Customer satisfaction with an automatic car wash is highly dependent on the quality of the final drying phase, with residual water leading to spots and thus poor perception of performance. As such, Suncor Energy is committed to improving the drying phase of their next generation car wash facilities through principled design guidelines based upon scientific […]

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is currently causing a pandemic that is overburdening the healthcare system and causing unprecedented economic disruptions on a global scale. A method called serological testing uses viral proteins to determine if the someone has been infected and has now become immune to the virus; however, it is currently very expensive to produce. […]

Boiler wall tubes are important components in boilers for safe and efficient operation. After service exposure, boiler wall tubes often require replacement or repair, in which new sections of boiler tubes are welded onto the old boiler walls. Following the repair welding, the code requires the boiler be hydrostatic tested before putting the boiler back […]

The Suncor/McMaster partnership is generating a pipeline of novel, green, agricultural chemicals to be applied as crop sprays. The proposed collaboration will expand the application of the sprays to various crop species in both greenhouse and field settings and contribute to the understanding of the mode of action of the active ingredients.

The Suncor/McMaster partnership is generating a pipeline of novel, green, agricultural chemicals to be applied as crop sprays. One of the challenges with treating plants by spraying leaves (foliar treatment) is targeting the transport of the active ingredients (AI) to specific parts of the plant. An example is preventing bacterial growth in the xylem, channels […]

‘Low-Carbon Fuels’ refer to fuels produced from biological and waste resources with lower lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions than fossil fuels. This project, supported by Suncor and performed at Ryerson University, aims to explore the use of innovative biocatalytic and catalytic processes to produce drop-in ligno-biojet fuel from lignin. A single biochemical step will be utilized […]

There is a growing demand when it comes to the repairing of the coke drum since most of the current in-use coke drums has been in service for decades. This study will develop a new methodology to assess the microstructure evolution and thermal mechanical properties of service-exposed coke drums. The focus of experiments of this […]

Insect pests can cause substantial losses in crop yield and livestock. Conventional insecticides have lost efficacy due to insect resistance and have negative impacts on humans, animal health and the environment. There is a great need for effective insecticides that can provide solutions to these problems and that are compatible with sustainable approaches in agriculture […]

The COVID-19 pandemic, as well as increasing microbial resistance to antibiotics, has highlighted our vulnerability to the spread of infectious diseases. Suncor has developed a photodynamic bioactive can prevent microbial growth on high-touch surfaces, such as doorknobs, railings, and keypads. In collaboration with Dr. Todd Hoare’s group at McMaster University, this efficacious compound will be […]

The current COVID-19 pandemic has burdened the healthcare system and disrupted economies worldwide. One method of combating this pandemic is through serological testing, which can determine who has been exposed to the virus and developed an immune response. This is particularly important for front-line healthcare workers as the test would identify individuals who are potentially […]

Oil sand tailings could take ages to naturally dewater enough to be reclaimed. Finding ways to accelerate dewatering fluid tailings is crucial to improving overall reclamation planning and performance. The goal of the proposed project is to establish a new thermoanalytical technique for quantification and analysis of free and bound water contents in both individual […]

The proposed project seeks to improve the processing of Canadian oilsands bitumen using two key technical advancements associated with the upgrading of bitumen to fuels. Firstly, we will seek to reduce the consumption of costly hydrogen by using light-ends as a source of hydrogen and secondly we will improve the catalysts used to control the […]