Research Facilities

Ontario Centre for the Characterisation of Advanced Materials (OCCAM)

The atomic level properties of a material (both surface and bulk) greatly influence its overall performance. Understanding these properties is of primary importance, requiring acquisition of the richest possible chemical information, structural imaging down to the nanometer and sub-nanometer scale, and the ability to study materials difficult conditions relevant to their operating conditions.

OCCAM allows researchers ready access to state-of-the-art surface analytical equipment (including X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS),  Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and Atomic Force Microscopy-Infrared Spectroscopy (AFM-IR) and electron microscopic techniques (SEM, TEM and FIB capabilities) as well as the related expertise, thereby providing enabling information for the many disciplines involved in advanced materials research.

By expanding the leading edge capabilities of Surface Interface Ontario (SI-Ontario) through partnering with the Electron Microscopy Unit of the Materials Science and Engineering Department, OCCAM ensures “one-stop shopping” at the frontiers of materials characterisation while continuing the tradition of serving both academia and industry as a core-resource facility, truly “creating partnerships for innovative research”.

BioZone

BioZone is a centre for applied bioscience and bioengineering research at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering. Its multi-disciplinary team consists of internationally renowned researchers who work at the interface of biology and engineering and share a common vision: to use the most advanced and innovative biotechnology to address some of the world's most urgent societal needs in energy, environment and health. The centre includes the BioZone Mass Spectrometry Facility, which provides a wide range of analytical services.

Southern Ontario Centre for Atmospheric Aerosol Research (SOCAAR)

This urban aerosol characterization facility includes real-time instruments to investigate the chemistry associated with airborne pollutants.

Pulp & Paper Centre

The Pulp & Paper Centre houses a number of laboratories with facilities to study the strength and fracture toughness of fibrous materials such as paper and long and short fibre reinforced polymers, the structure and properties of paper, paper surface treatment, paper physics, advanced water and water treatment processes, the behavior of fibres and fillers in shear fields with applications in headbox design, bioprocess engineering with emphasis on the biological treatment of kraft mill effluents, biofiltration of air emissions, linking engineering, microbiology and biofouling, as well as the problems related to kraft recovery boiler fouling and lime kiln modelling.

The Waisberg Sustainable Unit Operations Lab

The Waisberg Lab works towards net-zero emissions by producing and utilizing clean energy to power our operations and processes, treating and reusing wastewater, and capturing and reducing CO2 emissions. It serves as a blueprint for future net-zero industrial processes. Equipped with modern instrumentation and automation capability, The Waisberg Lab is the centrepiece of our modernized chemical engineering curriculum, which translates concepts into real- world applications. Students will be fully equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to progress the field of chemical engineering in multiple industries through their inspired leadership, innovation, and excellence. In this premier wet lab, students from the Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry, as well as several other disciplines across the Faculty, have the opportunity to learn and innovate in a setting that complements the new dry labs found in the Myhal Centre.