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Dale J. LeCaptain (Assistant Professor)

Ph.D., Michigan State University, 1999

B.S., University of Wisconsin LaCrosse, 1994

Office:    Dow 358

Phone:    (989) 774 - 3993

Fax:        (989) 774 - 3883

E-mail:    lecap1dj@cmich.edu

Teaching Emphasis:

Areas: Analytical, Physical, General, and Engineering Chemistry

Courses: CHM 211 Quantitative Analysis

              CHM 511 Advanced Analytical Chemistry

CHM 687 Analytical Techniques

CHM 131 & 132 General Chemistry Laboratory

Research Program and Goals:

Green Chemistry: 

» The much anticipated and currently desired next generation of chemical production will utilize renewable non-petroleum-based resources.  Green chemical production processes, such as the production of lactic acid and succinic acid need base values for fermentation, pH control and acid for purification processing.   In order to minimize the salt by-product (thus making the entire process green) regeneration is necessary.  The regeneration of acid (ammonium bisulfate) and base (ammonia) from the salt (ammonium sulfate) for “green” production is possible through heating.  Efficient production through heating requires robust, in situ, and sensitive analytical techniques that will enable a mechanistic understanding of the chemical process.  This work seeks to demonstrates the application of Raman spectroscopy and various other analytical methods for the study of an economically feasible, energy efficient, and environmentally friendly regeneration and recycling of acid and base values as part of the production of green chemicals. This collaborative project with Diversified Natural Products, Inc. of East Lansing is to develop an environmentally friendly, economically feasible, and energy efficient way to thermally crack the salt to acid and base.  

» The proliferation of biotechnologies and the incremental push toward “greener technologies” through biocatalysis have afforded opportunities for cost competitive production of industrially useful synthetic products that are “green” from start through production to the final product.  Ionic solvents, nanotech dendrimer, and plasticizers derived from biobased carboxylic and amino acids are examples that we are pursuing.

Biodiesel:
» Solving the growing energy crises will likely not have a single solution, rather a combination of energy sources will be needed to decrease the petroleum demand. Numerous technologies are being developed, wind, solar, ethanol, and many more. Biodiesel is another alternative energy source that can replace petroleum diesel fuel. Biodiesel is made from plant oils either directly or from waste oils that were used for cooking. It displaces imported oil (petroleum diesel fuel is a medium weight distillate from petroleum that is used in diesel engines for trucking etc.), reduces emissions, reduces chronic toxic emissions, is renewable, and increases lubricity. The 12.5% lower energy per pound and less favorable cold flow properties are negated when used in a blend with petroleum diesel. The use of biodiesel is increasing and more production is coming on line. As with any fuel, biodiesel must adhere to the set industry standards of quality and purity. Quality is verified in the final product but as with most chemical production the key to efficient operation and a quality product is to monitor the process at every step enabling process control as system parameters change over time. The focus of this research is to develop in-process analytical measurement methods and procedures for the production of biodiesel.

Chemical Process Analysis:  

» The analytical ability to perform in situ and multi element analysis without direct sample contact is desired to monitor industrial processes and environmental samples.  The LIBS technique uses a ND:YAG laser beam to strike the sample (solid, liquid, or gas) and completely ionize the sample by creating a micro-plasma, which causes atomic emission that is detected by an ICCD and analyzed.   The little or no sample preparation and spectroscopically transparent sampling chambers make LIBS useful for solid, liquid, and gas analysis.  Air analysis, aerosols, solid samples, pharmaceuticals and quantitative and qualitative measurement of pollutant atoms (fluorine, chlorine, sulfur, and carbon) at atmospheric conditions indicates the sample versatility of the technique.  

» Polymorphic crystalline materials pose a challenge to industrial processing because physical and thermodynamic properties vary among polymorphs.  Particularly in the pharmaceutical, food, and fine chemical industries, characterizing the polymorphs is necessary for quality control and quality assurance.  The non-linear optical process of second harmonic generation and related non-linear spectroscopies can be used in situ to monitor polymorph formation and transformation.