a unique facility directed toward the
study of structure/electroprocessing/properties. It contains a wide
array of equipment used to provide diverse thermal, mechanical, and
electric field histories. These include hydraulic presses and film
drawing devices; computer-controlled current density compared with
electric field measurement systems for the study of ferroelectric
polymers; a "Rheolograph Solid" (Toyo Seiki), a computer-controlled,
state-of-the-art apparatus for measuring the piezoelectric, dielectric,
and dynamic mechanical response of polymers as functions of temperature
and frequency; a DSC and FTIR; and a wide array of X-ray diffraction
equipment. The ion-containing polymer characterization laboratory
contains various equipment, especially for light scattering and
mechanical testing. Light-scattering instruments include low-angle
light scattering, wide-angle and dynamic light scattering, and a
differential refractometer. Mechanical testing instruments include
a Minimart Tester and a dynamic mechanical thermal analyzer (polymer
laboratory). There also is a facility for the investigation of
theoretical properties of polymers by thermodynamics and statistical
mechanics and other methods, and for computer modeling of their
behavior.
The pharmaceutical engineering laboratories are environmentally controlled and capable of reproducing moisture and temperature conditions used in pharmaceutical manufacturing. In total, these modern facilities contain over 20 laminar flow hoods, three temperature and humidity-controlled rooms, and laboratory bench space designed for both small and large equipment and instruments. Equipment that relates to the synthetic production and purification of active pharmaceutical ingredients include stirred tanks, crystallizers, granulators, a rotating fluidized bed coater, dryers, a wipe-film evaporator, batch distillation column, liquid-liquid extractors, and a Particle Imaging Velocimeter/Laser-Induced Fluorometer. The research facility currently contains extensive solids-processing equipment used by major pharmaceutical, food, and agrochemical companies for the formulation of new products. This combination of equipment is rare in educational engineering programs. For example, the program currently owns a pan-coaer, two tablet press, mills, fluidized-bed equipment, and essentially every category of powder blenders used in industry, including a five-cubic-foot capacity ribbon blender and a 10-cubic-foot capacity bin blender.
