Happy New Year! The January Issue of CJCE features an editorial from Editor-in-Chief João B. P. Soares discussing CJCE’s most recent virtual issue Celebrating OA: Top-Viewed Articles from 2025:
“I am pleased to write this editorial for the virtual special issue showcasing the 20 most-viewed open access papers published in The Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering (CJCE) in 2025. These papers cover a wide range of chemical engineering subjects and showcase the work of authors across the globe (Canada, Brazil, China, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Spain, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates), underscoring CJCE’s role as a global forum for advances in all areas of our fascinating profession…CJCE’s breadth is its main strength. These 20 open access papers illustrate chemical engineering’s uncommon range: molecular insight and reactor-scale complexity, frontier materials and legacy energy systems, precision measurement and systems thinking, environmental stewardship and techno-economic realism. They also reflect the broad geographic representation of our authors—from North and South America through Europe, the Middle East, and Asia/Africa—showing how CJCE serves as a convening space for global problems that demand global expertise.”
The Editor’s Choice article from the January Issue of CJCE is a new open access article from the Environment, Renewable Resources, Green Processes thematic area titled “Optimization and predictive modelling of biodiesel production from waste cooking oil catalyzed by blast furnace slag geopolymer using RSM and machine learning” by authors Pascal Mwenge, Djemima Bulanga, Hilary Rutto, and Tumisang Seodigeng from Vaal University of Technology and Durban University of Technology, South Africa. Within the abstract, the authors note “Biodiesel production from waste cooking oil (WCO) has emerged owing to growing interest in sustainable energy sources. Geopolymers synthesized from industrial wastes, such as blast furnace slag (BFS), are promising catalysts because of their environmental benefits and catalytic properties. However, a knowledge gap exists in the application of machine learning (ML) for the transesterification of WCO catalyzed by geopolymer. This study aimed to optimize and predict biodiesel yield using a numerical approach, response surface methodology (RSM), and two ML algorithms: artificial neural network (ANN) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS).”
The second issue highlight is another open access article, titled “Thermal degradation of impact-modified PMMA in mechanical and chemical recycling” by authors Tien Dat Nguyen, Nooshin Saadatkhah, Yanfa Zhuang, Jacopo De Tommaso, Karen Stoeffler, Adrien Faye, and Gregory S. Patience from Polytechnique Montréal and National Research Council of Canada. The authors note that “Poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is a thermoplastic with outstanding tensile strength, UV resistance, and a high level of transparency that has been used widely for optical applications such as glazing in the automobile industry”, and within this paper, they investigate “the thermal depolymerization process of impact-modified PMMA in a micro fluidized bed reactor.”
The next issue highlight is yet another open access article. In this article, “Natural wax supported by microporous biochar to create a stable phase change material”, authors David Brassard, Adya Karthikeyan, and Jason R. Tavares from Polytechnique Montréal and University of Ottawa note that “Energy storage, exploiting the latent heat of phase change materials, offers an efficient method to store and release heat” and “Initial developments of phase change materials and their containment targeted performance over environmental impact”. This article “presents a bio-sourced, fully compostable, and biodegradable composite phase change material made from hardwood charcoal and beeswax.”
The final issue highlight is an open access article from authors Ali Rasoolzadeh, Ali Bakhtyari, Jafar Javanmardi, and Amir H. Mohammadi from Behbahan Khatam Alanbia University of Technology and Shiraz University, Iran, as well as University of KwaZulu-Natal, Howard College Campus, South Africa, titled “A straightforward model for determining gas hydrate phase equilibrium conditions and enthalpy of hydrate dissociation for natural gas components”. This article notes that the “significant challenge in natural gas transportation through pipelines is the occurrence of gas hydrate formation” and “An adequate understanding of the phase equilibrium conditions of gas hydrate is essential for implementing an effective gas hydrate prevention plan”. Therefore, this article “seeks to present a concise theoretical equation for determining the gas hydrate dissociation conditions of simple gas hydrates of several gas hydrate formers, such as methane, ethane, propane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrogen sulphide, and oxygen.”