Professor Bharat Bhushan and Researcher Philip Brown Win 2015 IChemE (UK) Global Award

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Bharat Bhushan, Ohio Eminent Scholar, and postdoctoral researcher Philip Brown were presented with an IChemE Global Award on November 5 at the Chemical Engineer’s (IChemE) Global Awards 2015 in Birmingham UK, recognizing outstanding achievement in chemical and process engineering in the Water Management and Supply category for their research, “Separating oil from water.”  The black-tie event was attended by more than 450 people from 18 countries, hosted by BBC business journalist, Steph McGovern, at the Hilton Metropole.

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A new mesh has been developed using a special coating that contains thousands of tiny holes that act like a colander.  When a mixture of oil and water is poured over the treated mesh, the oil gets trapped and the water passes straight through, separating the liquids and helping to clean oil spills. Research was developed at The Ohio State University’s Nanoprobe Laboratory for Bio- and Nanotechnology and Biomimetics.

“Oil spills are devastating to natural habitats and wildlife,” said Bhushan.  Today, oil spills are sometimes handled using dispersants more toxic than the oil itself.  Additionally, the emergence of fracking has shed new light on industrial water contamination.  We developed a durable coating that, when applied to a mesh or membrane, can help reduce the environmental impact of various industries by separating oil from water.”

The work began more than 10 years ago when Bhushan began building and patenting nano-structured coatings that mimic the texture of the lotus leaf.  Since then, he and his team have worked to amplify the effect and tailor it to different situations.” 

“Nature reaches a limit of what it can do,” said Brown.  “To repel synthetic materials like oils, we need to bring in another level of chemistry that nature doesn’t have access to.” 

To learn more about the research, please see the video below.

The Ohio State University’s winning entry, one of 500 entries from five continents, was awarded by IChemE’s Water Special Interest Group.  IChemE’s president, Andrew Jamieson, congratulated the diverse range of winners from industry and academia.  The IChemE Global Awards, held in partnership with Aramco, celebrate and recognize excellence in chemical engineering worldwide.

“We are humbled and proud that our work has gained significant attention,” Bhushan commented. 

To learn more about the IChemE Global Awards and view the entire list of winners click here

Read more about the “Separating oil from water” technology in Scientific Reports

About IChemE

The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) is the global professional membership organization for people with relevant experience or an interest in chemical engineering. With a growing global membership of over 42,000, IChemE is at the heart of the process community, promoting competence and a commitment to best practice, advancing the discipline for the benefit of society, encouraging young people in science and engineering and supporting the professional development of its members. IChemE is the only organization to award Chartered Chemical Engineer and Professional Process Safety Engineer status.

Category: Faculty