 |
Sheryl
H. Ehrman
Department of Chemical Engineering 1223C Building 090 (office) 2113 Building 090 (mailing address) Department of Chemical Engineering University of Maryland College Park, MD 20742 Ph:
(301) 405-1917
|
Chemical
Engineering Faculty
|
Background Information
| BS 1991 Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara |
| PhD 1997 Chemical Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles |
| 1997 Guest Scientist, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD |
| 1997-8 NSF International Research Fellow, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland |
| 1998-present Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering, University of Maryland |
Research Interests
Some of the most exciting advances in science are occurring at the smallest length scales. My current research interests concern fine particles (micron or less). The field of fine particle research can be roughly subdivided into the wet and the dry, and the good and the bad. Wet or dry describes how the particles are formed, either in solution or by gas-to-particle conversion, respectively. “Good” particles are those which are desired products, with applications including materials manufacturing and aerosol drug delivery. The “bad” particles are formed as unwanted byproducts of processes such as incineration, combustion of diesel fuel, or in semiconductor processing equipment.
Synthesis,
Characterization and Applications of Nanoscale Materials
Recent advances in
high temperature aerosol synthesis have resulted in the production of many
new materials with applications in areas including electronic and optical
devices, catalysis, and magnetic refrigeration. For many of these
materials, particle size and morphology have significant effects on the
material property of interest. Current research is focused on developing
a fundamental understanding of the relationships between process conditions,
nanoparticle structure, and the material properties of nanoparticles, which
may differ significantly from those of bulk materials. This understanding
is applied towards developing novel approaches to process scale-up, and
to controlling the formation of unwanted particulate contamination in semiconductor
manufacturing processes.
Chemical
Characterization of Ambient Aerosol
New regulations controlling
emissions of fine particulate matter (diameter less than 2.5 microns) have
served to focus attention on these alleged “killer particles”. This
standard was developed in response to many epidemiological studies, the
results of which suggest that there is a link between high concentrations
of fine particulate matter and increased mortality. The nature of
this link is not well understood, however. Efforts in this area are
concerned with understanding the formation behavior of high-surface area
particulate in high temperature processes, and in developing new electron
microscopy techniques for chemical characterization of ambient particulate
matter.
For more information about our research, please see our group web page.
Teaching
Interests
Courses Taught:
ENCH 630 Advanced Transport Phenomena, Spring 1999
ENES 100 Introduction to Engineering
Design, Fall 1999
ENCH 630 Advanced Transport
Phenomena, Spring 2000
ENES 100 Introduction to Engineering
Design, Fall 2000
ENCH 630 Advanced Transport
Phenomena, Spring 2001
ENES 100 Introduction to Engineering
Design, Fall 2001
ENCH 468I Introduction
to Particle Technology, Spring 2002
ENCH 648I Advances in
Particle Technology, Spring 2002
ENCH 437 Chemical Engineering
Laboratory, Fall 2003
ENCH 471 Introduction to
Particle Technology, Spring 2003
ENCH 648I Advances in
Particle Technology, Spring 2003
ENCH 400 Chemical Engineering
Thermodynamics, Fall 2003
ENES 100 Introduction to Engineering
Design, Fall 2003