Sep 2006: ACCN, the Canadian Chemical News by Chemical Institute of Canada

l’actualité chimique canadienne canadian chemical news ACCN

SEPTEMBER | SEPTEMBRE • 2006 • Vol. 58, No./no 8

Clean Energy Made-In-Canada Strategy Sustainable Development Technologies

Green Heat Nuclear Solutions

Crystal Power Have Chemistry ... Will Travel! PM40021620

New References from John Wiley & Sons The second edition of this internationally acclaimed text presents the latest developments in atmospheric science. A rigorous and complete treatment of the chemistry of the atmosphere, topics include: chemistry of the stratosphere and troposphere; meteorology of air pollution; transport, diffusion, and removal of species in the atmosphere; atmospheric radiation and photochemistry, and much more. All chapters develop results based on fundamental principles, enabling the reader to build a solid understanding of the science underlying atmospheric processes.

Fuel Cells, Engines and Hydrogen: An Exergy Approach is a controversial text that challenges the accepted industry parameters for measuring fuel cell performance and efficiency—reviewing fuel cell technology from the outside, based on the author’s interdisciplinary experience in the fields of power, nuclear power, and desalination. Includes chapters on equilibrium thermodynamics, regenerative fuel cells, irreversible thermodynamics, solid oxide fuel cells, molten carbonate fuel cells, solid polymer fuel cells and economics & prognosis. 0-470-01904-2 • Cloth • 200 pp $142.99 • July 2006

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Handbook of Plastic Processes is the only comprehensive reference covering all major processes used to produce plastic products— helping designers and manufacturers in selecting the best process for a given product while enabling users to better understand the performance characteristics of each process. Each chapter details a particular process, its variations, the equipment used, the range of materials utilized in the process, and its advantages and limitations. Includes chapters on: thermoforming, compression and transfer molding, reinforced plastics processing, and liquid resin processing.

Written by a team of international researchers and teachers at the cutting edge of chemical biology research, this unique guide to the rapidly evolving, interdisciplinary field of chemical biology provides an exciting, comprehensive introduction to a wide range of chemical and physical techniques with applications in areas as diverse as molecular biology, signal transduction, drug discovery and medicine. Techniques discussed include: cryo-electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and membrane potentials and probes. 0-470-09065-0 • Paper • 272 pp $84.99 • August 2006

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This updated edition of the most authoritative introduction to the subject addresses the new developments in the science and its applications, with new chapters on innovative applications of electrochemical deposition in semiconductor technology, magnetism and microelectronics, and medical instrumentation. Added coverage includes such topics as binding energy, nanoclusters, atomic force, and scanning tunneling microscopy. Example problems at the end of chapters and other features clarify and improve understanding of the material.

Offering a unique overview of nanoparticlerelated environmental risks depending on particle type and exposed surroundings, this volume brings together both medical and nanotechnological aspects. The book adopts an in-depth approach to toxicology from both particle size as well as particle nature, covering all important nanomaterial classes: carbon materials, polymers, metals, and metal oxides. Clearly structured, the text is careful to address the effects on human physiology, air, water and the general environment.

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ACCN

SEPTEMBER | SEPTEMBRE • 2006 • Vol. 58, No./no 8

A publication of the CIC | Une publication de l’ICC

Ta bl e o f C o n t e n t s | Ta bl e d e s m a t i è r e s

Guest Column Chroniqueur invité . . . . . . 2 The Made-in-Canada Energy Strategy Paul Stuart, MCIC

Ar ticles

Charting the Course

Green Heat

Power to the People

SDTC “Cleans” Up

To Boldly Go Where No Chemical Educators Have Gone Before

Crystal Power

Letters Lettres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Personals Personnalités . . . . . . . . . . . 3

News Briefs Nouvelles en bref . . . . . . . 4

Chemfusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Joe Schwarcz, MCIC

CIC Bulletin ICC

A “silver bullet” in Canada’s fight against climate change Bill Eggertson

CNA Seminar reveals how nuclear energy supplies stable, affordable, and clean-air power to Canada and the world.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

CSC Bulletin SCC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Local Section News | Nouvelles des sections locales . . . . . . . . 32

NCW N

Many roads could lead us to successful sustainable energy development in Canada. What changes are required? What is technology’s role? Graham R. Campbell

Nouvelles de la SNC

. . . . . . . 33

Careers Carrières . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Events Événements . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

$48 million in clean technologies funding approved by Sustainable Development Technology Canada

Geoff Rayner-Canham, FCIC, Christina Smeaton, MCIC, Amy Snook, MCIC, and Tonia Churchill

Yonghong Bing has discovered a new family of crystals that generate electricity when they are squeezed. Carol Thorbes

GUEST COLUMN CHRONIQUEUR INVITÉ

Editor-in-Chief/Rédactrice en chef Michelle Piquette Managing Editor/Directrice de la rédaction Heather Dana Munroe

The Made-in-Canada Energy Strategy

Graphic Designer/Infographiste Krista Leroux

Paul Stuart, MCIC

had the pleasure of attending the AIChE Spring meeting in Orlando, FL at the end of April, and a few experiences during the meeting brought home the pertinence of this month’s ACCN theme. At the conference, the AIChE president, John Chen, said that there is no one factor that would impact this generation of chemical engineers more than the energy issue. CNN covered the energy issue each evening, and there were energy-related stories every day in the newspapers. The April 27 Wall Street Journal (“Bush Takes Steps to Expand Oil Supplies”) summarized President Bush’s promises to curb rising gasoline and energy prices, made while he attended an ethanol conference. Bush “called again for long-term technological gains to help wean the U.S. from its dependency on foreign oil.” There is a sense of urgency in the U.S. concerning the energy issue. Meanwhile, during a side trip to Toronto in the same week leading up to the Conservative government’s first budget, I read in the April 28 Toronto Star about the apparently inconsequential energy issue in Canada. The article discussed the expected budget saying, “The Conservatives, who favour a made-inCanada approach to tackling global warming rather than the international Kyoto accord signed by the previous government, are widely believed to be planning extensive cuts to the $5 billion worth of program commitments the Liberals have made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” The prediction was true enough, as it turns out. Canada may be planning a new approach to the Kyoto Protocol, however, we must hope our government is not ignoring the broader energy issues—balancing environmental priorities with Canada’s opportunity and responsibility to carefully exploit our diverse and abundant energy resources. One great opportunity for Canada related to the energy question may reside in the forest. The increasingly discussed “forest biorefinery”

refers to the transformation of the pulp and paper industry into one that produces a range of organic products by optimizing the use of renewable carbon available from our forests (see ACCN February 2006 highlighting the pulp and paper industry). To pulp and paper companies in economic peril, the forest biorefinery is the opportunity for an improved business model realized by maximizing the return on investment from carbon in the forest. To those promoting sustainability, the forest biorefinery means a renewable supply of green power, green biofuels, and green organic chemicals. At the surface, the forest biorefinery appears as a highly promising proposal. However, a clear pathway for implementing the forest biorefinery in retrofit to existing pulp and paper mills—one that mitigates process and economic risks—is far from obvious. How can companies stay in business while moving forward with the development of biorefinery technologies, especially when the short-term bottom line requires a survival mode of operation for many of Canada’s pulp and paper mills? And there isn’t much time to develop and implement biorefinery solutions if Canada is to save many of its mills in regions across the country. The chemical professions should be at the centre of the energy debate. How can we highlight the importance of the energy message more effectively, and raise its profile? Canadian examples are offered by Graham R. Campbell in this issue of ACCN. For better or worse, I remain optimistic about the made-in-Canada approach expected for this Fall and in the meantime, will work hard at highlighting the importance of the energy issue.

2 L’ACTUALITÉ CHIMIQUE CANADIENNE SEPTEMBRE 2006

Paul Stuart, MCIC, is president of the CSChE,

Editorial Board/Conseil de rédaction Joe Schwarcz, MCIC, chair/président Cathleen Crudden, MCIC John Margeson, MCIC Milena Sejnoha, MCIC Steve Thornton, MCIC Bernard West, MCIC Editorial Office/Bureau de la rédaction 130, rue Slater Street, Suite/bureau 550 Ottawa, ON K1P 6E2 613-232-6252 • Fax/Téléc. 613-232-5862 editorial@accn.ca • www.accn.ca Advertising/Publicité advertising@accn.ca Subscription Rates/Tarifs d’abonnement Non CIC members/Non-membres de l’ICC : in/au Canada CAN$55; outside/à l’extérieur du Canada US$50. Single copy/Un exemplaire CAN$8 or US$7. L’Actualité chimique canadienne/Canadian Chemical News (ACCN) is published 10 times a year by The Chemical Institute of Canada / est publié 10 fois par année par l’Institut de chimie du Canada. www.cheminst.ca. Recommended by The Chemical Institute of Canada, the Canadian Society for Chemistry, the Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering, and the Canadian Society for Chemical Technology. Views expressed do not necessarily represent the official position of the Institute, or of the societies that recommend the magazine. Recommandé par l’Institut de chimie du Canada, la Société canadienne de chimie, la Société canadienne de génie chimique et la Société canadienne de technologie chimique. Les opinions exprimées ne reflètent pas nécessairement la position officielle de l’Institut ou des sociétés constituantes qui soutiennent la revue. Change of Address/Changement d’adresse circulation@cheminst.ca Printed in Canada by Gilmore Printing Services Inc. and postage paid in Ottawa, ON./ Imprimé au Canada par Gilmore Printing Services Inc. et port payé à Ottawa, ON. Publications Mail Agreement Number/ No de convention de la Poste-publications : 40021620. (USPS# 0007-718) Indexed in the Canadian Business Index and available on-line in the Canadian Business and Current Affairs database. / Répertorié dans la Canadian Business Index et accessible en ligne dans la banque de données Canadian Business and Current Affairs. ISSN 0823-5228

and a professor at École Polytechnique de Montréal where he has been chairholder of an NSERC Environmental Design Engineering Chair since 2000.

www.accn.ca

LETTERS LETTRES

Ethanol Advantage? The recent articles on renewable fuels omit the downside of ethanol content, for which there are now many critics. The push in the U.S. is due largely to large agricultural corn subsidies, which depress corn/ethanol prices. The large corn consumption that would result from 15 percent ethanol in gasoline would sharply increase food prices, result in soil depletion, use up land that could produce food for the hungry, reforestation, etc. The large and growing U.S. budgetary deficit, having the effect of raising overall cost of living, includes $37 billion for corn subsidies from 1995 to 2003. A conventional mass balance equation would show the contradiction. A gallon of ethanol takes ~98,000 BTUs to produce, but contains only 76,000 BTUs of energy. Researchers at Cornell and the University of California (Berkeley) say “turning corn into ethanol takes 28 percent more energy than it produces.” This long-running hoax does not benefit the U.S.’s energy security, agriculture, economy, or environment. Why could it do better for Canada?

PERSONALS PERSONNALITÉS

University

Where could Geoff Rayner-Canham, FCIC, be headed? Turn to p. 20 for the answer …

Photos by Studio Ilpo Okkonen Oy, Oulu, Finland

C. P. Skelton, MCIC

Canada— Shortchanging Itself? In my opinion, Canada is blessed with the most skilled workforce in the world at this time. Employers are reluctant to hire the foreign trained engineers as they do not possess Canadian education/experience. It may be worthwhile for the companies to arrange a bridge program at their premises (instead of government for all foreign-trained engineers) to utilize the expertise that is available right on the door step. It is observed that lots of foreign qualified and trained engineers are working small jobs, i.e., at burger shops, coffee shops, security agencies, factories, cab driving, bus driving, etc., in order to meet their day-today expenses. These foreign-trained engineers will survive by doing any job that is available to them, but who is the loser? Is Canada not the loser for not properly utilizing the expertise that is available right in this country? Muhammed H. Sirdar, MCIC

Distinction

Tristam Chivers, FCIC, is university professor and professor of chemistry at the University of Calgary. This past May, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Oulu, Finland. The ceremony, which takes place every five years, spans a period of three days. It begins with a sword whetting ceremony where honorary doctors whet their swords with the assistance of an escort. Whetting is performed with a grindstone dampened with champagne. The sword symbolizes the scientist’s fight for what he or she, in rigorous research, has found to be good, right, and true. The dress code for the conferment ceremony is formal and honorary doctors are required to wear black hats that symbolize liberty, scholarship, and freedom of research. The hats are round because participants are expected to answer questions clearly, naturally, and without splitting hairs. The honorary doctors are allowed to keep their hats and swords. After the conferment of degrees, there is a procession through the town of Oulu to the cathedral for the conferment service and then a banquet. The third day is celebrated with an informal sailing party.

Geoff Rayner-Canham, FCIC, has been named a winner of the 2006 Science Communication Awards Program of the Atlantic Provinces Council on the Sciences (APICS). Rayner-Canham is a professor of chemistry at Sir Wilfred Grenfell College, the Corner Brook campus of Memorial University of Newfoundland. He has been named the scientist who best communicates scientific research to the public. Noted by the awards committee were Rayner-Canham’s 30 years of communications experience, which have focused on chemistry and chemistry teaching. He is praised for building up chemistry teaching in Western Newfoundland. He has shown leadership and environmental responsibility in promoting micro-scale chemistry—making laboratory exercises in high school more feasible and affordable. Through his “Chemistry is Everywhere!” show, he has reached tens of thousands of students and teachers. Also noted by the committee was his extensive communication of chemistry through high school curriculum development, school textbooks, and courses for non-scientists. His historical research and writing about women in chemistry were also judged to be very significant contributions (see “Talented Flowers,” ACCN October 2005). Established in 1962, APICS is a non-profit association composed of universities, colleges, government labs, and other institutions in Atlantic Canada. Its goal is the advancement of science and technology through education and public awareness and the promotion of scientific literacy, education, and research throughout the region.

SEPTEMBER 2006 CANADIAN CHEMICAL NEWS 3

NEWS BRIEFS NOUVELLES EN BREF

It’s a gas, gas, gas! UBC engineering students build a fuel-efficient vehicle that could travel from Vancouver to Halifax on a gallon of gasoline.

Mileage Milestone The futuristic-looking, single-occupancy vehicle won top prize at a recent international competition. The Society of Automotive Engineers’ Supermileage Competition took place this June in Marshall, MI. Forty teams from Canada, the U.S., and India competed in designing and building the most fuel-efficient vehicle. Supermileage is an annual student competition that challenges students to design, build, and drive a single-person vehicle (powered solely by a gasoline engine) to achieve the best fuel mileage possible. The vehicle must be powered by only an internal combustion engine, with no assistance from electric motors or human propulsion. The University of British Columbia (UBC) design, which requires the driver to lie down while navigating, achieved 3,145 miles per U.S. gallon (0.074 litres/100 km). That’s equivalent to a trip from Vancouver, BC, to Halifax, NS, on a gallon (3.79 litres) of gas—costing less than $5 at the pump. “We achieved this level of efficiency by optimizing many aspects of the vehicle design, including aerodynamics, light-weight construction, a small displacement engine (54 cc), and conservative driving habits,” says team captain, Kevin Li. UBC’s student team has taken first place four out of the six years it has competed, with 2006 marking the fourth straight victory. Last year the UBC team beat out 27 teams by reaching 1,600 miles per gallon. Université Laval took second place this year with a score of 1,823 mpg. The University of British Columbia

4 L’ACTUALITÉ CHIMIQUE CANADIENNE SEPTEMBRE 2006

Photo by Morgan Lok

NEWS BRIEFS NOUVELLES EN BREF

“Bright” Lights A new Canadian technology promises to reduce office lighting energy consumption by up to 60 percent. Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) announced that a dimmer created by Fifth Light Technology Ltd. can reduce lighting energy costs by 30 to 60 percent, and it has taken a major step toward commercialization. The technology is undergoing its first commercial-scale demonstration at a downtown Toronto office building. It could dramatically change the economics, energy requirements, and environmental impact of commercial lighting. SDTC has confirmed $3 million in funding toward the demonstration project, leveraging a further $6.2 million in funding from Fifth Light and its consortium partners Great West Life Realty Advisors Inc., Lindsay Electronics, New Orbit Technologies Inc., and Toronto Hydro Energy Systems Inc. The technology utilizes a unique, patented controller system that allows fluorescent lighting systems using magnetic ballasts to be dimmed. The system allows for the individual, automated control of each lighting fixture in a building, in step with lighting needs and the time of day.

Photo by Carlos Paes

Prior to Fifth Light’s technology, fluorescent lights operated by magnetic ballasts. They are by far the most common type of office and commercial lighting installed worldwide, with more than one billion fixtures in North America alone. Such lights could not be adjusted. Ironically, in this era of heightened concern over rising energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions, most commercial spaces are over-lit. Tenants generally prefer lower light levels than they currently experience. In addition to reduced energy consumption and related costs, the technology’s benefits include: • reduced greenhouse gas emissions through lower energy use; • an average payback of 2.5 years for installation costs, based on 30 to 60 percent energy savings (actual savings depend on the current electricity consumption of the building’s lighting system) along with government and utility incentives, and reductions in maintenance and office reconfiguration costs; • improved light quality, with over-lighting eliminated; • doubles the life of fluorescent bulbs and ballasts, reducing maintenance and capital costs;

• flexible control that can be placed in the hands of the property manager, tenant organization, or individual office workers via computer desktops, telephones, or wireless devices; • works with existing or new magnetic ballasts, fixtures, and bulbs; • reduces landfill because the technology does not require fixture replacement and disposal. • provides the ability to control light levels seasonally, thereby reducing the mortality of migratory birds at downtown office towers; • qualifies for energy efficiency rebates offered by the federal government and some utilities. “The Government of Canada strongly supports new energy technologies that provide cost, energy, and environmental benefits to Canadians,” says the Honourable John McCallum, Minister of National Revenue and Minister of Natural Resources. “By supporting industry leaders like Fifth Light Technology Ltd., Natural Resources Canada is helping to bring innovative energy solutions into the marketplace.” Lighting normally represents greater than half of a building’s electrical energy costs. With each Fifth Light dimmer saving an average 350 KWh of electricity per year, if the technology were installed in 200 office towers, it would replace the output of one large coal-fired generator or 80 percent of an average nuclear reactor. “Fifth Light is a great example of Canada’s rich resource of clean technology expertise that has the potential to deliver enormous environmental and economic benefits,” says Vicky J. Sharpe, SDTC’s president and CEO. “SDTC helps move technologies like this toward commercialization not only through financial support but also by helping our partners build strategic business links and develop go-to-market business plans.” SDTC is a foundation created by the Government of Canada that operates a $550 million fund to support the development and demonstration of clean technologies— solutions that address issues of climate change, air quality, and clean water and soil to deliver environmental, economic, and health benefits to Canadians. Sustainable Development Technology Canada

SEPTEMBER 2006 CANADIAN CHEMICAL NEWS 5

NEWS BRIEFS NOUVELLES EN BREF

An increased amount of electricity will be supplied by Bruce Power.

Ontario Gives Nuclear a Nod The Ontario government has proposed that new nuclear power reactors be built in Ontario to meet the province’s growing energy needs. Ontario Energy Minister Dwight Duncan made the statement on June 13, 2006, in releasing the provincial government’s response to the supply mix report completed by the Ontario Power Authority in December 2005. In his statement, the Minister indicated that nuclear power should continue to provide at least 14,000 MW of generation in Ontario. This amount will be retained through a mixture of refurbishing existing plants and new construction. The Minister expressed a preference for Canadian nuclear technology, indicating that decisions on new nuclear reactors would be made on the basis of the best technology and the best price. The announcement also called for: • directing Ontario Power Generation (OPG) to begin a federal approvals process including environmental assessment at an existing site; • directing OPG to begin an assessment of refurbishing its existing nuclear reactors and to commence the environmental assessment for refurbishing its Pickering B reactors; • doubling the amount of electricity to come from renewable sources to 15,700 MW (this includes existing large hydro in Ontario, ed.);

• doubling the amount of conservation recommended in the OPA report to 6,300 MW; • expanding transmission capacity in Bruce County to allow increased electricity supply from Bruce Power and from planned wind generation in the area. The Ontario government has deferred the closure of Ontario’s four coal-fired plants, seeking the OPA to make recommendations on how coal-fired generation can best be replaced.

Prize-Winning Book Promotes Canadian Science

The 2006 edition of the Canadian Nuclear Association (CNA)’s nuclear energy handbook is now on-line and available for download. The handbook, titled Nuclear Energy: Reliable, affordable and clean electricity, is an update of the CNA’s popular edition of nuclear facts. Canada and countries around the world are discussing energy matters like never before. The CNA’s nuclear handbook provides basic and factual material to contribute to decisions about the role of nuclear energy. Find out more about nuclear energy—a reliable, affordable, and clean source of electricity at http://cna.ca/english/Nuclear_Facts/ Nuclear_Energy_Booklet-N/Nuclear_Energy_ Booklet_2006_Edition1-EN.pdf (466 KB).

Simon Fraser University author Barry Shell is the recipient of the 2005 Science in Society book award, in the youth category, for his book Sensational Scientists. The award honours outstanding contributions to science writing by Canadians. A cash prize was presented by the Canadian Science Writers’ Association on June 24, 2006, in St. John’s, NL. The book features profiles of 24 of Canada’s greatest scientists. The book is based on personal interviews with the scientists, and expands on Shell’s work on the www.science. ca site, which profiles 248 Canadian scientists in 39 areas of expertise. The Web site includes numerous science-based activities and questions, an aska-scientist facility, and links to major Canadian science-related on-line resources. Funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s PromoScience program will enable the launch of a French version of the site in September 2006. Shell is also author of the book Great Canadian Scientists and a companion CD-ROM, which he created to promote the work and achievements of Canadian scientists.

Canadian Nuclear Association

Simon Fraser University

Ontario Ministry of Energy

2006 Nuclear Energy Handbook

6 L’ACTUALITÉ CHIMIQUE CANADIENNE SEPTEMBRE 2006

Photo above left courtesy of the Canadian Nuclear Association

NEWS BRIEFS NOUVELLES EN BREF

Three Branches of the Forest Sector Unite The boards and member companies of three research institutes have voted in favour of the creation of a new structure to spearhead their activities. FERIC, Forintek, and Paprican will be working together to develop an integration plan that will be presented to their respective members for final approval in the next six months. “Soaring energy prices, restrictions on available fibre, increased availability of lowcost foreign fibre, the value of the Canadian dollar, and the ongoing globalization of the industry are all factors, amongst others, that continue to pressure the Canadian Forest Sector,” said Don Banks, board chair of FERIC. “From the forest, to wood, and pulp and paper, Canadian producers face similar challenges, and one of the goals of the Single Institute proposal is to come up with an organization conducive to even greater efficiency and capacity in innovation and research and development to address these challenges.” “Our three institutes are all engaged in research relevant to forest products and technology and many of our members hold membership in one, two, or all three of the institutes,” said Phil Latos, board chair of Forintek. “Our objective is to ensure that FERIC, Forintek, and Paprican research teams continue to play a leading role in the restructuring of Canada’s Forest Products Industry. Teaming up would allow the industry to benefit from synergies and facilitate the development of an integrated approach to research and development in the Canadian forest sector as well as be in the best possible position to play a leading role at the global level.” “With the creation of this Single Institute we will be in a position to speak with a stronger common voice on forest sector issues,” said Frank Dottori, board chair of Paprican. “It is in difficult times that companies can truly feel the strength of joining forces to collaborate in pre-competitive areas with other members and clients of the new Institute. I am confident that this new structure will also allow us to attract new members and increase the overall financial support for research and development in the forest sector.” Paprican

UBC’s Reconfigured Research Wing Takes Flight The official reopening of the North Wing (E-Wing) of The University of British Columbia (UBC) Chemistry Complex on May 23, 2006 marked the completion of phase one of Chemistry Renew—a $40M+ project which, when completed, will see the redesign and reconstruction of some 56,000 sq. ft. of space in the chemistry department. This is part of a larger UBC renewal project, funded jointly by the university and the Government of British Columbia. Chemistry North was built in 1962 and was primarily a research wing. It contained a number of relatively small “cookie cutter” lab spaces, each with at most one small fume hood—a design that did not meet the current needs of the department. The renovation has involved retaining only the exterior walls and interior floors of the building. Interior structures and infrastructure were totally demolished. For seismic upgrade, a new shear wall now runs the entire length down the centre of the building, from new foundations to the roof. The space inside has been totally reconfigured to provide some 18,000 sq. ft. of modern research space. The entire top floor of the North Wing has been designed as a single synthetic chemistry lab that will accommodate 17 researchers. Each worker will have a large lab bench, an 8 ft. fume hood and generous desk space—not to mention a fantastic mountain view from the desk! Instrument rooms, a chemical storage room, and a lunch/meeting room complete the space. This “open design” should provide the flexibility needed to accommodate normal year-to-year fluctuations in research group sizes. The sub-basement is designed with separate labs to accommodate EPR and NMR instrumentation and research. The basement has a second NMR research lab as well as space designed specifically to house the CFI funded Laboratory for Advanced Spectroscopy and Imaging Research (LASIR) facility. The department’s Mass Spectrometry and Microanalysis and X-Ray Service facilities are now accommodated in this wing in space specifically designed for the purpose. The wing also houses ten faculty offices and a large laboratory for physical/analytical research. The opening of Chemistry North should be seen in the context of the second phase of Chemistry RENEW, currently underway. This phase involves the refurbishing of the Heritage Centre Block of Chemistry, originally opened in 1925. In this phase, 38,000 sq. ft. of space will be redesigned and reconstructed, including adding massive seismic shear walls, while retaining the heritage features of the exterior of the building and the interior corridors. In all, about 20,000 sq. ft. of research lab space is included in this phase. The centre block will also house the department’s glassblowing, mechanical services, and electronics services shops in 6,000 sq. ft. of newly designed space. The remainder of the space in this block will be occupied by chemistry administration, classrooms, seminar rooms, lunch rooms, social space, and faculty offices. William R. Cullen, FCIC, UBC

SEPTEMBER 2006 CANADIAN CHEMICAL NEWS 7

NEWS BRIEFS NOUVELLES EN BREF

Ted Hewitt, Western’s VP Research; Carolyn Jamieson, Lambton County Councillor; Todd Case, Lambton County Councillor; Pat Davidson, MP, Sarnia-Lambton Riding; and Joel Adams, director of The Research Park at the unveiling of the Park’s sign

Innovating with Industry How can we create energy using wind power? How can we best manufacture bio-diesel fuels? How can we directly use agricultural crops for heating greenhouses? How can we build homes that reduce the environmental impact on the surrounding area? All of these questions are being studied at The Research Park, Sarnia-Lambton Campus of The University of Western Ontario (Western) in conjunction with small and medium-sized enterprises, multinational organizations, and entrepreneurs. “There is an enormous demand from Sarnia-Lambton’s industries and from local entrepreneurs to build their businesses on innovation,” said Don Hewson, managing director and industrial liaison for the SarniaLambton Campus. “The Research Park has

Welcome: Foreign Engineers

served very well in connecting these industries and entrepreneurs with the vast pool of research knowledge and skill that exists across Western.” Currently, there are 76 research projects underway at The Research Park. The projects cover a wide range of technology subjects including energy, the environment, and chemicals. Entrepreneurs have also met with The Research Park on a number of interesting ideas with potential for growth. “The purpose of the Park is to help move technologies to market, which to us means helping a client find a solution to a problem that may be slowing them down,” said Hewson. “We can involve research experts from Western, provide cutting-edge equipment or labs, or provide advice concerning available government grants.” Hewson notes that a recent challenge has him working in conjunction with an entrepreneur who aspires to become a Canadian manufacturer of chemical flocculants. “Flocculants are used a great deal in the food processing industry when water is needed to wash or cook vegetables or fruit,” said Hewson. “Usually the water is treated or purified so that it can be re-used or returned to the environment.” Flocculants cause the particles, or the waste that remains in the water after the processing, to combine so that they settle more quickly and are more easily filtered. “The scope and potential of creative ideas in this area just astounds me on a daily basis,” said Hewson. “There are a number of fascinating projects taking place in this region and The Research Park is pleased to be involved in so many of them.” Clients wishing to discuss projects can access The Research Park free of charge. Confidentiality agreements will be created if the idea is not yet patented, or if the project is of a sensitive nature, ensuring client protection and security. When a project progresses to a solution, clients working with Western professors can potentially leverage a nominal investment into a significant research grant. Other service costs such as external labs are borne by the client. This has proven to be an equitable and cost-efficient solution to unlocking innovation and creating opportunity for industry.

Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) expressed support for the proposed legislation announced by the provincial government to assist internationally trained professionals gain access to their chosen professions. “PEO has always fully supported fair and inclusive registration practices that permit the association to regulate the practice of professional engineering and govern licence and certificate holders to protect and serve the public interest,” said Patrick J. Quinn, president of PEO. “This legislation provides the public an open and transparent means to validate these practices and demonstrates a commitment by the government to self-governance of professions.” As the licensing and regulating body for engineering in the province, PEO relies on the contributions of international engineering graduates. In its 84-year history, more than half of PEO’s elected presidents were educated and trained outside Canada. A similar percentage of professional engineers educated elsewhere volunteer on PEO committees, including those that assess the academic and experience qualifications of licence applicants. “We’re proud that qualified international graduates play a vital and growing role in the profession,” said Kim Allen, CEO and registrar at PEO. “Approximately one-third of Ontario’s 68,000 licensed engineers were educated outside Canada, a testament to PEO’s continuous efforts to facilitate the licensing of internationally trained professionals, while maintaining high standards to protect the public.” Since 2000, applicants from over 1,000 institutions worldwide have been granted licences by PEO. In 2005, for the first time, PEO licensed more international engineering graduates than graduates of Canadian accredited engineering programs, although only 25 percent of international graduates typically apply for licensure. PEO administers the Professional Engineers Act by licensing professional engineers, and setting standards for and regulating engineering in Ontario so that the public interest is served and protected. Rigorously educated, experienced, and committed to a Code of Ethics that puts the public first, licensed professional engineers can be identified by the P.Eng. after their names.

The University of Western Ontario

Professional Engineers of Ontario

8 L’ACTUALITÉ CHIMIQUE CANADIENNE SEPTEMBRE 2006

NEWS BRIEFS NOUVELLES EN BREF

AECL to Retube Korean Reactor Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) has been awarded a large contract by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Company (KHNP) for the retubing of the Wolsong 1 CANDU 6 nuclear reactor. The terms of the contract include completion of the retubing for a fixed price and to a fixed schedule with an outage of about a year and a half. The award of the contract marks the first international contract awarded by any utility for the retubing of a CANDU reactor. It is the third major retubing contract awarded to AECL in the past ten months, with the two previous contracts being for the retubing of Bruce Units 1 and 2, and the Point Lepreau nuclear power station. In total, the three contracts are worth about $1.5 billion. Wolsong 1 entered service in 1983 as the first CANDU 6 reactor in service outside Canada. It has performed with a lifetime capacity factor of 85.6 percent as the first of four CANDU 6 reactors at Wolsong. Natural Resources Canada Minister Gary Lunn congratulated AECL on receiving the contract, commenting, “Awarding of the Wolsong 1 contract ensures that AECL and other companies in the CANDU family can continue to gain international experience and benefit from the continuity of the CANDU program.” Atomic Energy of Canada Limited

OCRI and OLSC Merge The Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI) and the Ottawa Life Sciences Council (OLSC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) acknowledging their intention to merge. Both the life science and high technology industries have flourished in recent years due to the efforts of Ottawa’s dedicated economic development agencies. This merger will bring together the two industries, expanding their outreach and improving effectiveness by consolidating a comprehensive range of information, resources, and services for all sectors, within one organization.

“The merge brings together Ottawa’s leading economic development agencies with one purpose: to grow Ottawa’s life science and technology industries, increasing quality of life for all of Ottawa’s residents,” noted Jeffrey Dale, OCRI’s president and CEO. “This merger is an opportunity for two powerful organizations to join forces and build on Ottawa’s already thriving life science and technology industries,” said Ken Lawless, OLSC’s president and CEO. “By working together to ensure Ottawa’s continued growth, we will reinforce our position as a global innovation hub and make it possible to compete with leading technology centres around the world.” By taking these steps, the new OCRI will be able to expand its outreach and improve its effectiveness by consolidating a comprehensive range of information, resources, and services for all sectors within one organization. OCRI and OLSC also announced that Jeffrey Dale would remain president of OCRI, and that Ken Lawless, will join the OCRI executive management team as a vice-president of OCRI, in charge of the Life Sciences Program. The merger is pending ratification by OLSC members and is expected to be completed by October 1, 2006.

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NOVA Chemicals receives ACC Award The American Chemistry Council (ACC) has presented its Responsible Care™ leadership award to NOVA Chemicals under the chemical industry’s environmental, health, safety, and security performance initiative. NOVA was a winner in the medium company category (2 to 20 million work hours), along with Rohm and Haas. ACC’s president and CEO, Jack Gerard, stated, “These award winners have made Responsible Care of utmost importance within their companies and our industry. Milliken, NOVA, and Rohm and Haas … foster the principles of safe and secure management of chemical products and processes throughout their value chain and within industry stakeholders.”

w w w. a c c n . c a

Coming up Biotechnology Forensic chemistry

Canada’s Chemical Producers

SEPTEMBER 2006 CANADIAN CHEMICAL NEWS 9

CHEMFUSION Joe Schwarcz, MCIC

o many it’s a mystery. They don’t know if you hunt it, fish it, or grow it. But they know that somehow “canola” can be used to produce cooking oil. And, as is often the case with foods of a somewhat baffling origin, questions about health effects arise. Let me cut to the chase. Canola is a plant that produces seeds that can be pressed to yield oil. It is one of the best, safest, and most economical oils that can be used in food preparation. Now you may have heard that the name “canola” was invented to distract consumers from the fact that the oil actually derives from the toxic rapeseed plant and is responsible for causing glaucoma, respiratory problems, neurological diseases, and malfunctions of the immune system. You may even have heard that canola oil is the source of the notorious chemical warfare agent, mustard gas. The source of all this claptrap is an e-mail that has been widely circulating since about 2001 and seems to gather more nonsense with each go-around. The latest gem recounts the saga of a woman whose arm was “ … split open like it was rotten.” Rather than consulting a physician, she called her mother to ask what could have caused it. The astute mother remarked, “I’ll bet anything you are using canola oil!” And sure enough, we are told, there was a big gallon jug in the pantry. Judging by the questions I’ve gotten on this issue, it appears that some people actually believe such hogwash.

My attempts to trace the origin of the stunning information in the anti-canola e-mail always end the same. In his 1994 book titled, Young Again, John Thomas claims to have reversed his “bio-electric age” (whatever that may be) by eliminating the likes of canola and soy oil, using liver cleansers (which he sells), drinking specially filtered water (which he sells), and taking dietary supplements that are specially tuned to the “frequencies” of his body. Readers can get in on this too by sending Thomas a picture of themselves that can be analyzed by a special machine (which he has) to determine their personal frequencies. These frequencies are then used to customize appropriately tuned dietary supplements (which he sells). I have not been able to find any qualifications for this remarkable man who “was encouraged to write Young Again because he does NOT age.” Aside from a nondescript picture on the book’s back cover, I can find neither hide nor hair of John Thomas. It is amazing, though, how a vacuous nobody has been able to make so many people twitch about the safety of canola oil. About the only thing Thomas got right in his silly diatribe is that “canola” is indeed a name coined for a special variety of rapeseed. It’s a clever combination of the words “Canada,” “oil,” and “low acid.” Rapeseed oil has long been used as a lubricating oil, but its somewhat bitter taste (due to compounds called glucosinolates) impair its use in food. There was also an issue about another component, erucic acid, which caused fatty deposits in several organs in some animal studies, when incorporated into the diet in grotesque amounts. In the last century, Canadian researchers managed to develop rapeseed with a low glucosinolate level and minimal erucic acid content using traditional plant breeding methods. The oil pressed from the seeds of these plants became “canola oil.” Like all oils, canola is composed of three fatty acids linked to a backbone of a glycerol molecule. Both the cooking performance and health properties of fats and oils are determined by the types of fatty acids they contain. Saturated fat (containing no carbon-carbon double bonds in their structure) are implicated in heart disease but can be repeatedly heated when it comes to frying. Monounsaturated fats

(with one double bond) and polyunsaturated fats (with many) are more heart healthy, but are less stable to heat. Some polyunsaturated fats, such as alpha-linolenic acid (an omega3 fatty acid), have been specifically linked to protection against heart disease. It turns out that of all the commonly used oils, canola has the lowest content of saturated fats. Next to flaxseed oil, it has the second highest content of alpha-linolenic acid. One of the best ways to judge the health properties of a fat, aside from being low in the saturated variety, is the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids. The numbers refer to particular positions of the double bonds in the molecular structure. Canola oil has the ideal ratio of 2:1. Because canola is so high in unsaturated fats, it does not stand up well to prolonged heating as is required in restaurant frying. It does not have the keeping qualities desired by food production industries. Hydrogenating the oil makes it more suitable, but also introduces the notorious “trans-fats.” Indeed, it is a good idea to minimize intake of hydrogenated fats, whether these come from soy, corn, canola, or any other oil. As far as home use goes, however, non-hydrogenated canola oil is a great all-purpose oil. Incidentally, there is no truth to the rumour that heating unsaturated oils produces trans fats. Heating foods to a high temperature does, however, produce some nasty compounds that are widely regarded as carcinogens. Any sort of frying should be limited. I use canola oil to fry my wienerschitzel, but I use the oil only once. And when I do, I have no concern about being deprived of my life force “chi,” being poisoned by cyanide, or having my brain damaged à la mad cow disease, all of which, at least according to the witless John Thomas, are consequences of canola consumption. Actually, judging by his example, it seems that it is avoiding canola oil that causes brain damage.

Popular science writer, Joe Schwarcz, MCIC, is the director of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society. He hosts the Dr. Joe Show every Sunday from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Montréal’s radio station CJAD. The broadcast is available on the Web at www.CJAD.com. You can contact him at joe.schwarcz@mcgill.ca.

Concerning Canola

10 L’ACTUALITÉ CHIMIQUE CANADIENNE SEPTEMBRE 2006

CHARTING THE COURSE Many roads could lead us to successful sustainable energy development in Canada. What changes are required? What is technology’s role?

he implementation of the principles underlying the development of sustainable energy presents an enormous challenge. The Brundtland definition of sustainable development can be directly applied to the field of energy; to quote, “Development which meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” This encompasses the full implications of how we supply and use energy, and the impact on the environment and health. The goal is to avoid damaging the natural ecosystem so that future generations are able to live in a healthy, clean, and pleasing environment. At present, the signs that monitor progress towards sustainable development are not all positive. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has taken a look ahead over the next 25 years to 2030, projecting energy demand and the implications of meeting that demand using today’s approaches and technologies. The messages give us reason to pause—world energy demand will continue its inexorable growth, and fossil fuels will account for almost 90 percent of the world’s increased demand for energy between now and 2030. The impact on the environment, measured in terms of energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, is increasing in lock step, particularly, in countries in the

Graham R. Campbell

midst of rapid economic development. Clearly, as the IEA has stated, this is not the making of a sustainable energy future.

Routes to sustainable development Faced with this situation, which route should we choose to lead us in a more sustainable direction? There are three general actions to consider that have universal application for the world’s economies. First, we need to start by reducing the overall amount of energy we use in our daily activities, in transportation, in industry. Think of this as “conservation” of the energy we have at our disposal by reducing the amount we use. Secondly, we need to use energy efficiently. In industry, this means paying careful attention to how the generation of electricity and heat can be done through cogeneration, how heat can be captured and re-used from each stage of a petrochemical process, how exothermic reactions can supply heat for parallel processes. Great gains have been made in these areas by industry as energy costs have become more apparent on the bottom line. But much more can be done, particularly in the design and engineering of new energy-efficient equipment. And, a more exciting

SEPTEMBER 2006 CANADIAN CHEMICAL NEWS 11

route with higher potential would be a thorough, full-cycle re-analysis from first principles of the fundamental approach being used. Could we use biotechnology in some part of an industrial process, such as using bio-materials as a source of carbon for making steel? Thirdly, ways need to be found and applied, soon, to reduce the impact of our energy activities on the environmental ecosystem around us, and globally. For example, for looking at the GHG emissions side of a sustainable equation, we need to look seriously at how we can reduce the amounts of carbon released into the ecosystem. This means making the best use of emerging renewable energy technologies. For example, wind energy is currently the fastest growing renewable energy supply source as turbines become larger, and as wind farms become integrated into the power grid. It also means reducing the emissions from the use of fossil fuels to near zero, making the long-term sustainable use of coal and natural gas a viable pathway both for developed and rapidly growing economies.

It means looking at new transportation fuels (such as ethanol and biodiesel) after carefully assessing their life cycles, to help reduce the emissions from the transportation sector. So, while the challenges of moving towards a sustainable energy future are many, there are promising routes that head in the right direction. They include a combination of both “transformative technologies,” and more importantly, “transformative behaviour,” on the part of industry and each of us.

Potential of energy technology Although there is no single quick solution to achieving sustainable development, new approaches to energy supply, conversion, and end-use through innovative energy technologies offer great potential. Technology can be applied to improve energy efficiency overall, to find new fundamentally different ways to provide energy services in a fully sustainable manner, and to reduce environmental impact to a significant degree.

The federal government’s approach to finding new energy technology solutions programs is carried out and managed at Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). This approach has three key features. The first is to look at energy systems rather than individual energy technologies isolated from the system they operate in. We begin by applying “system thinking” to how energy can be supplied, captured, re-used, and how waste heat and by-products can be economically exploited further down the line. Next, we will consider the full-cycle impact of the technology, from the source of the energy in one form, through its use, and also to the by-products and waste produced. Lastly, we take the future into account by investing in research dollars in new ideas and innovative “transformational” technologies. Examples from our current R&D portfolio will serve to illustrate how we are developing technology aiming to move towards a more sustainable energy future. The following three examples use new innovative approaches and are selected from the supply, conversion, and end-use of energy. From the perspective of sustainable development of energy, they address: the benefits of considering the full lifecycle of a new technology or process; the use of a currently overlooked source of energy; and considering the potential environmental impact arising from capitalizing on a new source of natural gas.

1. Cellulosic ethanol— transportation sector Ethanol-based biofuels are seen as attractive alternatives to today’s fuels. Recognizing that transportation demand is growing the most rapidly amongst the end-use sectors, concomitant with a corresponding increase in emissions, it is important to develop and put new technology into action. The traditional approach is the grain-sugarethanol process that supplies all of the ethanol used in the transportation sector today. Looking at this process from a sustainability standpoint, the net energy balance of the multi-step process of tilling-seeding-fertilizingharvesting-processing is believed to be positive overall. The growth in demand for grain to feed the many new ethanol plants is certainly a boost for the agricultural community. An attractive alternative is a “second generation” approach that offers apparent sustainability benefits based on cellulosic conversion of waste biomass to ethanol. The

12 L’ACTUALITÉ CHIMIQUE CANADIENNE SEPTEMBRE 2006

feedstock can be cereal straw on cornstover. The process involves the conversion of ethanol by carrying out a pretreatment process to open up the surface of the fibre, followed by enzymatic hydrolysis of the cellulose using cellulase made at the plant. The hydrolyzate sugars are fermented to ethanol by yeast, and the ethanol is recovered by distillation. Lifecycle accounting indicates a positive energy and environmental balance. This technology enables the productive use of waste biomass from a variety of sources. This approach has been successfully developed and piloted in Canada by IOGEN Corporation. The next critical step is a fullscale operation.

2. CH4MIN—energy from dilute methane in mine ventilation air This example illustrates a step towards sustainable development by exploiting an overlooked source of energy. The ventilation air from many subsurface coal mines contains trace amounts of

Canada has all the ingredients needed to be a world leader in clean energy methane. It is liberated from the coal measures by the mining and extraction process and is responsible for 250 million tons of CO2 equivalent per year, worldwide. The “warming potential” of the CH4 molecule in the atmosphere is 21 times larger than CO2, underlying the environmental benefit of capturing and using this methane. A technology has been developed by Natural Resources Canada to oxidize the low concentration methane in air in order to capture the energy value of the methane. The CH4MIN technology operates in a flow reversal mode to maintain a steady reaction temperature without external heat. It does this by using part of the exothermic heat of reaction while the other part is used for useful work. The heart of the technology is a catalyst that reduces the auto-ignition temperature of methane by several hundred degrees (i.e., to as low as 400ºC). Such a low temperature operation does not

generate NOx (another greenhouse gas) and eliminates the use of costly high temperature materials). The methane oxidation process releases heat that can be harnessed to produce environmentally friendly energy. The heat produced is captured by the heat exchanger for local applications. One industrial CH4MIN reactor will reduce GHG emissions by 115 KT CO2 equiv/ yr and produce about 200,000 GJ/yr of thermal energy. Assuming a 50 percent penetration rate, preliminary evaluations show a potential of 450 CH4MIN units in China and over 500 units in the rest of the world. An economic assessment done in 2000 showed that the cost of producing one GJ of thermal energy with the CH4MIN technology is US$1.97 without CO2 credits and US$1.15 with a CO2 credit of US$1.50 per tonne of avoided CO2.

3. Gas hydrates, long-term supply of natural gas, studying environmental impact The world economy will remain dependent on fossil fuels for many years to come. It is essential to find new sources of natural gas— the cleanest burning fossil fuel. This example illustrates the need for long-term thinking about new sources of energy and careful consideration of the potential environmental impact arising from their exploitation. Natural gas hydrates are in a stable form of ice-bonded sediments containing methanol in two configurations. They are found within and under permafrost in polar environments, and in deep marine sediments at and below the sea floor adjacent to the continental shelves of most continents. The storage capacity of this form of solid-state gas storage is impressive—160 times more gas per volume than conventional reservoirs in Western Canada. Research work to date has resulted in excellent characterization of the resource in the permafrost beneath Canada’s Mackenzie Delta and encouraging results from a brief production experiment in 2004. Three approaches to future commercial production are being examined—regasification through depressurization, liberating the gas through heating, and chemical transformation. At present, most of the attention is directed to depressurization methods. From a sustainable development perspective, plans for full-scale exploitation will

consider the overall energy balance of the production method, and also the impact on the fragile sensitive local Arctic environment. It is important to minimize the “footprint” of production operations, and to investigate the possibility of disturbing the upper zones of permafrost through warming, or the possibility of collapse or subsidence from destabilization as a result of melting the base of the permafrost zone below. These aspects will be considered carefully by scientists during the next experiment that involves a longer-period production test. In closing, sustainable development in energy is an area of opportunity for Canada. Canada has all the ingredients needed to be a world leader in clean energy, given our rich and diverse resources, our energy-intensive economy, and an innovative approach to technology solutions. The key ingredients combine an examination of preferable approaches to today’s current technologies— technologies that are sustainable and more economical—and considerations of the fullcycle from supply through conversion and on to end-use. Equally important is a good understanding of the economic and social drivers that will determine the ultimate success of these technologies. Each stakeholder has a role to play in moving towards a sustainable energy future. University researchers are at the leading edge of new concepts and the earliest explorations through basic research. Government scientists can take the lead in conceiving and researching new applications and pathways. Industry has the opportunity to participate in the exploratory phases through partnerships with universities and government researchers from the outset. Ultimately, companies will be the lead agents for full-scale demonstrations and widespread end-use. Meeting the world’s increasing appetite for energy services in a fully sustainable fashion is indeed a significant challenge, and energy technology offers many promising solutions.

Graham R. Campbell is director general of the Office of Energy Research and Development at Natural Resources Canada. He is chair of the International Energy Agency’s Committee on Energy Research and Technology (CERT), and a member of several R&D advisory boards.

SEPTEMBER 2006 CANADIAN CHEMICAL NEWS 13

Green Heat A “silver bullet” in Canada’s fight against climate change

t would be difficult for Canadians to miss the steady increase in energy prices and the escalation of public concern for environmental emissions, both on a national and on a global level. Many people would claim to be comfortable with their own opinion on green power and green fuel. Green power is defined as electricity generated from wind turbines, solar panels, small hydro, and similar systems. Ethanol and biodiesel are green fuels that replace gasoline. These supply technologies offer significant environmental and economic benefits. Although it is true that some will incur a “first-cost” premium until the playing field for energy pricing becomes more level. Despite concerns over dispatchability and feedstock consumption, most jurisdictions around the world have set ambitious targets for the uptake of green power and green fuels as a key element in the battle to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which are linked with climate change. One concept that has received virtually no discussion is the use of Green Heat technologies that can provide low-grade thermal space heating, space cooling, and water heating energy. The four technologies grouped under the banner include geothermal heat pumps (earth

14 L’ACTUALITÉ CHIMIQUE CANADIENNE SEPTEMBRE 2006

Bill Eggertson energy), solar thermal water heaters, solar thermal air pre-heating, and advanced biomass systems. In Canada, 83 percent of secondary energy consumed in the residential sector is to heat our homes during winter, cool them during summer, and heat water all year round. The balance is used for lighting, appliances, and all other “plug load” applications. In commercial/ institutional (C/I) buildings, the three low-grade thermal applications consume 67 percent of the national energy for this sector. Eighty percent of the GHG emissions from homes come from space conditioning and water heating. Sixty-four percent come from commercial emissions. The GHG emissions from these two sectors alone total 109 megatonne (Mt)—more than the 107 Mt from all coal-fired generating plants in Canada. Whether you inhabit a sprawling suburban bungalow or a high-rise bachelor loft, Green Heat technologies could reduce energy consumption in each residential dwelling in Canada by 98,606 MJ a year. Green Heat could reduce GHG emissions by 5.2 tonnes—well above the former one-tonne challenge advocated by the federal government. For every m2 of residential floorspace, Green Heat could reduce consumption by 802 MJ and reduce GHG emissions by 400 kg per year.

C/I energy – PJ

C/I GHG – Mt

Space heating

873

644

Water heating

312

Space cooling

255

387

Total

1,458

1,180

Green Heat potential

83%

80%

67%

64%

Mt = megatonne PJ = PetaJoule Comprehensive Energy Use Database compiled by the federal Office of Energy Efficiency 2003.

GREEN HEAT

A Cool Concept For further information on Green Heat visit: www.GreenHeat.org www.GreenTherms.com www.EcoHeat.org

! "

For further information on renewable energies visit: www.renewables.ca www.re-focus.net www.GreenHosting.org www.GreenApps.com

! " !

coal-fired generating facilities, and the report concluded that a GreenTherms Standard would displace the annual combustion of one billion m3 of natural gas by 2020. This would allow the surplus quantity to be used in centralized power generation, to be exported to the U.S., used to produce hydrogen, or even left in the ground. Energy is a provincial jurisdiction, and a GreenTherms Standard needs to be enacted by the energy regulatory boards in each region. Canada took an early lead with the Green Heat concept, but we have been totally eclipsed by Europe. The continental government will develop a directive this year to mandate the increased use of Green Heat technologies as a complement to green power. Green Heat technologies are “behind the meter” and, as a result, lack the impact of energy sources that can be clearly identified and taxed. I write a regular column on this concept for Refocus magazine in the U.K., and frequently pose the rhetorical question—if you can’t valorize the energy, does it exist? Wind and small hydro and ethanol have become very popular with financiers because they are clear (and clean) options that can be marketed. Conversely, a woodstove can heat a home for years without the knowledge of outsiders. There are many barriers to promoting the concept of Green Heat in Canada, but the benefits will be worth the effort.

Bill Eggertson is executive director of the Canadian Association for Renewable Energies (we c.a.r.e.), and has worked for seven national and international renewable energy groups since he started working with renewables in 1985. In addition to a daily national newsfeed on renewables, he produces the weekly Refocus newsfeed for 28,000 subscribers.

In the commercial/institutional sector, each m2 of office floor space could reduce conventional energy consumption by 1,449 MJ if the Green Heat concept were adopted, and drop annual GHG emissions by 800 kg for each m2. This reduction of almost 2,000 PJ of thermal energy is equivalent to 60 billion kWh of electricity each year, and Green Heat would provide a number of benefits that only “distributed resources” normally offer—such as lower congestion on the power grid (and less need to invest billions of dollars to minimize the odds of more blackouts), lower system vulnerability to external factors, and higher local job creation. Despite this win-win scenario, there is no federal support for Green Heat in Canada. The Renewable Energy Deployment Initiative (REDI) has funded $5.5 million a year since the Department of Finance ruled that the tax system discriminates against the four eligible technologies. The Green Heat Global partnership was created by the Canadian Association for Renewable Energies (we c.a.r.e.) to promote the basic concept. Two of its goals are to obtain a government procurement commitment similar to the federal purchase of green power (which would provide a market guarantee so the industry can evolve) and a GreenTherms Standard (similar to popular Renewable Portfolio Standards that mandate utilities to source a growing percentage of their electrons from green power). The Earth Energy Society of Canada is the industry trade group for ground source heat pumps. It analyzed the implications for a GreenTherms Standard on new residential construction in Ontario, presuming suppliers of thermal fuels were required to source an increasing percentage of their heating sales from just one of the Green Heat technology options. The province is attempting to close

Lights / electrical

Residential GHG – Mt

Residential energy – PJ

SEPTEMBER 2006 CANADIAN CHEMICAL NEWS 15

POWER TO THE PEOPLE

CNA Seminar reveals how nuclear energy supplies stable, affordable, and clean-air power to Canada and the world.

he message was fairly simple—nuclear reactors have a huge role to play if the world is to meet the needs for increasing energy demand and also to apply the brakes to the ominous rise in heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions that threaten the life of the biosphere. U.S. Senator Larry Craig of Idaho may have said it best at the Canadian Nuclear Association (CNA)’s 2006 annual seminar. “Countries cannot grow—they cannot develop with their current technologies— and bring down their greenhouse gas emissions. This has to be done with nuclear (energy).” The themes of the security of energy supply and of environmental stewardship were the prominent issues framing the seminar held February 22 to 23, 2006, in Ottawa, ON. The seminar titled, “Nuclear’s Path Forward: Building For Tomorrow,” drew speakers from around the world. Delegates heard about the global nuclear renaissance, as many countries draft plans for more clean-air nuclear power plants. They learned about the various costs of different power producers, about the need for energy self-sufficiency, and about the looming shadow of carbon dioxide and other emissions. At present, there are 440 operating reactors around the world. The International Energy Agency sees a further 60 plants being built by

2020. While the future of nuclear programs is being debated in many nations, perhaps nowhere are the discussions more important than in Canada and the U.S. These two countries share not only the world’s largest trading relationship across a common border but also a huge energy bond. That was the message from both Senator Craig and David H. Wilkins, U.S. Ambassador to Canada. The U.S. gets almost 10 percent of the uranium used in its nuclear plants from Canada. This volume will increase as the U.S. adds to its nuclear fleet, according to the ambassador. After decades of not building new reactors, the U.S. is “serious about getting back into the (nuclear energy) business,” in its bid to become energy-independent and to escape from its oil addiction, said Craig. He predicted that 15 or more reactors could be built in the U.S. over the next two decades. To back the nuclear program, the U.S. federal government is offering production tax credits, loan guarantees, an expedited and transparent licensing process, and other incentives. National energy insecurity is also a major issue in the U.K. The electricity supply and demand problems faced by the U.K. are similar to those in Ontario. Decisions must be made soon on replacing aging nuclear power plants as volatile natural gas prices inject uncertainty into the energy mix. A U.K. government White Paper in 2003 concluded

16 L’ACTUALITÉ CHIMIQUE CANADIENNE SEPTEMBRE 2006

Above: Used nuclear fuel is stored in water bays within each of Canada’s nuclear power stations where it is monitored and cooled.

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about 15 percent while, in Ontario, reactors supplied 51 percent of electricity demand last year. The dominance of fossil fuel generation, the fact that nuclear stations take time to get approval and to be built, and the inability of many renewable energy sources to provide reliable large-scale power all add up to growing volumes of GHGs. In Canada, the federal government’s own figures in 2002 showed that the country’s GHG emissions would be 42 percent above the reduction targets of the Kyoto Protocol if the country were to continue with its present energy capacity and demand projections. While many environmental and earth scientists now acknowledge nuclear energy must play a large role in combatting GHG increases, some environmental activists radically oppose nuclear. The irony of that contradiction is not lost on Patrick Moore, co-founder of Greenpeace, and now chair and chief scientist of Greenspirit Strategies Ltd. Moore told the seminar that global opposition to nuclear energy by a concerted movement of environmental activists is “a major obstacle” to the realistic achievement of carbon dioxide emissions. Many of the same activists also oppose large wind farms, intensive forestry, and large hydroelectric projects. Moore said he could not understand such unyielding opposition. He repeated what he told the U.S. Senate committee on energy last year, “Nuclear energy is the only nongreenhouse gas emitting energy source that can effectively replace fossil energy fuels and satisfy global demand.” The 2005 World Energy Outlook presented by Maria Argiri, of the International Energy Agency, noted that the existing use of fossils as a primary energy source is unsustainable and governments must change existing energy policies to include more nuclear. CNA’s president and CEO, Murray Elston, closed the seminar by saying that, “to meet Ontario’s energy demand over the next 15 to 20 years—when 80 percent of the electricity generating plants are scheduled to retire— decisions on nuclear refurbishment and new build must be made now or we will not have affordable electricity in time for when we need it.”

What’s

that the country would have to import up to 75 percent of prime energy needs by 2020. At the time, nuclear energy was not an option on the table, despite nuclear stations providing almost one-quarter of the U.K.’s electricity production. Now, three years later, demand for energy has exceeded forecasts. The U.K. government finds itself in a bind and is seriously rethinking its energy strategies. If the renewable-energy program cannot deliver, said Phil Ruffles, of the Royal Academy of Engineering, the U.K. must make up the difference with fossil fuel power stations . . . unless it adopts a nuclear building program.Without nuclear, the U.K. would have to return to coal as a favoured source and rely heavily on natural gas, despite its price gyrations and the fact that gas imports are subject to the whims of the market and of foreign producers. Lost in the energy chatter in the U.K. and elsewhere is the fact that nuclear-produced power is one of the most cost-competitive generators in the world, said Ruffles. A study done for the Royal Academy showed that the latest nuclear technologies are easily costcompetitive with coal- and gas-fired plants. Both nuclear reactors and combined-cycle gas turbine technology can produce electricity for about 2.3 cents a kilowatt hour, the Royal Academy study showed. The electricity cost of offshore wind farms was found to be almost double that of nuclear stations. The study factored in both the decommissioning costs of retired nuclear reactors and nuclear waste-handling processes. The other critical piece in global energy strategies is the absolute imperative to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. GHGs have been linked by most environmental and earth scientists to dramatic climate changes around the world. Without substantially more nuclear energy, countries will likely find it impossible to meet carbon-reduction targets. Current energy projections show that world carbon dioxide emissions will grow by 50 percent over the next two decades, the International Energy Agency reports. In that time, fossil fuels will account for almost 90 percent of the extra supply needed to fulfill growing energy demand—unless drastic steps are taken to find replacement fuel supplies. Nuclear energy supplies 16 percent of the world’s power. In contrast, fossil fuels provide about 80 percent of energy needs. In Canada, the nuclear share of power production is

SEPTEMBER 2006 CANADIAN CHEMICAL NEWS 17

SDTC “Cleans” Up $48 million in clean technologies funding approved by Sustainable Development Technology Canada

ustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) has approved $48 million in new funding for the development and demonstration of clean technologies that benefit the environment and economy. The money will be allocated to 22 projects, and includes $7.3 million for four biofuel technology projects ranging from the production of ethanol from cellulose to biodiesel production from mustard seed. The new funding, approved in principle by SDTC’s board of directors, brings SDTC’s total commitment to biofuel technology initiatives to $59 million. Funding for each project is subject to final contract execution. For the first time, SDTC has approved funding for soil and waterrelated projects, with $4 million allocated to five initiatives in this area. The funds will go toward the development of monitoring and detection equipment that can help avoid water main breaks, improved agricultural practices, and other technologies. “By supporting clean technologies during the pre-commercialization stage, SDTC helps get them to market faster and more successfully,” said SDTC chair, James M. Stanford. “Not only will these technologies increase the efficiency and competitiveness of Canadian industries, but they will also reduce environmental impact.” The 22 newly approved projects target a wide variety of sectors that are core to Canada’s economy including: • energy exploration and production;

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• • • • • •

power generation; energy utilization; transportation; agriculture; forestry and wood products; waste management. The private and public sector consortia partners behind the projects are investing an additional $111 million, representing a more than 2:1 ratio of industry-partner contribution to SDTC investment. SDTC continues to be on track to allocate all of its funds up to December 2010. “The Government of Canada is developing a plan focused on ensuring future generations enjoy clean air, clean water, clean land, and clean energy,” said the Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of Natural Resources. “As of July 1st, small and medium-sized companies will benefit from the reduced GST, lower business tax rates, and increased tax allowances—all of which will improve the economy’s ability to invest in the research and development of new technologies. These clean technology investments and lower taxes in the recent budget show that Canada’s new government is delivering on its commitments to a clean and healthy environment.” “The Government of Canada is committed to the goals of a stronger economy and healthier environment,” said the Honourable Rona

Ambrose, Minister of the Environment. “Innovative clean technologies such as those supported by SDTC can help us achieve both of these goals at the same time.” “The quality of the proposals SDTC receives and the strength of the consortia behind them continue to improve, making us optimistic that Canada’s clean technology infrastructure is gaining momentum,” said Vicky J. Sharpe, president and CEO of SDTC. “That optimism extends to the positive environmental impact and associated health benefits of SDTC-funded projects. These projects often integrate clean air, climate change, clean water, and clean soil benefits, providing holistic, real-world solutions for industry. “The large contribution of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to innovation in Canada is reflected in the fact that 89 percent of SDTC’s funded projects are led by SMEs, a trend that has continued in this funding round,” Sharpe added. Since April 2002, SDTC has completed eight funding rounds, committed $217 million to 97 clean technology projects, and leveraged $559 million from project consortia members, for a total portfolio value of $776 million.

About SDTC SDTC is a foundation created by the Government of Canada that operates a $550 million fund to support the development and demonstration of clean technologies. An arm’s length, not-for-profit corporation, SDTC fills the void in the innovation chain between research and commercialization—helping clean technology developers move through the development and demonstration phases, in preparation for commercialization. SDTC encourages collaboration among private, financial, academic, and public sector partners, and with the Canadian government to build a sustainable development infrastructure in Canada. For more information, visit SDTC at www. sdtc.ca. A complete list of details for the 22 funded projects can be found at www.sdtc.ca/en/ news/media_releases/media_07052006. htm.

Voices Against Coal-Fired Closures Reach Fever Pitch There’s a chorus of voices out there belting out the same tune: “Back off the plan to phase out Ontario’s coal-fired power plants by 2009.” This vocal throng is heard from all directions: environmentalists, unions, academics, policy wonks, business leaders, and notably, editorial writers across the province. There are many arguments but they boil down to this: Some of Ontario’s coal-fired plants are among the cleanest (lowest emissions) in North America. So it makes no sense to import power from U.S. plants that are among the dirtiest. Also, Ontario needs to buy time to ramp up its base-load infrastructure, including increased nuclear capacity. Converting some coal-fired facilities to clean coal makes sense and could increase security of supply during infrastructure renewal. Some comments: • Just 26 percent of Ontarions strongly support closure of the coal-fired plants, an opinion poll found in January.”We’re not dealing with a majority decision.” SES Research/Osprey Media • Closing the coal stations while this province still depends on them, because of a now-dated campaign promise, would be … unwise. Hamilton Spectator, February 6, 2006 • Ironically, the best potential for a large-scale reduction in emissions from fossil fuel plants comes in better—not less—use of coal. National Post, February 9, 2006 • At this moment,nuclear may well be the best option to provide the kind of volume that Ontario needs … Premier Dalton McGuinty deserves credit for tackling a politically thorny issue that previous provincial administrations found too hot to handle. Ottawa Citizen, January 31, 2006 • Prudence requires that provisions be made to ensure the availability of the Lampton units beyond the announced shutdown date. Independent Electricity System Operator, February 2006

Canadian Nuclear Workers’ Council Sustainable Development Technology Canada

SEPTEMBER 2006 CANADIAN CHEMICAL NEWS 19

To Boldly Go Where No Chemical Educators Have Gone Before Geoff Rayner-Canham, FCIC, Christina Smeaton, MCIC, Amy Snook, MCIC, and Tonia Churchill

cience students in urban environments have significant educational advantages over their rural counterparts. Urban students have a live science teacher whose training is probably in the sciences. They often live within accessible distance from a science centre. They may have access to summer science camps. They are often involved in science fairs, and they are visited by potential rolemodel scientists. Yet half of our population lives in rural areas—some in extremely isolated areas. Why should we disadvantage half the next generation of potential chemists? Geoff Rayner-Canham, FCIC, decided that something should and could be done, at least in the context of far east and north-east Canada. Since 1993, Rayner-Canham has been running an annual Chemistry and Everyday Life Show at Sir Wilfred Grenfell College (SWGC) in Corner Brook, NL (see: G. W. Rayner-Canham, “A Chemistry Show Without the Magic,” ACCN, March 1998. Each spring, a total of 800 students from western Newfoundland schools are bussed as far away as 450 km for a one-hour, carefully scripted and choreographed presentation on the relevance of chemistry to students’ lives. Each topic is explained in terms of fundamental chemical principles. Live demonstrations, video clips, and slides are seamlessly sequenced to continuously hold the students’ attention. Yet even these schools are not at the extreme of isolation—they have road access, they usually have “live” science teachers, and several participate in the western Newfoundland science fair. It was frustrating to realize that students with the greatest need (primarily those from Labrador schools) could not be brought to

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Corner Brook. In 2002, the SWGC administration agreed to finance a pilot outreach show to take to the south Labrador coast. The content and style of the on-campus presentation was aimed at senior high school science students, so it had to be radically altered to appeal to a mixed audience of a wide range of ages who had little-to-no science background.

A series of thematically related demonstrations was devised. The SWGC lab staff prepared and packaged the demos in several lidded

carrying bins. A senior student, Christina Smeaton, MCIC, accompanied Rayner-Canham on the expedition, assisting with the bin-carrying, set-up, take-down, and cleanup. To reach the south Labrador coast requires driving 300 km north from Corner Brook through moose-infested Gros Morne National Park to St. Barbe. From there, a daily ferry crosses the Straits of Belle Isle to Blanc Sablon, QC. The narrow road follows the coastline into Labrador and links the small fishing communities as far as Cartwright. Only the first quarter is paved. The total return distance from Corner Brook to Cartwright is about 2,000 km and covers three time zones. This first exploratory journey, as far north as Mary’s Harbour, was performed in November. Smeaton and RaynerCanham experienced mountainous seas in the Straits and a harrowing snowstorm while driving the Labrador coastal road. Nevertheless, it was worth the stress, for the reception in the schools was amazing. The students sat

silent (to the surprise of their teachers) and transfixed. After each presentation, we were bombarded by questions and had the minimum time to pack and travel to the school in the next community. At that time, we applied for a three-year NSERC PromoScience grant. We were fortunate to receive partial funding to continue and to expand our activities. Under that program, three more forays to the road-accessible south Labrador coast were undertaken. We visited a different set of communities each time. We also extended our travels to the west of Blanc Sablon to give a presentation to the schools at St. Paul’s Inlet and Old Fort on the lower Quebec north shore. An air-portable version of the presentation was devised that was taken to some of the schools in Labrador communities such as Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Labrador City, and Nain. These Labrador communities are not only isolated, but they are also home to a significant number of Inuit, Innu, and Métis. In particular, we visited the schools in the Inuit community of Nain and the Innu community of Sheshatshiu, in addition to mixed communities such as North West River. Over the years, the presentations have undergone continuous improvement and annual updating, especially in terms of making them more interactive. Nevertheless, the major themes have remained much the same: the Chemistry of New Materials; the Relevance of Bonding and Intermolecular Forces to Our Lives; Consumer Chemistry; and Environmental Chemistry. The importance of the student assistant became apparent very quickly—or more accurately, student colleague—as we ran the show as equals. The student assistant has become the prime focus of the show, doing most of the live demos and giving post-presentation discussions on chemistry-related careers. Grade school students could identify with the student assistant and would ask her what it was like to become a chemist. Smeaton graduated in 2004, and her place was taken by Amy Snook, MCIC, who in turn graduated in 2006. The torch is now being passed on to Tonia Churchill. In 2005, we applied for, and received, a successive NSERC PromoScience grant. Over the course of this grant, we will visit all the schools in Labrador, including every Inuit and Innu community. We have already extended our travels in Quebec as far as airaccessible La Tabatière, and we plan to travel even further west to Chevery and Harrington

Harbour. Our new program includes southern Newfoundland communities such as Grey River and François that are accessible only by sea. Some of these settlements have significant Mi’gmaw populations. Has the program been effective? The answer is a resounding, “Yes!” Teachers from each school have reported a significantly greater interest in science. Some students who had previously not considered taking chemistry are now electing to take the subject through distance learning courses. Students have come to SWGC to do science programs who had not previously considered tertiary education. And the effect should continue for years to come as our presentations have been given to a wide range of grades—even to kindergarten students. We hope that our continued visits will reinforce student interest in chemistry. And we hope their involvement will expand for many years to come.

Acknowledgements The NSERC PromoScience is thanked for its key role in supporting this program. The support and encouragement of Sir Wilfred Grenfell College is appreciated, particularly for providing a minivan for the overland parts of school visits. The SWGC chemistry technicians, Wanda Ellsworth, Wade Goulding, and Bobbie-Ann Parsons have been an indispensable part of the team. Air Labrador, with the encouragement of LeGrow’s Travel, provided complementary flights from Deer Lake to Nain, Goose Bay, and Labrador City for Amy Snook in 2005.

Geoff Rayner-Canham, FCIC, is a professor of chemistry at Sir Wilfred Grenfell College in Corner Brook, NL. He received the 2006 Atlantic Provinces Inter-Provincial Council on the Sciences Award for his outreach activities. Christina Smeaton, MCIC, is currently working towards a PhD at the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER) at the University of Windsor. She was the recipient of the 2004 CSC Reg Friesen Award. Amy Snook, MCIC, has begun an MSc program at GLIER. Tonia Churchill is completing her BSc in environmental chemistry. All three students are recipients of the CSC Silver Medal for excellence in third year undergraduate chemistry (2003, 2005, and 2006, respectively).

SEPTEMBER 2006 CANADIAN CHEMICAL NEWS 21

Crystal Power

Yonghong Bing has discovered a new family of crystals that generate electricity when they are squeezed.

t took years of studying and researching, in between honing a second language and raising a family. But Yonghong Bing, a Simon Fraser University (SFU) chemistry graduate, is enjoying the fruits of her labour. The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) recently awarded Bing its prize for the top doctoral research in science and engineering. NSERC awards only four of the coveted prizes, annually, across Canada. The prize includes $10,000 cash and a silver medal. Bing is the sixth SFU graduate to win the prize since 1992, making SFU the third ranked university in this competition. “This year’s award is a special reflection of SFU’s commitments to accessibility and interdisciplinarity, with the award going to a female international student whose PhD thesis in chemistry was awarded the top prize in engineering,” says SFU president, Michael Stevenson. Bing pursued her doctoral research under the supervision of chemistry professor Zuo-Guang Ye, the director of solid-state systems at 4D LABS. “Her work is a preview of the type of high-level interdisciplinary research emerging from this new advanced materials institute at SFU,” notes Stevenson. Bing discovered a new family of a unique group of crystals that has powers akin to the Pillsbury Dough Boy and a science fiction-type shape changer. Piezoelectric crystals make formidable transducers—a key component of medical, commercial, and industrial probes. The crystals generate electricity when they are squeezed or when mechanical pressure is applied to them. They owe their name to the meaning of the Greek prefix “piezo”—to press or squeeze. Piezoelectric crystals also change shape or move when they are electrified. Transducers are devices that sense environments and activate processes based on their ability to convert mechanical energy to electrical energy and vice versa. A single crystal can perform both conversions, making it the ideal material for making electromechanical transducers that sense and activate a multitude of processes, such as ultrasonic wave generation and echo detection. The new family of crystals is more malleable than conventional ones when heated at various temperatures. Bing’s discovery will lead to more efficient electromechanical transducers in medical ultrasonic

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Carol Thorbes

diagnostics and therapy, machine tool control, vibration suppression, undersea communication, and wireless telecommunications. “In medical imaging and diagnosing, the higher piezoelectric response could lead to more reliable diagnosis of fetal, organ, and other types of malformations, and suspicious lumps,” says Bing’s doctoral supervisor. “Higher performing crystals could also lead to real time and non-invasive 3D imaging and diagnosis of almost all parts of the human body.” Several highly ranked academic journals, including Nature Materials, have published Bing’s discovery, which has also earned her a two-year NSERC post-doctoral fellowship that she is taking up at Seattle’s University of Washington. Bing acknowledges her rise to scientific stardom hasn’t come easily—it was 16 years in the making. Bing earned an undergraduate degree in optics engineering and a master’s in materials science in China, her native country. After then working for a number of years as a university researcher, she, her husband, and their now nine-yearold son moved to the U.S. As a visiting scholar at Pennsylvania State University, Bing crystallized her interest in piezoelectric materials and honed her English. Ye, who discovered Bing while attending a conference at Penn State, persuaded her to do her doctorate at SFU. “The last eight years—living in new countries, leaving family in China, and raising a child while studying, researching, and improving my English—have been a real challenge. I am glad it has been so fruitful,” laughs Bing. “I have to thank my husband who helped a lot with the housework and Dr. Ye for his mentorship. Living in residence with my family and having excellent daycare right next door also helped.”

Carol Thorbes, an information officer at Simon Fraser University and a former broadcaster, is an award-winning writer of media-public relations material. For the second consecutive year, the Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education has recognized her in the Best News Release Category of its Prix d’Excellence competition.

Photos by Carol Thorbes, Simon Fraser University

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50 YEARS—

A MARK OF DISTINCTION 25 members of The Chemical Institute of Canada mark 50 years of membership in 2006. We salute these individuals and acknowledge their long-standing support and dedication. Each is awarded a certificate and free CIC membership for life. Please join us in congratulating these accomplished contributors to Canada’s chemical professions.

Ernest Blaschke, MCIC

Paul Laughton, FCIC

D. Robinson, FCIC

L. Breitman, FCIC

G. Leaist, MCIC

C. Sandorfy, FCIC

W. De Coursey, FCIC

S. Liang, MCIC

James Smith, FCIC

Donald Craw, MCIC

S. McLean, MCIC

Mary Spencer, FCIC

J. Dickson, MCIC

D. Montgomery, FCIC

H. Webber, FCIC

H. Dunford, FCIC

Stephen Ostap, FCIC

A. Webster, MCIC

E. Falconer, FCIC

William Radych, MCIC

Peter Ziegler, FCIC

Richard Ford, FCIC

G. Reed, MCIC

S. Kronenberger, MCIC

Donald Rivington, FCIC

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The 89th Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition Le 89e Congrès et exposition canadiens de chimie The 89th Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition, held in Halifax, NS, May 27 to 30, 2006, was a resounding success. No less than 1,785 delegates attended, up to 230 from outside Canada. In addition to the many scheduled presentations, 29 exhibitors were on site to promote their products or services. The opening ceremony featured Sir Harold Kroto, co-laureate of the 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Sir Harry presented a highly entertaining and fastpaced plenary lecture titled “Architecture in NanoSpace” to a packed room. He described a future where fundamental insights into nanostructure formation will enable us to make nanoscale devices similar to, but about a million times smaller than, those made by traditional mechanical engineering techniques. The CSC welcomed other distinguised guests to the conference. Ann Nalley, ACS president, and Madeleine Jacobs, ACS executive director, attended the Pacifichem 2010 conference section of the CSC board of directors meeting. Nalley also gave a presentation as part of the Women in Chemistry session. We also had the priviledge of welcoming the Honourable Myra A. Freeman, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, to the CSC/CIC awards banquet. Her Honour gave a short speech and posed with the award winners for photographs. As is tradition, the CSC vice-president organized the Science Policy Forum. This year’s theme was “The Profession of Chemistry in Canada,” and representatives from existing and developing provincial professional associations discussed the awareness and recognition of the practice of chemistry as a profession in Canada. Panel members included Ken Schmidt, MCIC, director of the Association of the Chemical Profession of Alberta; Claude Bordeleau, MCIC, past president of the Association of the Chemical Profession of Ontario; Jim Frazee, MCIC, president of the Nova Scotia Chemists’ Society; Martial Boivin, president-executive director of the Ordre des chimistes du Québec; and Paul West, FCIC, leader of the developing British Columbia association. Many conference delegates stopped by the CSC booth to share their comments. The city of Halifax lived up to its marvelous reputation, offering attractions for all. It was unanimous—the conference was a success.

Le 89e Congrès et exposition canadiens de chimie qui s’est déroulé à Halifax (Nouvelle-Écosse) du 27 au 30 mai 2006 a été un succès retentissant. Pas moins de 1 785 participants ont assisté au congrès, et parmi eux près de 230 provenaient de l’extérieur du pays. En plus des nombreuses présentations à l’horaire, 29 exposants étaient sur place pour présenter leurs produits ou services. La cérémonie d’ouverture mettait en vedette sir Harold Kroto, co-récipiendaire du prix Nobel de chimie en 1996. Sir Harry a présenté une séance plénière hautement divertissante et au rythme rapide sur le thème « Architecture dans le nanoespace » à une salle plus que comble. Il a décrit un avenir où des connaissances fondamentales dans la formation des nanostructures nous permettront de fabriquer des dispositifs à l’échelle nano semblables, mais environ un million de fois plus petit, à ceux fabriqués à l’aide des techniques de génie mécanique traditionnelles. La SCC a accueilli d’autres invités de marque au cours du congrès. En effet, Ann Nalley, présidente de l’ACS, et Madeleine Jacobs, directrice générale de l’ACS, ont participé à la rencontre du conseil de direction de la SCC où la question du congrès Pacifichem 2010 a été abordée. Ann Nalley a également donné une présentation dans le cadre des sessions sur les femmes en chimie. Nous avons aussi eut le privilège d’accueillir l’honorable Myra A. Freeman, lieutenant gouverneure de la Nouvelle-Écosse, au banquet de remise des prix de la SCC et de l’ICC. Son Honneur a présenté un court discours et a posé de bonne grâce avec les lauréats au terme de la remise des prix. Comme le veut la tradition, le vice-président de la SCC a organisé le Forum sur les politiques scientifiques. Sous le thème « La profession de chimiste au Canada », un panel de chimistes d’associations professionnelles provinciales existantes et émergentes ont discuté de la sensibilisation et de la reconnaissance de la chimie à titre de profession au Canada. Les membres du panel étaient Ken Schmidt, MCIC, directeur de la Association of the Chemical Profession of Alberta (ACPA), Claude Bordeleau, MCIC, président sortant de l’Association professionnelle des chimistes de l’Ontario (ACPO), Jim Frazee, MCIC, président de la Nova Scotia Chemists’ Society, Martial Boivin, président-directeur général de l’Ordre des chimistes du Québec, et Paul West, FCIC, dirigeant de l’association émergente de la Colombie-Britannique. Un grand nombre de participants à la conférence ont visité le kiosque de la SCC et ont partagé leurs commentaires. Tous étaient unanimes : le congrès était de grande qualité, et la ville d’Halifax est magnifique et regorge d’endroits tous plus invitants les uns que les autres. Un succès!

Technically Speaking … The conference motto, “Charting a New Course,” was obvious in the scientific contributions that included a large number of thought-provoking and unor thodox presentations. This segment describes the scientific aspects of the conference. Stay tuned for the second segment that will appear in the October 2006 issue of ACCN.

ir Harry Kroto gave the first of these inspiring presentations with his opening lecture. As expected, his presentation was a rollercoaster ride of science, philosophy, science policy, and education. Kroto won the 1996 Nobel Prize with Robert Curl and Richard Smalley for their joint discovery of C60. The discovery of the fullerenes and the development of fullerene and nanotube chemistry provided a thread

through Kroto’s lecture, which also included commentary on a variety of issues—from the benefits of Meccano toys to the problem of Tom Cruise as a cultural icon (and as an advertisement for mystical philosophies). Of special interest to the numerous academic scientists in the audience was the fact that C60 was discovered during purely basic research. Kroto, Curl, Smalley, and their students were not attempting to

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Differences in the morphology of silk depending on its source Sir Harry Kroto stands with Russel Boyd, FCIC, member of the organizing commitee. make buckyballs, but trying to synthesize long carbon chains in a molecular beam expansion with the aim of understanding the origin of interstellar matter. The discovery of fullerenes formed in the laser ablation source, Kroto emphasizes, highlights the importance of basic, curiosity-driven research. In a presentation that was both thought-provoking and very humorous, Kroto quoted thinkers from Spinoza (who was excommunicated for his “abominable heresies” and “monstrous deeds” (www.iep.utm.edu/s/spinoza.htm)) to Sir John “Kappa” Cornforth, the 1975 Nobel Laureate who helped determine the structure of penicillin and was recognized for his work on the stereochemistry of enzyme-catalyzed reactions. While Kroto mentioned recent work showing some of the incredible mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes, he was also quick to point out the limitations in manufacturing sufficient quantities for large architectural structures. Throughout the presentation, it became obvious that Kroto has a considerable talent in art and design. Combined with his gift for public speaking, it is not surprising that one of his recent projects is dedicated to the communication of science to the public, especially children and educators. The VEGA Science Trust is an Internet-supported organization that permits visitors to download video interviews with scientists and presentations on scientific or mathematical matters. The site contains a remarkable collection of enjoyable first-hand accounts from famous scientists and innovators and is highly recommended by “Chemical Shifts.”

n the symposium titled, “New Applications in Microscopy and Microspectroscopy,” a study of silk microstructure by scanning transmission X-ray microscopy was described by PhD student

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Marie-Eve Rousseau, MCIC, under the direction of Michel Pézolet, FCIC, at Université Laval. The work, which is in collaboration with Adam Hitchcock, FCIC, from McMaster University, described the first example of quantitative maps of the orientation of the amide bonds in silkworm cocoon and spider dragline silks at a spatial resolution better than 50 nm. The results show that the stiffer cocoon silk has large oriented domains (100–300 nm) while the spider dragline silk displays a much finer microstructure. The presence of small highly oriented domains dispersed in a less oriented matrix is responsible for the high strength and extensibility of spider silk. They also showed that highly oriented proteins exist at the surface of the dragline and that this skin-core structure depends on the spinning speed.

n the symposium “The Future of Physical Chemistry Education,” Jason K. Pearson, MCIC, described recent efforts at Dalhousie University to incorporate computational chemistry into the undergraduate curriculum at the second-year level. This is difficult to do for a variety of reasons, including critical practical considerations of quantum calculations such as using the proper method for the desired property and the compromise between accuracy and computational time. Pearson also wanted to expose the students to research-grade quantum chemical software so that they could easily carry out computational research as summer undergraduates or research assistants. These goals were accomplished by incorporating the rigid rotor and harmonic oscillator approximations into calculations that the students do by hand in conjunction with the use of computers for a novel learning environment. In the symposium “Carbohydrates and Drug Discovery,” Laura J. Ingram, ACIC, graduate student at the University of Waterloo with Scott Taylor, MCIC, reported a new, efficient approach for obtaining sulfated carbohydrates. The conventional approach for constructing

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sulfated oligosaccharides involves introducing the sulfate group at the end of the synthesis. This results in variable yields and in products that are difficult to purify and manipulate. An alternative approach is to introduce the sulfate group at the monosaccharide stage as a protected sulfate diester. As was reported by the Taylor group, a new class of sulfating agents was developed in the form of 2,2,2-trichloroethoxysulfuryl-N-methylimidazolium triflate 2 (see below), and have demonstrated its effectiveness for incorporating trichloroethyl (TCE) protected sulfate groups into carbohydrate structures such as 1. The TCE protecting group is stable to a wide range of conditions including protecting group manipulations, anomeric activations and coupling conditions. Reagent 2 was employed in the synthesis of N-sulfated glucosamine derivatives as well as a disulfated disaccharide. Ingram and Taylor also show that the TCE group can be removed under very mild conditions and in high yield using zinc and ammonium formate to provide the desired sulfated carbohydrates such as 4. Further details can be found at Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2006, 45, 3503–3506.

o-crystals represent a long known class of crystalline solids (quinhydrone was first reported in the 1840s by Wöhler), but they remain relatively unexplored by chemists. Mike Zaworotko and Miranda Cheney, MCIC, from the University of South Florida showed in the symposium “Innovative Chemistry in Novel Media,” how co-crystals can be industrially important and environmentally friendly. Specifically, co-crystals are now attracting interest from the pharmaceutical industry because of their potential for widespread use in formulation (e.g. a co-crystal comprised of aspirin and carbamazepine, as shown below). Co-crystals can be routinely prepared via mechanochemical techniques, avoiding the use of solvent in a very green process that generates no waste. The significance

could catalyze peptide bond formation between a variety of amino acid derivatives. These mutants were obtained by semi-rational approach following the development of a molecular model of a substrate bound at the active site of transglutaminase (Chica et al., Protein Science (2004), 13:979–991) and of a series of fluorogenic amino acids allowing for assessment of variations in side-chain specificity. Chica’s talk in the symposium “Modern Advances in Protein Engineering” highlighted the feasibility of modifying ligand binding by targeting the active-site area for mutations.

part from its desirability as a gemstone, diamond possesses many attractive engineering properties, including high thermal conductivity, optical transparency, and especially high hardness and wear resistance. When a carbon film contains a large percentage of sp3 (diamond) bonded carbon atoms relative to the sp2 (graphitic) carbon, it also starts to demonstrate these advantageous properties. Aislinn Sirk, MCIC, and D. R. Sadoway, MIT, carried out exploratory studies into the technological feasibility of the synthesis of diamond-like carbon films from solution (as opposed to the fairly well developed technology used for chemical vapour deposition) by electrochemical oxidation of acetylene and acetylides. As they reported in the symposium “Electrochemistry at the Edge,” thin carbon films were successfully deposited by this method and thicker conducting films could be grown by addition of boron to produce a p-doped semiconductor. Preliminary results showed that the sp2/sp3 ratios, domain sizes, film thickness and electronic properties could be altered by controlling the potential, holding time, starting material and by the application of radical generating UV light.

Co-crystal of aspirin and carbamazepine of co-crystals in solid-state (solvent-free) synthesis was highlighted by illustrating their ability to orient substrates in the solid-state and thereby facilitate their subsequent reaction.

oberto Chica from the laboratories of Jeffrey Keillor, MCIC, and Joelle Pelletier, MCIC, at the Université de Montréal described the development of mutant transglutaminases that

n the Functional Materials symposium, Jordan Wosnick, MCIC, a post-doctoral fellow in Molly Shoichet, MCIC’s group at the University of Toronto, described their work on the laser photopatterning of biomaterials in the symposium “Functional Materials.” Shoichet’s group has previously described the use of UV lasers to photochemically immobilize cell-adhesive peptides into virtual “channels” inside gels. Wosnick spoke about new studies making use of multi-photon excitation to carry out a similar immobilization reaction with three-dimensional control. The new technique allows them to deposit chemical patterns of cell-adhesive peptides inside weak gels (~99 percent water) with 3D feature sizes close to that of a mammalian cell. Shoichet’s group has a strong interest in controlling nerve cell migration and growth within gels, and is currently applying this technology to direct the formation of three-dimensional neural circuits and tissue analogues.

n the symposium “Fate and Effects of Organic Chemicals in the Environment,” Art Cook from Environment Canada, Moncton, described an investigation into a number of fish kills from the PEI area in the summer of 2002. Working together with colleagues

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Pre-organization of olefin reactants accomplished by hydrogen bonding from Environment Canada (Halifax) and the University of Moncton, they were able to attribute the fish kills to pesticides originating from run-off from local potato fields. Because the pesticides in the stream were only elevated for a short time, testing for contamination in the stream did not correlate directly to the fish kills. The workers therefore developed an assay to correlate the concentration and exposure time of rainbow trout to known amounts of pesticides with the levels eventually found in different tissues and the eventual death of the test fish. Using this correlation, Cook could deduce the concentration of the pesticide Azinphos-Methyl in the stream from the contamination found in the fish killed by the run-off. These experiments were also attempted with another high risk fungicide, chlorothalonil. Surprisingly, assays for this pesticide showed no residues in tissue of fish from these exposures. It is suspected that chlorothalonil forms complexes with the protein glutathione immediately upon absorption and therefore, no free pesticide is found in the fish.

n the symposium “Organic Reaction Mechanisms,” Len MacGillivray of the University of Iowa described work involving organic solid state reactions in that are having a significant impact on organic synthesis, green chemistry, and materials science. In his talk, he revealed how principles of molecular recognition and supramolecular chemistry can be used to assemble and order molecules in the solid state via hydrogen bonds and coordination-driven self-assembly for covalent-bond-forming chemical reactions (see below). The assembly process is achieved using molecular templates. He demonstrated how these principles can be used to create novel molecular architectures such as cyclophanes and ladderanes. The products were shown to form in a solvent-free environment in quantitative yields and gram amounts. The success of the method relies on being able to deliberately stack olefins in predefined geometries for photochemically-promoted [2+2] cycloaddition reactions. He also discussed how the methodology may eventually be applied to high-density data storage applications (Varshney, D. B.; Gao, X.; Friscic, T.; MacGillivray, L.R. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2006, 45, 646–650).

n the “ab initio Methods: Orbital and Plane Wave Methods” symposium, Tom Woo, MCIC, described the work of his research associate Federico Zahariev and graduate student James Hooper, on the in silico search for new, non-molecular, polymeric nitrogen phases composed solely of single bonds, in analogy to carbon in diamond. These materials have long been thought to exist at high pressures and have potential applications for energy storage systems if they can be stabilized at ambient pressures. Recently, a purely single bonded polymeric nitrogen phase has been synthesized by compressing molecular nitrogen to over one million atmospheres pressure and heating it to 2000 K, but (Erimets et al. Nature Mat. 2004, 3, 558)— unfortunately this phase is not stable at low pressure. The Woo lab has developed a systematic method to search for new single-bonded polymeric phases of nitrogen using a combination of first principles density functional calculations, combinatorics and genetic algorithms. Whereas only three structures were previously discussed in the literature, the new method has generated over 20 new phases, some of which are predicted to be stable at ambient pressures.

The search for single-bonded polymeric phases of nitrogen by ab initio calculations

Cathleen Crudden, MCIC Hans-Peter Loock, MCIC

28 L’ACTUALITÉ CHIMIQUE CANADIENNE SEPTEMBRE 2006

CSC BULLETIN SCC

The 2006 CSC Conference–Standing Room Only for Students A graduate student’s perspective on the 89th Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition

What did students get out of the 89th Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition in Halifax this year? A boost! The chosen theme for this year’s CSC conference was “charting a new course,” indicating the many new directions in chemistry to be highlighted in the various symposia. In my opinion though, the theme should have been “charting a new course, while keeping graduate students on course.” Perhaps some supervisors have noticed that after working so hard all winter, many graduate students struggle with motivation in the springtime when the sun is out and exposed skin is “in.” Outdoor patios and parks entice students away from the lab bench, or in my case with thesis writing, the desk. The annual CSC conference to the rescue! It comes at the perfect time to give us a boost and renew our passion for chemistry. Graduate students are motivated before the conference to obtain results to show off, and after the conference are pumped to continue, perhaps with new suggestions and ideas from helpful discussion and inspiring presentations. By keeping us on track like this, the conference is actually ensuring that one day we will graduate! In order to sound less like an advertising representative encouraging supervisors to send their graduate students to the annual CSC conference to increase their productivity, I should point out that the conference is also a great social event. Of all the conferences I have attended, this is by far the most friendly and interactive one. It has a great tone and a real sense of community, which encourages stimulating discussion and the exchange of ideas. Of course, as a starving graduate student, the free coffee and snacks helped contribute to the positive atmosphere as well.

The friendly atmosphere is not just a reflection of the conference being small, either. The plenary lecturer, Sir Harold Kroto, co-laureate of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1996, is one big-name chemist. He gave an excellent lecture full of perspective, in which he grabbed our attention with bold and often controversial statements. Overall, it was a very inspiring and encouraging lecture. In fact, his plenary lecture was so good that his second presentation of the conference in the chemical education division was simply too popular. Although highly advertised, this presentation was in such a small room that many people were turned away, and those who managed to cram inside had some trouble breathing! Graduate students had similar complaints about the poster session; people were turned away from the small and crowded room, which is unfortunate because poster sessions are usually a great opportunity for discussion and feedback on our work. Apart from the cramming in the convention centre, Halifax is a great place to hold a conference—not only for the great pubs and the ocean breeze, but also because of the friendliness. Drivers actually stop for you when you cross the street in Halifax! Friendly east coasters also have the reputation of being really laid back and relaxed, however that didn’t prevent the hosting committee from being highly organized and doing a great job. The symposia were generally on time, which allowed for symposium-hopping, going from one symposium to another. Symposium-hopping is a excellent way to gain exposure to research outside of our narrow disciplines and explore the diverse applications of chemistry. With nine divisions and over 80 symposia, there was a lot to choose from. Many of these symposia had big-name lecturers as well, which was impressive. However, one complaint graduate students had was that symposia outside our disciplines were often difficult to follow. Understandably, technical details should be presented to fellow experts at such a conference, but some speakers could have made more of an effort to highlight their most important findings in a way accessible to all chemists. By the same token, it would be great if discipline-specific abbreviations and jargon could be kept to a minimum, excluding them in abstract titles for example. After all, our goal as presenters is to spark the interest of chemists about our work, not to alienate them! Despite some alienation and claustrophobia in certain symposia, overall graduate students give the conference very high marks. It provided us with a much needed spring boost to renew our passion for chemistry and keep us on track. For example, I came home from the conference with a boost to complete my thesis. Who knows how long it might have taken and how much whining my labmates might have endured if I hadn’t attended! We all thank the organizers for a great conference and look forward to the next.

Alison Palmer, MCIC, has a BSc in chemistry from The University of British Columbia and is currently completing an MSc in bioorganic chemistry at McGill University. She plans to pursue a career in science communication.

SEPTEMBER 2006 CANADIAN CHEMICAL NEWS 29

3. 1

Theodore Tugboat

2. CSC president, Yves Deslandes, FCIC, and CIC vice-chair Cathy Cardy, MCIC, at the opening reception 3. Bring on the lobsters! 4. Students prepare for the poster competition. 5. CIC executive director, Roland Andersson, MCIC (left), greets ACS executive director, Madeleine Jacobs and her husband, Joseph. 6. The banquet ended with Highland dancing. 7. Halifax harbour 8. Plenary lecturer Sir Harold Kroto 9. CIC medalist, Ron Kluger, FCIC 10. Former CIC chair Bernard West, MCIC, passes the torch to current chair Cathy Cardy, MCIC.

11. Howard Alper, HFCIC, receives his honorary fellowship from former CIC chair, Bernard West, MCIC. 12. Award winners pose with Her Honour the Honourable Myra Freeman, lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia, and His Honour Lawrence Freeman (front row centre).

30 L’ACTUALITÉ CHIMIQUE CANADIENNE SEPTEMBRE 2006

4. 6.

10.

11.

12.

SEPTEMBER 2006 CANADIAN CHEMICAL NEWS 31

LOCAL SECTION NEWS | NOUVELLES DES SECTIONS LOCALES

“Chemistry in Society” Lectureship Honours Neil Bartlett’s Discovery of Noble Gas Reactivity

Joe Schwarcz, MCIC, prepares to light gun cotton. The Chemistry in Society Lectureship enables the Vancouver CIC Local Section to invite world-class speakers to Vancouver, BC, to enhance the public perception of chemistry and its contributions to modern society. It was given on May 23, 2006 by Joe Schwarcz, MCIC, director of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society. Schwarcz gave an extremely enjoyable presentation at the downtown Vancouver campus of The University of British Columbia (UBC) to over 110 people. His presentation was called “Chemistry—Just for the Love of It.” This CIC-sponsored event was part of the celebration surrounding the opening of a renovated research wing at UBC (see p. 7 in this issue). An International Historic Chemical Landmark plaque was dedicated by the American Chemical Society to Neil Bartlett in recognition of his 1962 discovery at UBC of the first reaction of a noble gas (see article in July/August 2006 ACCN). Over the course of an hour, Schwarcz took the audience on a fascinating journey that touched on his early attraction to chemistry, the societal impact of research into polymers and plastics, and examples of the dangers and, sadly, prevalence of ignorance of chemical principles, particularly as expressed in the media. He punctuated his points with riveting demonstrations, which included the lighting of gun cotton, a homemade acetylene lamp, and he even managed to produce a “genie” through the catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. Although a significant number of CIC members attended, it was gratifying to see that many of the attendees were not chemists, but interested members of the public at large, in keeping with the purpose of the lectureship and Schwarcz’s hopes of increasing chemical awareness and literacy in society.

32 L’ACTUALITÉ CHIMIQUE CANADIENNE SEPTEMBRE 2006

Inorganic Chemists Converge in Kelowna More than 100 inorganic chemists from five universities in Canada’s two most western provinces were hosted by The University of British Columbia (UBC) Okanagan in Kelowna, BC, on May 12–14 for the 2006 Alberta/British Columbia Inorganic Chemistry Discussion Weekend. A wide breadth of inorganic chemistry research currently practiced in these provinces, particularly by younger faculty, was clearly seen in the topics discussed by the plenary speakers. Presentations were given on mechanistic organometallic chemistry with silicon-containing compounds (Jennifer Love, MCIC, UBC), mass spectrometry techniques for catalyst discovery and reaction optimization (Scott McIndoe, MCIC, University of Victoria) and new main-group ring systems with carbene character (Roland Roesler, MCIC, University of Calgary). As with previous meetings, emphasis was placed on participation by all registrants, particularly the students. The attendees were divided into ten groups of about a dozen each, and nearly five hours was set aside for group meetings. At these meetings, each participant gave a 15- to 20-minute informal chalk-talk on his or her current activities. In addition, everybody had a chance to mingle and discuss inorganic chemistry during the two-hour poster session, which saw over 30 posters presented. Prizes for particularly noteworthy posters were also awarded. The CIC Vancouver Local Section sponsored the 1st place award, which was won by David Leitch of UBC. Runner-up prizes were won by Diane Dickie of Simon Fraser University, Colin Hessel, MCIC, of the University of Alberta, and Yinghong Qiao of the University of Alberta. They were sponsored by the UBC Okanagan chemistry department, and all prizes were supplemented with donations from VWR. Further general sponsorship from the UBC Okanagan Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences, the UBC VP Research, and Rigaku were greatly appreciated. W. Stephen McNeil, MCIC, of the UBC Okanagan, is especially thanked for his superb handling of local arrangements before and during the conference. In addition to the stimulating technical sessions, the friendly atmosphere, good food, and Okanagan wines ensured that the attendees left the meeting with good memories.

Daniel Leznoff, MCIC

Vancouver CIC Local Section chair

LOCAL SECTION NEWS | NOUVELLES DES SECTIONS LOCALES

Beryl Deuel Award for Service to Chemistry

NCW NEWS NOUVELLES DE LA SNC

Public Understanding of Chemistry 2006 Thank you to the Sponsors (as of June 9, 2006)

Gold BASF Canada CIC Chemical Education Fund Merck Frosst Canada Ltd.

Silver

Fred Deuel (right) accepts the Vancouver CIC Beryl Deuel Service to Chemistry Award on behalf of his late wife Beryl Deuel, FCIC. The award is presented by Daniel Leznoff, MCIC. To honour service to the Vancouver chemistry community and those who promote public chemical education, the Vancouver CIC Local Section is pleased to inaugurate the Vancouver CIC Beryl Deuel Award for Service to Chemistry. Beryl Deuel, FCIC, the first recipient and namesake of this award, was a chemistry teacher at Crofton House School in Vancouver for 39 years. In addition to her dedicated teaching efforts, which were recognized by the CIC’s Domtar Award in 1990 for excellence in teaching high school chemistry, she actively promoted activities of the Vancouver CIC Local Section for over 20 years. Her particular specialty was the coordination of the annual high-school crystal growing competition in the Greater Vancouver area. She also participated actively in annual National Chemistry Week activities. For her distinguished, 50-year career as a chemistry teacher, mentor, and ambassador of chemical education, Deuel was elected as a Fellow of The Chemical Institute of Canada in 1998. Sadly, Deuel passed away on December 12, 2005 (see obituary in March 2006 ACCN). Given Deuel’s outstanding lifetime of service to chemistry and chemical education, the local section was delighted to name this new award after her and make her the first recipient. In keeping with her love of the crystal-growing competition, the award took the form of a certificate of achievement and an impressive natural calcite crystal formation. Her award was recently presented to her husband, Fred Deuel. Future awardees will undoubtedly share the enthusiasm and impact that Deuel had on chemical education and outreach in the Vancouver Local Section.

Daniel Leznoff, MCIC Vancouver CIC Local Section chair

Anachemia Science H. L. Blachford Ltd. NOVA Chemicals Corp. Rechochem Inc. Rhodia Canada Inc. Syncrude Canada Ltd.

Bronze

Cognis Oleochemicals Canada Limited Cognis Canada Corp. NAEJA Pharmaceutical Inc. Syngenta Crop Protection (Canada) Inc.

National Chemistry Week Semaine nationale de la chimie October 14–21, 2006 • du 14 au 21 octobre 2006 GET INVOLVED! Are you visiting schools and shopping malls, hosting an open house, or just talking to your kids about chemistry? Educational and promotional material is available to help you with your events. Check out our new items for this year. The order form is available on our Web site. The National Crystal Growing Competition takes place beginning September 11, 2006. High school students are invited to participate in the regional and national competitions. IMPLIQUEZ-VOUS! Effectuez-vous la tournée des écoles et des centres commerciaux? Organisez-vous une journée portes-ouvertes? Ou discutez-vous de chimie avec vos enfants? Nous mettons à votre disposition du matériel éducatif et promotionnel qui facilitera vos événements. Découvrez les nouveaux items que nous vous offrons cette année. Le formulaire de commande se trouve sur notre site Web. La Compétition de croissance de cristaux débute le 11 septembre 2006. Les élèves du secondaire sont invités à participer aux compétitions régionales et nationales.

www.cheminst.ca/ncw SEPTEMBER 2006 CANADIAN CHEMICAL NEWS 33

CAREERS CARRIÈRES

UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA, DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY The Department of Chemistry of the University of Victoria invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in the area of Organic Chemistry with particular emphasis in the areas of synthesis and chemical biology. As a researcher, the appointee will initiate and expand a creative and high-impact research program based on external research funding from NSERC, CIHR, MSFHR, and other agencies.The appointee will develop as an outstanding teacher and mentor of undergraduate and graduate students, and will contribute to the development and delivery of the core programs of the Department of Chemistry. The candidate will strengthen our emerging emphases on the molecular, supramolecular, and reactivity aspects of biological chemistry and biological or bio-inspired materials chemistry, both within the Department and in collaboration with other research initiatives at the University of Victoria. Candidates must hold a Ph.D. and have post-doctoral experience. Applicants should send a curriculum vitae, a concise research proposal (5 pages, NSERC format preferred),

34 L’ACTUALITÉ CHIMIQUE CANADIENNE SEPTEMBRE 2006

and a short teaching dossier that outlines the candidate’s teaching experience, subject area of teaching expertise, and goals for course delivery and curriculum development to: Dr.Tom Fyles, Chair, Department of Chemistry, University of Victoria, Box 3065,Victoria B.C. Canada V8W 3V6 (e-mail: chemhead@uvic.ca). The candidate should also supply names and complete addresses (fax and e-mail) of three or more people able to act as referees. Applications will be considered after Sept. 1, 2006, with an expected appointment date of July 1, 2007. The University of Victoria is an equity employer and encourages applications from women, persons with disabilities, visible minorities, Aboriginal Peoples, people of all sexual orientations and genders, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of the University. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply; however, in accordance with Canadian immigration requirements, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

EVENTS ÉVÉNEMENTS

CAREERS CARRIÈRES

Canada Conferences October 15–18, 2006. 56th Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference, Sherbrooke, QC, www.csche2006.ca May 26–30, 2007. 90th Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition, Winnipeg, MB, www.chimiste.ca/conferences/ csc_annual__e.htm May 29–June 1, 2007. International Chemical Recovery Conference—“Efficiency and Energy Management,” Québec, QC, 514-392-6964 October 28–31, 2007. 57th Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference, Edmonton, AB, www.chemeng.ca/conferences/ csche_annual__e.htm October 19–22, 2008. 58th Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference, Ottawa, ON, www.chemeng.ca/conferences/ csche_annual__e.htm August 23–27, 2009. 8th World Congress of Chemical Engineering and 59th Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference, Montréal, QC, www.wcce8.org

U.S. and Overseas September 24–28, 2006. INTERACT 2006, Perth, Australia, www.promaco.com/au/conference/2006/raci October 1–4, 2006. XXII InterAmerican Congress of Chemical Engineering, Buenos Aires, Argentina, www.ciiq.org/argentina2006 September 16–21 2007. 6th European Congress of Chemical Engineering (ECCE-6) Copenhagen, Denmark, www.ecce6.kt.dtu.dk November 12–17, 2006. AIChE Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA, www.aiche.org

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The Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering (CJChE) has an eighty-year successful history of producing high-quality, cutting-edge research. From its modest beginnings, the

The Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering

CJChE developed into an outstanding journal, publishing original research, new theoretical interpretations and critical reviews in the science and industrial practice of chemical and biochemical engineering and applied chemistry. The CJChE is now poised to build on its national and international reputation. In the years ahead, the CJChEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goals are: to continue to attract high-quality submissions; to expand its scope to include articles on modern developments in chemical engineering, thus cutting across traditional boundaries and reaching out to frontiers of chemical engineering research; and to interest younger researchers from across Canada and around the world to submit their best work to the CJChE.

Devoted to the publication of chemical engineering science, industrial practice and applied chemistry Published on a non-profit basis by the Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering, the CJChE welcomes submissions of original research articles in the broad field of chemical engineering and its applications. The CJChE publishes six issues per year. Each volume contains fully reviewed articles, notes or reviews. See our Web site for a sample copy and further details. Editor

K. Nandakumar, Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB Associate Editors

B. G. Amsden, Department of Chemical Engineering, Queenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s University, Kingston, ON A. K. Dalai, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK R. E. Hayes, Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB B. Huang, Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB R. S. Sanders, Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB

Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering

www.cjche.ca

The Canadian Society for Chemical Technology

2006AWARDS

The Norman and Marion Bright Memorial Award is awarded to an

Nomination forms and the full Terms of Reference for this award

individual who has made an outstanding contribution in Canada to the

are available at www.chem-tech.ca/awards/csct_index__e.htm.

furtherance of chemical technology. The person so honoured may be either

Important ...

a chemical sciences technologist, or a person from outside the field who has made a significant and noteworthy contribution to it advancement.

38 Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ACTUALITĂ&#x2030; CHIMIQUE CANADIENNE SEPTEMBRE 2006

Submission deadline is October 31, 2006

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