Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021)
Strathclyde’s Engineering submission, which included the research of seven departments from the Faculty of Engineering, has the joint highest impact quality profile in Scotland and joint highest environment quality profile in Scotland, based on GPA as calculated by THE.
Find out more about REF 2021 Results.
Chemical engineering research at Strathclyde spans the boundaries of science and engineering.
Our research applies advances in science and mathematics to develop solutions to challenges faced by industry and society, such as manufacturing medicines, delivering clean water and providing renewable energy. We research areas from controlled assembly of nanostructured materials to design of advanced reactors, and from combating global warming with novel energy storage and gas separation technology to understanding protein aggregation in degenerative diseases.
Our cutting edge research aligns with the following University-wide strategic themes:
- Advanced manufacturing & materials
- Energy
- Health & wellbeing
- Measurement science & enabling technologies
- Society & policy
We have strong links with other engineering and science departments within Strathclyde and externally. We also work with many industrial partners.
Areas of research

Advanced Manufacturing and Materials
We design, develop, and manufacture new nanostructured materials that can be used to address problems of global significance, such as energy generation and storage, water purification, carbon capture and pharmaceutical manufacture. Key areas of research include the manufacture and application of porous materials and metal-organic frameworks; the properties and processing of polymeric materials; the nucleation, growth and separation of crystals; the applications of electrochemistry to coatings, metal ion recovery and water clean-up.

Energy
The development, well-being, and progress of society is closely linked to the availability of energy. We're developing more effective methods for the extraction of conventional energy resources, as well as researching ways to make alternate energy sources, such as biomass, more economically competitive. We're also actively developing novel chemical processes that more efficiently and more cleanly utilize current energy resources.

Health and Wellbeing
We are active innovators in pharmaceutical processing, monitoring technology and process development. A number of academics in the department are research partners in CMAC the National Centre for Continuous Manufacturing and Crystallization which focus on transitioning the pharmaceutical industry from batch to continuous operation. We have developed crystallization and isolation process development work flows and offer training in their industrial application. Our modelling team have simulated the interactions between proteins and peptides with small molecules.

Society and policy
Engineering and technology should benefit society and ensure its well-being. Towards this aim, much of our research is devoted towards enabling sustainable development and minimising the impact of industry on the environment. We are also leveraging advances in social and behavioural sciences with our technical expertise and experience to incorporate human factors in improving methods of engineering education and in designing effective safety systems.

Measurement science
Optimisation of chemical processes often depends on the application of advanced measurement capabilities, leading to improved understanding and control. Frequently there is a synergy between instrumentation developed for experimental work in laboratory systems and the application to industrial processes. Our research in this area covers an array of measurement techniques and industry sectors but a recurrent theme is its application to minimise pollution and reduce waste as well as making more efficient use of energy.