Eagle Graphite owns and operates one of only two flake graphite production facilities in Canada, and the only graphite quarry in Western North America. The quarry is located in Passmore, B.C., near the City of Castlegar. This collaboration between Dr. Jian Liu’s group at The University of British Columbia and Eagle Graphite will produce graphite-silicon […]

Polyurethane is a class of polymers with the potential of foaming and with excellent mechanical and thermal properties. However, in order to use PU in advanced applications, its physical properties must be improved. Accordingly, in this research proposal, we plan to incorporate graphene oxide (GO), a derivative of graphene, into polyurethane foam to improve its […]

Over the last decade, artificial intelligence has flourished. From a research niche, it has been developed into a versatile tool, seemingly on route to bring automation into every aspect of human life. At the same time, robotics technology has also advanced significantly, and inexpensive multi-robot systems promise to accomplish all those tasks that require both […]

The Ladle Metallurgy Furnace is used for adjustment of chemical composition and temperature, and control of tiny particles called “inclusions”. Controlling inclusions is carried out by adding calcium to modify the solid alumina or magnesium aluminate inclusions to less harmful liquid inclusions. During ladle process, reaction of top slag, steel and inclusions occur simultaneously. Therefore, […]

Mapping of pipelines and tanks is the first step toward providing an inspection service. Until now, this has been a manual process that is very time and resource consuming. The research proposed would allow for an unmanned vehicle to map the area without the need for humans. It will result in the creation of a […]

Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are the dominant technology used to power today’s electric vehicles (EVs). However, current Li-ion batteries is reaching the bottleneck in the energy density, partially due to the limited capacity in the graphite anode (372 mAh g-1). In partnership with MGX Minerals Inc., Dr. Liu’s team at the University of British Columbia aims […]

The ultimate goal of this project is to develop a fundamental understanding of inclusion evolution during a particular refining process in secondary steelmaking unit. The particular focus is firstly on developing a detailed characterization of the inclusions formed during refining in the Stelco Ladle Metallurgy Facility, and secondly on adapting the existing McMaster ladle metallurgy/inclusion […]

This research is an attempt to understand a heat transfer challenge encountered in the Glen Dimplex electric baseboard heaters in details and provide recommendations to resolve that. This baseboard heater uses electricity to heat up an internal element which is designed to transfer the heat to the room?s air via a series of thin aluminum […]

The use of ionic liquids (ILs) in enhanced oil recovery is considered a new and promising technology as it has never been tested in any pilot plant or reservoir field. ILs are very similar to surfactants as they help reduce the interfacial tension, change the wettability of the reservoir, and some have strong viscous effect, […]

Railway tank cars are constructed from TC 128 steel plates, a design that has not changed for more than 50 years. The Lac Megantic rail disaster in 2013 refocused the attention of Canadians on the safety aspects of tank car design and operation, but not so much on the actual properties of the steels used […]

Vertical farming is an agricultural approach that involves indoor, large-scale plant cultivation, at multiple levels, with controlled environmental conditions, a hydroponic nutrient solution and artificial light. This space-saving approach to growing fruit and vegetables has the potential to meet increasing fresh produce demand in dense urban areas. In recent years, several commercial entities have marketed […]

The project revolves around automation in nursery farms and greenhouses. The goal is to deliver planted pots using autonomous unmanned systems. Planted pots will be loaded/unloaded to/from plant carts using a small robot called BigTop, designed and developed at the supporting organization, AIS. Motion planning, control, and navigation algorithms will be developed through this project […]