Chemistry research
Chemistry was (and probably still would be given the chance) my great love in academia.
I have conducted three pieces of research, all of which are available from this website.
- Chromium in water. This was based on a study first written in the Journal of Chemical Education on the effects of Chromium in water. Having read the original paper (and some additional papers on the subject), I re-wrote the original practical, devised some additional tests and produced this project.
- Nitrogen Triiodide - the stabilisation of an unstable explosive. I performed this piece for my BSc. (Hons) in Chemistry. The methodology was based on a lecture given by Dr Alex Woods on bomb calorimetry. The basic premise was to stabilise and study this highly explosive adduct and from there determine the bond energies and amount of energy release during detonation. I am very proud of this work as it is still referred to by the US Military on the use of sound as a detonator as well as being a standard for chemical information on this very interesting, yet dangerous explosive.
- Theoretical determination of scattering intensities and liquid bridges. This was for my M.Phil in Chemistry, it also provided me with my IRC nickname (and user handle for many open source applications), "nodoid". Liquid bridges and their study are of great importance in the manufacture of both paints and foams as well as in materials such as Vicor. This project was designed to simulate how liquid bridges would perform on non-perfect and perfect surfaces with both porous and non-porous substrates for pressures ranging from 0 to 1 atmosphere.
The liquid bridge determination piece is dedicated to Dr Derek Bloor, a very good friend to me, who is sadly taken from us well before his time should have been up.