D. W. Kirk

<TITLE>Chemical Engineering Faculty</TITLE>
<H1>D. W. Kirk</H1>
Ph.D. (Tor.)<p>
Professor
<H2>Research Interests</H2>
Electrochemical reaction engineering, design, modelling, use of fluidized bed and porous
flow-through electrodes; reaction kinetic studies; applications in precious metal recovery,
pollution control, metal dissolution and organic electrosynthesis, environmental studies
(recovery and recycling).
<H2>Research Description</H2>
       Solid and Liquid Waste Research:- There is increasing economic and public pressure on
industries to reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfill.  The technology for treating these
complex wastes does not often exist and requires fundamental research to characterize the chemical
and physical properties of the waste before suitable unit operations can be designed.  Wastes that have
been studied include flyash, steel flue dusts, sulphite scrubbing solids and aqueous phenolic and
cyanide effluents.<P>
       Hydrometallurgical research involves the study of extraction, separation and recovery of metal
values from ores, by-products and wastes.  The driving force for this work is the increasing emphasis,
because of environmental regulations, on waste reduction and recycling.<P>
       Electroorganic work requires the activation of weakly or nonpolar species through the use of
imposed potential fields and relies on the use of specific very high surface area electrodes, typically in
a packed bed configuration for uniform potential distribution.  Electrochemical oxidations often mirror
organic degradation processes in the environment but have the advantage of much more rapid
initiation, ease of control and immunity to bacteriocidal action.<P>
       With all electrochemical and environmental research, the electrolyte-electrode interface is of
fundamental importance, since this is the region of electron transfer.  Significant advances to
electrochemical processing are being made through the use of chemically modified electrode surfaces,
the control of electrode composition and by the design of the surface structure and configuration. 
Thus the research conducted is multidisciplinary and combines engineering with fundamental science.
<H2>Recent Publications</H2>
<!-- begin list -->
<UL>
  <LI>D.W. Kirk and M. Gattrell, "The Electrochemical Oxidation of Phenol at a Glassy Carbon
Electrode", Can. J. Chem. Eng., 68, 997-1003, 1990.
  <LI>D.W. Kirk, M. Modi, and J.W. Graydon, "Stabilization of a Waste in a Landfill Environment",
Proceedings, Technology Transfer Conference, Volume 1, 95-104, 1991.
  <LI>D.W. Kirk and J.W. Graydon, "Characterization of Fly Ash from a Municipal Solid Waste
Incinerator", EPF Congress 1992, 327-350, 1991.
  <LI>D.W. Kirk, L. Herrara, and T. Tarsitano, "Automatable Total Cyanide Analysis", Proceedings,
Technology Transfer Conference, Volume 1, 631-640, 1991.

<LI>D.W. Kirk and P. Cheung " Treatment of Electroless Nickel Plating Wastes for
Recovery and Recycle"  Pacific Basin Conference on Hazardous Waste  1998 pp152-
160
<LI>G. Abouatallah, J.W.Graydon and D.W.Kirk " Volatilization of Zinc and Lead from
Iron Oxides by High Temperature Chlorination" 193rd Electrochemical Society
Proceedings of High Temperature Corrosion and Materials Chemistry, 98-9, pp 535-
549 1998. 
<LI>V.C.Y. Kong, F.R.Foulkes, D.W.Kirk and J. T. Hinatsu " Development of Hydrogen
Storage for Fuel Cell Generators. I. Hydrogen Generation using Hydrolysis
Hydrides"
Int. J. Hydrogen Energy accepted 1998
<LI>G.Abouatallah, J.W.Graydon and D.W.Kirk "Characterization of the Flue Dust
Generated During Iron and Steel Manufacturing" J. Haz Mat. reviewed Nov. 98.
<LI>V.C.Y. Kong, D.W.Kirk, F.R.Foulkes and J. T. Hinatsu " Development of Hydrogen
Storage for Fuel Cell Generators. II. Utiliization of Calcium Hydride and
Lithium
Hydride" Int. J. Hydrogen Energy submitted Sept 98
<LI>H. Marsh, D.W.Kirk and C.C.Y. Chan " Chromium behaviour in MSW fly ash
before and after thermal treatment" submitted ES&T Sept 98.
<LI>C.C.Y.Chan and D.W. Kirk "Behaviour of metals under the conditions of roasting
MSW incinerator fly ash with chlorinating agents" J. Haz. Mat. (accepted
Sept 16 98)

</UL>
<ADDRESS>
University of Toronto, Chemical Engineering
200 College Street
Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E5
</ADDRESS>