WWU’s Tim Kowalczyk receives additional $25,000 to bring students into his study of carbon dioxide capture in industrial processes

WWU Professor of Chemistry Tim Kowalczyk has received an additional $25,000 from the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund to investigate a more efficient method of carbon dioxide adsorption in industrial processes. 

Kowalczyk’s research focuses on utilizing electroswing adsorption to separate carbon dioxide from industrial exhaust known as flue gas. Traditional processing of flue gas requires significant amounts of energy, typically sourced from fossil fuels. Kowalczyk’s work will inform new approaches to mitigate the environmental impact of these traditional processes. 

The supplemental grant will go toward developing a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) for upper-division physical and inorganic chemistry labs.  

“This supplemental grant will enable a much larger cross-section of chemistry majors at Western to benefit from this PRF-sponsored research and brings hands-on cheminformatics and materials modeling skills — both highly valued in industry — directly into the curriculum,” Kowalczyk said.  

For more information about Kowalczyk’s research, read “WWU’s Tim Kowalczyk receives ACS-PRF grant to study a more efficient way to separate carbon dioxide from exhaust” or visit his lab page at chemistry.wwu.edu/kowalct2/research-group 

Mikayla King, ’17, covers the College of Science and Engineering and Woodring College of Education for University Communications. Reach out to her with story ideas at kingm24@wwu.edu.