DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

Research Staff

Dr. Ionut Banu Research / Teaching Associate Arzanah Building, Room 8344, Sas Al Nakhl Campus, Office: +971 2 6075 151 Email: bionut@pi.ac.ae

EDUCATION

• PhD Chemical Engineering, University Claude Bernard, Lyon 1, Lyon, France and University “Politehnica” of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania  (2009)
• MSci Chemical Engineering, University “Politehnica” of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania  (2004)
• BSci Chemical Engineering, University “Politehnica” of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania  (2003)

PROFILE

Dr. Ionut Banu joined the PI as a Research/Teaching Associate in February 2010. He realized his Ph.D. thesis in a system of co-supervision between University Claude Bernard, Lyon 1, France (Laboratory of Polymeric and Bio-polymeric Materials) and University “Politehnica” of Bucharest, Romania (Department of Chemical Engineering) in the area of modeling and optimization of tubular polymerization reactors, with applications in the synthesis of biodegradable polymers by reactive extrusion. He obtained his MSci degree in Computer Aided Process Engineering in 2004 from University “Politehnica” of Bucharest (Romania). He has experience in modeling and optimization of chemical processes using Matlab programming package and also modeling software as Aspen Plus and Aspen Hysys. During the Ph. D. stage he participated in  a number of research projects in Romania, concerning the nonlinear approach of design and operation of chemical processes (University “Politehnica” of Bucharest) and modeling  of polylactides synthesis by reactive extrusion (University Claude Bernard, Lyon1 and  University “Politehnica” of Bucharest).

HONORS AND AWARDS

• October 2005 – July 2006, Eiffel excellence scholarship, financed by  The French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs
• Mars 2007 – August 2007 and October 2005 – July 2006, MIRA scholarship, financed by  Rhone-Alpes region, France

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES

• Kinetics of polymerization processes in batch reactors
• Experimental and modeling studies of flow and mixing of polymers in twin-screw extruders
• Synthesis of biodegradable polymers by reactive extrusion
• Parameter estimation, modeling and optimization applied for chemical processes

CURRENT INTERESTS

• Catalytic processes related to petroleum refinery
• Modeling and optimization of chemical processes
• Process intensification
• Biodegradable polymers synthesized by reactive extrusion

PUBLICATIONS

• J. P. Puaux, I. Banu, I. Nagy & G. Bozga, “A study of L-lactide ring-opening polymerization kinetics”,  Macromolecular Symposia, vo. 259, no. 1, pp. 318- 326, 2007.
• I. Banu, G. Bozga, I. Nagy & J. P. Puaux, “A Comparison of Variational and Genetic Algorithm Performances in the Optimization of a Polymerization Process”, Chemical Engineering and Technology, vol. 31, no. 10, pp. 1516-1525, 2008.
• I. Banu, S. Bîldea, G. Bozga & J. P. Puaux, “Simulation of a laminar flow tubular reactor”, Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai Chemia, (Romania) no. 1, pp. 227-242, 2009.
• I. Banu, N. D. Stanciu, J. P. Puaux & G. Bozga, “A study of L-lactide ring-opening polymerization in molten state”, U.P.B. Sci. Bull., Series B, (Romania), vol. 71, no. 2, 2009.
• I. Banu, J. P. Puaux, G. Bozga & I. Nagy, “Modeling of L-lactide polymerization by reactive extrusion”, Macromolecular Symposia, vol. 289, no. 1, pp. 108-118, 2010.