 Summary
of Research Interests
Many geological and industrial processes take place at conditions
far beyond the range of conventional room temperature measurements.
The objective of research in the hydrothermal chemistry group
is to develop the knowledge base and theoretical understanding
needed to describe the behaviour of aqueous systems at extremes
of temperature and pressure, and to apply these results to fundamental
problems encountered in electrical power stations, nuclear reactors,
geothermal ore bodies, deep-ocean hydrothermal vents, and the
thermal recovery of heavy oil.
Sensitive flow calorimeters, densitometers and AC conductance
cells, constructed of inert materials to withstand the corrosive
conditions, are used to determine the thermodynamic properties
of simple electrolytes and organic molecules in liquid water at
temperatures up to 400°C and pressures as high as 300 atmospheres,
to examine the effects of ionic charge and organic functional
groups under conditions approaching the critical point of water.
The form of the chemical species, and their equilibrium constants
at high temperature and pressure, are being determined by conductance
methods, and by UV-visible and Raman spectroscopy in flow systems
with sapphire windows or in diamond anvil cells. Spectroscopic,
heat capacity and volumetric studies on metal complexes with ammonia,
halides and chelating agents such as EDTA, provide data and models
to describe the temperature dependance of transition metal complexation
and chelation equilibria.
The novelty in the work lies in the very extreme conditions being
studied, the potential for identifying unusual effects, and the
need to develop specialised instrumental techniques to obtain
quantitative data for multi-component aqueous systems under these
very aggressive conditions.
Research Themes
• Ions and Organic Solutes in Very
High Temperature Water
• Origins of Life: Pre-Biotic Chemistry
under Deep Ocean Hydrothermal Vent Conditions
• Candu Nuclear Reactor Chemistry:
the Next Generation
• Hydrometallurgy, Thermal Power
Generation, and Hydrogen Co-Generation
Prof. Tremaine's research
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