Meng Nan Chong

PhD Candidate

B.E. (Chemical) (1st Class Honours), The University of Adelaide

Location: Room B16c, Benham Laboratories Building
Email: meng.chong@adelaide.edu.au
Phone: + 61 8 8303 7055
FAX: + 61 8 8303 6222

Supervisors

Associate Professor Bo Jin, School of Chemical Engineering, University of Adelaide
Professor Keith King, School of Chemical Engineering, University of Adelaide
Associate Professor Chris Chow, Australian Water Quality Centre
Professor Chris Saint, Australian Water Quality Centre

Research Topic

Solar Nano-Photocatalytic Disinfection and Mineralisation of Treated Wastewater from Sewage Treatment Plants

Research Abstract

Reuse of the treated wastewater from sewage treatment plants (STPs) has become significantly important in Australia due to dwindling water resources. The poor quality of the wastewater has limited its use for agriculture and aquaculture. This project aims to develop a solar nano-photocatalytic tertiary wastewater treatment process for disinfection and mineralization of the treated wastewater from STPs, making the wastewater suitable as a water resource. The newly developed photocatalysts and photocatalytic technology in the team will be used and further developed in this novel process. The research will focus on the water quality objectives in terms of technical reliability, and economic and environmental sustainability.

Interests

• Synthesis and characterisation of functional nanomaterials.
• Predictive modelling into the physical and chemical properties of nanomaterials.
• Investigation into the possibility of using low-cost adsorbents to improve water quality.
• Reactor design for water and wastewater treatment.
• Advanced oxidation technologies for water treatment, and its integration with membrane bioreactors.
• Kinetic modelling for chemical pollutants degradation and microbial disinfection.
• Process optimisation with response surface analysis.
• Waste abatement technologies.
  

Publications

Journal Publications

• Chong, M.N., Vimonses, V., Lei, S., Jin, B., Saint, C., Chow, C Synthesis and characterisation of novel titania impregnated kaolinite nano-photocatalyst. Microporous and Mesoporous Materials 117(1), 233-242.
• Chong, M.N., Lei, S., Jin, B., Saint, C., Chow, C., Optimisation of an Annular Photoreactor Process for Degradation of Congo Red Using a Newly Synthesized Titania Impregnated Kaolinite Nano-photocatalyst, Separation and Purification Technology (In Review)
• Chong, M.N., Jin, B., Zhu, H.Y., Chow, C., Saint, C., Application of H-titanate nanofibers for degradation of Congo Red in an annular slurry photoreactor. Chemical Engineering Journal (In Press) doi:10.1016/j.cej.2008.12.002.
• Chong, M.N., Jin, B., Chow, C., Saint, C., A New Approach to Optimise Photoreactor System for Degradation of Congo Red: Statistical Analysis and Modelling, Chemical Engineering Journal (In Review)
• Chong, M.N., Jin, B., Zhu, H.Y., Response Surface Optimization of Photocatalytic Oxidation of Congo Red Using H-Titanate Nanofibers Photocatalyst, Applied Catalysis A: General (In Review)
• Chong, M.N., Jin, B., Chow, C., Saint, C., Recent Developments in TiO2 Photocatalysis Water Treatment: A Review, Journal of Photochem and Photobiol C: Photochem Reviews (In Preparation)
• Chong, M.N., Jin, B., Saint, C.P., Kinetic and Mathematical Modeling of the Photocatalytic Inactivation of Escherichia Coli Using H-Titanate Nanofiber Catalyst in an Annular Slurry Photoreactor, Water Research (Submitted)
• Chong, M.N., Jin, B., Zhu, H.Y., Saint, C.P., Optimisation of the Annular Slurry Photoreactor Process for the Photocatalytic Inactivation of E.Coli and its Post-Disinfecting Action using H-Titanate Nanofiber Catalyst, Water Research (In Preparation).

Conference Publications

• Chong, M.N., Lei, S., Vimonses, V., Jin, B., Chow, C., Saint, C., Synthesis of Titania Impregnated Kaolinite Nano-photocatalysts for Enhanced Photocatalytic and Recovery Ability in Water Treatment, 17th International Conference on Photochemical Conversion and Storage of Solar Energy, 27 July - 1 August 2008, Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Sydney, Australia (Poster Presentation)
• Vimonses, V., Lei, S., Chong, M.N., Jin, B., Chow, C., Saint, C., Visible Light Photocatalytic Degradation Using Ion-Doped Titania Impregnated Kaolinite Nano-photocatalysts, 17th International Conference on Photochemical Conversion and Storage of Solar Energy, 27 July - 1 August 2008, Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Sydney, Australia (Poster Presentation)
• Chong, M.N., Vimonses, V., Jin, B., Saint, C., Chow, C., A Novel Titania Impregnated Kaolinite Nano-photocatalyst for Water and Wastewater Treatment, The 13th International Conference on TiO2 Photocatalysis: Fundamentals and Applications (TiO2-13), September 22 - 25, 2008 Town & Country Resort, San Diego, California, USA (Oral Presentation)