Six delegates from the Department of Process Engineering recently attended the 30th European Symposium on Applied Thermodynamics (ESAT), which was held in Prague, Czech Republic, from 10 – 13 June 2018. The conference was aimed at thermophysical behaviour obtained either by experimental work, or by modelling through molecular and statistical thermodynamics. In attendance were six researchers from the Separations Technology research group, i.e. Prof Cara Schwarz, Prof André Burger, Prof Hansie Knoetze, as well as Dr Jamie Cripwell (postdoctoral fellow), Carla Latsky (doctoral student), and Riccardo Swanepoel (Master's student).
The researchers delivered presentations on a variety of topics, such as the experimental difficulties of measuring high-pressure phase equilibria (Prof Hansie Knoetze), modelling of detergent-range alkane/alcohol mixtures (Carly Latsky), and accounting for hydrogen-bonding in theoretical frameworks (Dr Jamie Cripwell). Riccardo Swanepoel presented a poster on the phase behaviour of solvent/polyethylene systems, and Prof Cara Schwarz on molecular interactions in carbon dioxide/wax systems. Posters by Danielle de Klerk (co-authored by Dr Lidia Auret and Dr John McCoy), Jaco Moorcroft, Ruan Hurter, and Herman Franken were also presented.
Riccardo Swanepoel received the Helmut Knapp poster award (pictured), which was awarded to PhD students, or young PhD graduates, for the best poster presentation in honour of the conference's founder.
Apart from the busy academic program, researchers fortunately also had a bit of time to experience the sights of the thousand-year-old city, which included a boat cruise banquet on the Vltava River, organised by the conference committee.
Photo: Prof Cara Schwarz (left) and Riccardo Swanepoel attend the 30th European Symposium on Applied Thermodynamics.
