Welcome to the March issue of The Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering (CJCE). This month’s issue is packed with exciting content to explore, starting with the Editor’s Choice article, “Electrolyte migration through electrochemical membranes: Potential source of error in batch electrochemical cells.” This open access research “demonstrated, for the first time, the electrochemical dissolution of metal fasteners holding porous electrochemical membranes (ECMs) in electrochemical cells, even when these fasteners are kept outside the electrolyte…This observation should be taken into consideration when using ECMs in electrochemical cells to avoid misleading results. A solution for the problem was proposed: separating the metal fasteners from the ECM electrode with a non-porous graphite foil to open the electrochemical circuit.” Anyone can read, download, or share this groundbreaking information, and it has already gained enough traction to merit inclusion in our latest virtual issue: Trending Topics in Chemical Engineering: 2022–2024 (see below for more details on the virtual issue).

Our first March highlight is “State estimation for one-dimensional agro-hydrological processes with model mismatch,” which explores the use of state estimation for the monitoring of closed-loop precision irrigation systems “to efficiently overcome model mismatch and provide reliable soil moisture estimates. Comprehensive simulations have shown that the proposed approach can lead to significant improvements of more than 20% in soil moisture estimation.” This research article is also open access and free for anyone to read, share, and download. Check it out today!

The next issue highlight, “Joint alignment network preserving structural information for multimode process fault diagnosis,” “proposes a novel unsupervised cross-domain fault diagnosis method, which integrates multiple sources of information, including domain labels, category labels, and data distribution structures, to discover common characteristics among different domains,” to combat a known problem in fault diagnosis: “Models for defect diagnosis may perform worse as a result of the distributional mismatch between test data and training data.” Read the article for free this month to learn how researchers attacked this problem using a joint alignment network preserving structural information (JANSI) method and verified it on three case studies.

Finally, the March issue highlights “One-step hydrothermal synthesis of a green NiCo-LDHs-rGO composite for the treatment of lead ion in aqueous solutions,” in which researchers “synthesized a microspherical composite comprising nickel-cobalt-layered double hydroxides-reduced graphene oxide (NiCo-LDHs-rGO) using a facile hydrothermal method. The composite demonstrated exceptional efficacy as an adsorbent for eliminating Pb2+ contaminants from aqueous solutions.” The research identifies “pH as the most influential parameter for the removal process. The NiCo-LDHs-rGO composite possesses notable advantages, including high adsorption capacity, rapid kinetics (30 minutes), and a green one-step synthesis; these features indicate its suitability as an efficient adsorbent for Pb2+ decontamination.” You can also read this open access article in our newest virtual issue! Keep reading to learn more.

Virtual Issue: Trending Topics in Chemical Engineering

Read the latest buzz in the chemical engineering community with the CJCE’s latest virtual issue, Trending Topics in Chemical Engineering: 2022–2024. The issue features 16 articles “that have piqued the interest of the chemical engineering community, with elevated reads, downloads, and citations,” and it covers a wide range of fascinating topics. From advice on publishing and posters in “Publication tips: How to write scientific articles that master the publication process and communicate your ideas efficiently” and “Perspectives on judging posters” to summaries of experimental methods in “Experimental methods in chemical engineering: X-ray absorption spectroscopy—XAS, XANES, EXAFS” and “Experimental methods in chemical engineering: Hazard and operability analysis—HAZOP,” there is something for everyone in this issue.

The future is open access! Did you know that 14 of the 16 Trending Topics articles are open access? That means over 87% of CJCE articles chosen for their higher than usual exposure are open access! Select open access titles in the issue include “Synergism of enzymes in chemical pulp bleaching from an industrial point of view,” “The development of a novel non-leaching flocculant, derived from activated carbon and polyacrylamide,” and “Data-driven modelling methods in sintering process: Current research status and perspectives.” Learn more about open access funding options for Canadian authors here.

Chemical engineering is at the forefront of the advancement of green technology, and the articles covered in this virtual issue are no exception. With articles like, “It’s time for an update—A perspective on fuel cell electrodes,” “Recent advances in hydrogen production through catalytic steam reforming of ethanol: Advances in catalytic design,” “Effect of plant density and hydraulic retention time on phytoremediation of greywater using water hyacinth,” and “Numerical modelling of rotating packed beds used for CO2 capture processes” the authors who contribute to the Canadian Journal for Chemical Engineering are working towards a greener future.

Trending Topics in Chemical Engineering: 2022–2024 is free to read until May 15, 2024, but you won’t want to wait to read these popular articles. Want to join the conversation? Submit your article for publication in the CJCE at http://wiley.atyponrex.com/journal/CJCE.