Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

This proposal requests funds to obtain a high pressure calorimeter. Calorimetry under high pressure (up to 20 MPa) offers a unique ability to obtain thermodynamic properties for processes and systems relevant to a variety of applications. In recent years, high pressure calorimetry has become an extremely useful tool to study gas hydrate phase transitions. For example, we may obtain melting curves of gas hydrates in the presence of hydrate inhibiting chemicals. These curves inform about the exact conditions where the phase transition occurs. This information is useful in the design of safe and economic facilities for the transport of oil and gas. We may also study the behaviour of naturally occurring or artificial hydrates resembling those that occur naturally in the earth. This information, aids the scale up of processes considered to extract natural gas from the earth's hydrates. High pressure calorimetry is also useful in other physical and chemical processes under high pressure. For example, modeling the crystallization of polymers requires the knowledge of thermographs, which can be obtained from the proposed instrument. This information aids engineers to optimize polymer processing conditions for the economic production of high quality industrial and consumer products. Finally, the high pressure calorimeter can be used in other applications. One anticipated use is to characterize processes related to biofuels.