About
Research Group
At the heart of any research group is the people involved. It is the bright and motivated students who make quality research possible in the PyRO lab.
Innovative Electrochemical Research at PyRO Lab
The PyRO Lab at BYU’s Department of Chemical Engineering is pioneering advancements in electrochemical science. Our key research areas include:
- Stable Reference Electrodes: Developing reliable electrodes for high-temperature environments.
- Molten Salt Systems: Enhancing techniques for identifying metal chlorides and generating chlorine in molten salts.
- Electrorefining: Improving electrochemical properties of materials like bismuth chloride and creating surrogates for plutonium processing.
- Advanced Methodologies: Innovating in electrodeposition signal analysis and semi-differentiation techniques for precise electrochemical measurements.
Our work aims to push the boundaries of electrochemistry, contributing to sustainable energy solutions and advanced materials science.
Inert Atmosphere Gloveboxes
The PyRO (Pyrochemical Research and Operations) Lab consists of 3 laboratory rooms with multiple gloveboxes. One room is a shared laboratory with The Nuclear Engineering Reactor Design (NERD) Research Group, which synergistically works on molten salt reactors. Another room is being developed into the HEET (High-Efficiency Electrochemical Test) facility where hydrodynamic electrodes can be prototyped and tested for rapid, in situ corrosion and property measurements. The last room is the wet lab where bench-top aqueous systems can be used to rapidly test new equipment and samples for various chemical analyses can be prepared.
Instruments
The PyRO lab contains equipment for handling and heating air- and moisture-sensitive materials, including salts and reactive metals. Additionally, it is equipped with a gas detection system to handle toxic and flammable gases safely. Potentiostats and gas analyzers are available for analyzing the chemistry of pyrochemical operations in real time and within the actual system. For more details about the equipment click below.
Dr. Devin Rappleye
Dr. Devin Rappleye has over 12 years of experience in pyrochemical research and operations. He currently leads the PyRO lab at BYU.