B.A.Sc. and M.A.Sc. (Sharif University of Technology), Ph.D. (Toronto), P.Eng, Post-doc (MIT)Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto Canada Research Chair in Urban Mining Innovation co-Director, Ontario Centre for the Characterization of Advanced Materials (OCCAM)
Areas of Expertise
Critical, Rare earth elements, and Battery materials
Hydrometallurgy
Extractive metallurgy
Process simulation
Thermodynamic modeling
Technoeconomic analysis
System level and financial modeling
Energy storage and batteries
Current Projects
Separation of rare earth elements using electrodialysis
Extraction of rare earths from ionic clays
Recycling of lithium ion batteries
Development of lithium ion and aluminum ion batteries
Urban mining and advanced recycling of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment
Supercritical fluid extraction
Carbon management through the development of a “green electrochemical technology” for iron extraction and steel refining
Industrial solid waste reduction through waste valorization to produce strategic materials like rare earth elements, lithium and cobalt
Development of innovative materials with unique properties (hydrophobicity, anti-scaling) with far-reaching applications in structural and energy materials sectors
Energy storage focusing on the development of a new generation (post lithium) of rechargeable batteries
Electrochemistry and Corrosion, Environmental Engineering, interfacial surface property relationships.
Consulting Activity
Technical advice on electrochemical systems. Forensic analysis of corrosion failures.
About
Donald W. Kirk is a Professor of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry at the University of Toronto and is a Director of the Pacific Basin Consortium for Hazardous Waste located at the East-West Center Hawaii. He obtained his B.A.Sc. (Engineering Science), and M.A.Sc. and Phd (1979,Chemical Engineering) degrees in the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering at the University of Toronto, specializing in materials and electrochemistry.
Professor Kirk is interested in interfacial reactions and the influence of surface properties particularly in interaction with aqueous systems. These interactions are able to be manipulated using electrochemical techniques and through modification of surface structures.. The interfacial reactions manifest themselves through the degradation of materials by their interaction with the environment and through the rates of reaction via catalytic action. Professor Kirk holds 15 patents in the subject area ranging from production of catalytic amorphous alloys, volatilization of heavy metals from industrial dusts, sulphur dioxide leaching and to electrochemical cell technology (electrolysis, fuel cells and electroplating). The research conducted is a mixture of experimental and theoretical approaches focusing on industrial problems. He has published extensively in refereed journals, and has many conference presentations and other scholarly addresses.
Professor Kirk provides advice on electrochemistry and corrosion. This includes forensic failure analysis of metals and components in support of insurance claims and litigation. He can provide specialized testing and analysis services including chemical analysis, thermal analysis and detailed surface characterization based on light, SEM and EDX microscopy. Professor Kirk is also available to provide advice on SR&ED tax claims, and on patents related to his fields of expertise.
B.Sc. (Ohio University), Ph.D. (MIT), Postdoc (Michigan) Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto
Areas of expertise
Design and scale-up of electrochemical systems
Sustainable energy conversion technologies and grid-scale energy storage
Reactor engineering
Mathematical modeling
Electrochemical synthesis and electrocatalysis
Materials engineering
Technoeconomic analysis
Current Projects
Redox flow battery scale-up and reactor engineering
Characterization and reactor design for off-electrode catalytic processes
Redox-active polymers for mediated electrochemical manufacturing
