The Department of Chemical Engineering held a discussion session on Thursday, November 14, 2024, to discuss the research of graduate / master's students, attended by the department head, and a selection of the department's professors to review the latest progress on the projects. The discussion was valuable between the faculty and students, aimed at helping to overcome the challenges they face in their research. The research topics varied, focusing on vital issues in our current era, such as renewable energy, as well as problems related to carbon dioxide emissions and the separation of associated water from crude oil.

For example, the student Hawra Salem Abdullah presented an introduction to her research titled.  ‘’Merging microbial fuel cell and photobioreactor for the dual purpose of wastewater treatment and bioenergy generation’’. Which is studying microbial fuel cells (MFCs) and photobioreactors. Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) are biological technologies that convert organic matter in wastewater into electrical energy. Rely on bacteria to break down organic matter and produce electrons that are collected to generate electric current. Used for wastewater treatment and energy generation simultaneously. And Photobioreactors are biological systems that use algae or other microorganisms to produce energy. Rely on photosynthesis to convert light energy into chemical energy in the form of sugars. Used for biofuel production, carbon dioxide fixation, and oxygen production. The goal is to integrate microbial fuel cells and photobioreactors into a single system to achieve multiple objectives, such as wastewater treatment, electrical energy, and biofuel production. Carbon dioxide fixations, and Biomass production (algae).

On the other hand the student Fatimah investigates the application of direct current electric fields to enhance the separation of water from crude oil emulsions. Three distinct electrode configurations were employed to examine the influence of various parameters, including applied voltage, electrode material, electrode geometry, inter-electrode distance, temperature, and treatment duration. The results indicate that these factors significantly impact the efficiency of the electrical separation process. Furthermore, the study incorporated two crude oil samples from different sources, allowing for the analysis of their respective properties, such as droplet size distribution, coalescence kinetics, and continuous phase viscosity(crude oil).