Izumi HIRASAWA

Izumi HIRASAWA

  • Chemical Engineering / Advanced Crystallization Engineering
  • Professor
  • Office: Room 65-203A
  • Phone: +81-3-5286-3215
  • Fax: +81-3-3208-6896
  • Email : izumih@waseda.jp

Research Interests

Chemical Engineering in the 21st century will contribute to efficient green manufacturing of valuable products. Industrial crystallization could support production of these products. Industrial crystallization research covers discovery of fundamental crystallization phenomena (nucleation, crystal growth, attachment of fines, agglomeration and transformation), design of crystallizers and their operating conditions, and establishment of crystallization processes. Understanding these concepts leads to creating an original research philosophy. As concerns research on the crystallization process, we have conducted research projects on basic crystallization engineering, nano-size crystals, pharmaceuticals and environmental/ recycling, with a focuse on basic crystallization phenomena, such as nucleation, crystal growth and transformation rates. Through these projects, desirable crystals with nano-size distribution, crystal structure, mono dispersion and polymorphs have been selectively obtained. To deaigen optimum operation.

Environmental/ Recycling project

In the niche between environmental chemical engineering and crystallization engineering, we have developed a new process for removing and recovering substances from waste streams. Our focus has been on establishment of optimal processes and operating conditions for removing and recovering ammonium, phosphate, fluoride and metal ions in the form of sparingly soluble crystals. In the process of reaction crystallization, fine crystals happen to be produced, but we are investigating operating conditions to obtain crystals of desirable quality by considering methods of supersaturation formation, attachment of fines and agglomeration. We have also carried out research on recovery of nickel metal from used electroless nickel plating baths. Recovery process using reduction crystallization can contribute to the creation of nano-size metals.

Nano crystal project

Our study of the quality design of fine crystals has been focused on crystal structures, purity and size distribution. Fine crystals are produced by reaction crystallization and dilution crystallization of sparingly soluble and soluble salts. The optimum operating conditions to obtain nano-size crystals are being investigated, by looking into a basic crystallization phenomena and discovering the models in a crystallizer. Interactions between polyelectrolytes and the crystals produced, heterogeneous nucleation and nucleation induced by ultrasonic waves are examples of the processes under investigation..

Pharmaceuticals/ organic crystal project

Many pharmaceuticals have hydrophobic properties, and it is consequently difficult for the human body accept them. There is a need to obtain desirable crystals with soluble polymorphs and crystal size distribution. Research on pharmaceutical crystallization using ultrasonic irradiation has been conducted based on the concept of crystallization engineering.

Heat storage by PCM (Phase Change Material)

We have also developed a heat storage method using the latent heat of crystallization, by making use of primary nucleation phenomena assisted by ultrasonic irradiation.

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Biography

ph.D (1988 Waseda University), Ebara Co., Ltd. (1978-1989 R&D), Assoc. Prof. (1989-1994 Applied Chem,, Waseda University), Prof.(1995- Applied Chem., Waseda University) , Prof. (2007- Major in Advanced Crystallization Engineering, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering), Committee Member in Central Council of Environmental Protection (1995-1996, 2005-2006, 2008- ), Chairperson of ISO14000 Confirmation Committee (1996- ), Chairman of the Kantoh Branch of The Soc. of Chem. Engineering Japan (2009- ), Chairman in Science Education Committee and China Committee in SCEJ, Chairman in the division of Crystallization Technology Japan (2006- 2008), Scientific Committee member of ISIC17 (2006- ), Excellent Technology Prize, SCEJ (2000), Excellent Technology Prize, SSPEJ (2005)

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