Phone: (419) 530-8092,  Fax: (419) 530-8086,  E-mail: mabraham@eng.utoledo.edu

Education

1982   B.S.Ch.E., Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

1987   Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, University of Delaware

The Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 dictates that environmental control in the United States will be centered around source reduction.  In simple terms, this means that we will seek new ways to make chemical products that are inherently non-polluting.  My research and teaching interests center around the concept of Green Chemistry and Engineering, the design of new chemical processes for the minimization of wastes. 

Our research activities are focused on the central theme of Environmental reaction engineering and catalysis.  Within this broad definition, we are investigating several opportunities to modify chemical processes that will minimize their impact on the environment. These include:

• Reactions in environmentally benign solvents, specifically supercritical CO₂
• Conversion of biomass to chemical precursors through partial oxidation
• Development of a novel heterogeneous catalyst for selective carbonylation

Within each of these programs, we are producing catalyst samples for testing within our reactor systems.  We evaluate the performance of each catalyst with the goal of enhancing product selectivity and minimizing the need for additional reagents, recovery agents, or solvents that present an increased environmental burden.

As an educator, it is important that these research activities be communicated to students. I have developed a Pollution Prevention course required for chemical engineering seniors.  For a copy of the course syllabus from the last offering, follow this link.

Recent Publications

• Merenov, A.S., Abraham, M.A. “Catalyzing the Carbonylation of Methanol using a Heterogeneous Vapor Phase Catalyst”, Catalysis Today, 40 (4), (1998), 397.

• Aki, S.N.V.K., Abraham, M.A. “An Economic Evaluation of catalytic supercritical water oxidation: Comparison with alternative waste treatment technologies”, Environ Progress, 17(4) (1998), 246.

• Thulasidas, T.C., Abraham, M.A., Cerro, R.L. “Dispersion during Bubble-Train Flow in Capillaries”, Chem. Eng. Sci., 54(1) 61 (1999).

• Aki, S.N.V.K, Abraham, M.A. “Catalytic Supercritical Water Oxidation of Pyridine: Comparison of Catalysts”, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 38(2), 358, (1999).

• Aki, S.N.V.K, Abraham, M.A. “Catalytic Supercritical Water Oxidation of Pyridine: Kinetics and Mass Transfer”, Chem. Eng. Sci. 54(15-16), 3533 (1999).

• Merenov, A.S., Nelson, A., Abraham, M.A. “The Effect of Support on the Activity and Stability of Ni/Activated Carbon as a Catalyst for Vapor Phase Methanol Carbonylation” Catalysis Today, 55, 91, (2000).

• Hesketh, R.P., Abraham, M.A. “Pollution Prevention Education in Chemical Reaction Engineering”, in Reaction Engineering in Pollution Prevention, Martin A. Abraham and Robert P. Hesketh, eds, Elsevier Science, (2000).

•  Dharmidhikari, S., Abraham, M.A. “Rhodium supported on activated carbon as a heterogeneous catalyst for hydroformylation of propylene in supercritical carbon dioxide”, J. Supercritical Fluids, (1999), accepted.

• Abraham, M.A. “Requiring a Pollution Prevention Course in the Chemical Engineering Curriculum and Its Impact on ABET 2000 goals”, Chem. Eng. Educ., (1999), submitted.

• Natarajan, S., Olson, W.W., Abraham, M.A. “Reaction Pathways and Kinetics in the Degradation of Forging Lubricants”, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., (2000), submitted.

• Patrick, T.A., Abraham, M.A. “Evaluation of a monolith-supported Pt/Al₂O₃ catalyst for wet oxidation of carbohydrate-containing waste streams”, Env. Sci. Technol., (2000), submitted.