Wang Research Group

Professor Wang's research interests are in chemical and biochemical separations. Current projects are focused on adsorption and chromatography processes, which are highly selective and versatile techniques capable of producing pure materials of uniform size, shape, composition, and surface properties. The goals of her research are to understand the kinetics and equilibrium of competitive adsorption at liquid-solid interfaces and to develop novel, economical large scale adsorption processes. Various theoretical analyses, computer simulations, and experimental studies are used to address these key issues. In collaboration with industry and national laboratories, her research group is developing novel large scale simulated moving bed (SMB) chromatography processes for the recovery of nonbiodegradable chemicals from waste streams and a variety of biochemicals including sugars, antibiotics, anticancer drugs, amino acids, peptides, and proteins from biological sources. Analysis based on the concept of standing concentration waves has been developed to facilitate the design and optimization of multiple system and operating parameters in SMB systems for multicomponent fractionation. Computer simulations based on a detailed parallel pore and surface diffusion model have been developed to understand the transient wave propagation and its relation to port movement frequency and intra-column and extra-column mass transfer effects. A systematic SMB design and optimization method based on the standing wave analysis has been established. A versatile simulated moving bed pilot plant has been developed and tested for multi-component separation.

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Click here for a comprehensive list of Dr. Wang's publications.

"Two-zone ligand-assisted displacement chromatography for producing high-purity praseodymium, neodymium, and dysprosium with high yield and high productivity from crude mixtures derived from waste magnets," Ding, Y., Harvey, D., and Wang, N.-H. L., Green Chemistry, (2020).

"Conversion of polyethylene waste into clean fuels and waxes via hydrothermal processing (HTP)," Jin, K., Vozka, P., Kilaz, G., Chen, W.-T., & Wang, N.-H. L., Fuel, 273, 117726 (2020).

"Standing-wave Design of Three-Zone, open-loop non-isocratic SMB for purification," Harvey, D., Ding, Y., & Wang, N.-H. L., BMC Chemical Engineering, 1(1), 17 (2019). Open-Source Article: https://rdcu.be/b5OWM

"Use of Supercritical Water for the Liquefaction of Polypropylene into Oil," Chen, W.-T., Jin, K., & Linda Wang, N.-H., ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 7(4), 3749-3758 (2019).

"Key parameters controlling the development of constant-pattern isotachic trains of two rare earth elements in ligand-assisted displacement chromatography," Choi, .H., Harvey, D., Ding, Y., & Wang, N.-H.L., J. of Chromatography A, 1563, 47-61 (2018).

"Constant-Pattern design method for the separation of ternary mixtures of rare earth elements using ligand-assisted displacement chromatography," Choi, H., Harvey, D., Ding, Y., & Wang, N.-H. L., J. of Chromatography A., 1580, 49-62 (2018).

"Improvement of the performances of a tandem simulated moving bed chromatography by controlling the yield level of a key product of the first simulated moving bed unit," Mun, S., & Wang, N.-H. L., J. of Chromatography A, 1488, 104-112 (2017).

"Design of simulated moving bed for separation of fumaric acid with a little fronting phenomenon," Choi, J.-H., Kang, M.-S., Lee, C., Wang, N.-H. L., & Mun, S., J. of Chromatography A, 1491, 75-86 (2017).

"Speedy standing wave design, optimization, and scaling rules of simulated moving bed systems with linear isotherms," Weeden Jr, G.S., & Wang, N.-H. L., J. of Chromatography A, 1493, 19-40 (2017).

"Application of bacillus pumilus ??-xylosidase reaction and simulated moving bed purification to efficient production of high-purity xylobiose from xylose," Park, C., Choi, J., Kyung, M., Seo, S., Jo, S.-E., Lee, K., Kim, P., Wang, N.-H. L., Jung, S., & Mun, S., J. of Industrial Engineering Chemistry, 47, 431-438 (2017).

"Design of a Fission 99Mo Recovery Process and Implications toward Mo Adsorption Mechanism on Titania and Alumina Sorbents," Stepinski, D. C., Youker, A. J., Krahn, E. O., Vandegrift, G. F., Chung, P.-L., & Wang, N.-H. L., Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 56(10), 2815-2823 (2017).

"Speedy standing wave design and simulated moving bed splitting strategies for the separation of ternary mixtures with linear isotherms," Harvey, D., Weeden, G., & Wang, N.-H. L., J. of Chromatography A, 1530, 152-170 (2017).

"Development of an efficient process for recovery of fucose in a multi-component mixture of monosugars stemming from defatted miroalgal biomass," Hon, S.-B., Choi, J.-H., Park, H., Wang, N.-H. L., Chang, Y. K., & Mun, S., J. of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, 56, 185-195 (2017).

"Standing wave design and optimization of a simulated moving bed chromatography for separation of xylobiose and xylose under the constraints on product concentration and pressure drop," Lee, C., Choi, J.-H., Park, C., Wang, N.-H. L., & Mun, S., J. of Chromatography A, 1527, 80-90 (2017).

"Continuous Recovery of Valine in a Model Mixture of Amino Acids and Salt from Corynebacterium Bacteria Fermentation Using a Simulated Moving Bed Chromatography," Park, C., H. G. Nam, S. H. Jo, N.-H. L. Wang, and S. Mun, J. of Chromatography A, 1435, 39-53 (2016).