CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
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Nanostructured Silane Coatings for Corrosion Protection of Metals
Dr Poovarasi Balan Senior Lecturer PhD Research expertise : Corrosion Prevention , Smart Coatings , Additive Manufacturing , Sustainable Education E : poovarasi . balan @ monash . edu T : + 603 5514 6213
Corrosion is a major issue in industrial applications . Development of effective and environment-friendly surface pre-treatments is one of the most investigated methods of corrosion protection . Silane pretreatments are good replacements for chromate pre-treatments , which are carcinogenic . Silane coatings primarily act as barrier coatings for electrolyte intrusion into the substrate . Whilst silane pre-treatments are known to provide good barrier properties for metals , they remain ‘ passive ’ during corrosion . Thus , silane films need to be modified to provide durable protection . Modifications of the silane films use different corrosion inhibitors , nanoparticles , and combinations thereof .
Nanoparticles such as silica are used to improve barrier properties . Our current research focuses on using both nanoparticles and corrosion inhibitors to study their synergistic effects . Future research scope expands to include self-healing coatings , and additive manufacturing for corrosion applications . Currently , there is on-going research collaboration with Monash University Australia in these areas .
Production of Biofuel from Low-Grade Lipid Feedstock using Enzymatic Approach
Dr Song , Cher Pin Senior Lecturer BEng , PhD , FHEA , MIChemE Research expertise : Biocatalysis , Renewable Energy , Waste Reuse and Valorisation , Biomolecule Extraction , Ionic Liquid E : song . cherpin @ monash . edu T : + 603 5514 5641
Biofuels are widely viewed as the potential renewable energy source that can solve a series of problems related to climate and sustainability . They produce significantly less carbon output and fewer toxins , making them a safer alternative to preserve atmospheric quality and lower air pollution . Biofuels are typically produced from edible plants via chemical reactions or fermentation , which decrease the nation ' s dependence upon foreign fuel sources . Despite having the accessibility of edible feedstocks from agricultural industry , the use of edible plants in biofuel production has resulted in food-versus-fuel crisis .
Hence , the focus has now been shifted to non-edible feedstocks such as waste oils , animal fats , algal lipids . Nonetheless , these feedstocks naturally contain a high amount of contaminants , which are unsuitable to undergo the conventional chemicalcatalysed processes . Currently , our research focuses on developing a greener processing route by using enzymatic reaction to synthesise biofuel . Our biocatalyst is insensitive to the contaminants found in the non-edible feedstocks and can catalyse the reaction at mild conditions , making the process feasible and economical .
A Scanning Electron Micrograph of low carbon steel coated with nanosilica filled silane film
An Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy ( EIS ) diagram showing improvement in corrosion resistance after applied coating compared to uncoated metal
Biodiesel produced from waste oil
Reactor setup for biofuel production
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
RESEARCHER PROFILE 2025 / 2026