Rafael Mattos Dos Santos

Rafael Mattos Dos Santos
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Rafael verified their affiliation via an institutional email.
Verified
Rafael verified their affiliation via an institutional email.
University of Guelph | UOGuelph · School of Engineering

BASc, MASc, PhD, PEng
Associate Professor in Environmental Engineering

About

319
Publications
104,099
Reads
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4,230
Citations
Introduction
My areas of expertise include: Carbon Capture and Storage; Computational Fluid Dynamics; Geochemistry; (Bio) Hydrometallurgy; Materials Characterization; Membrane Technology; Microfluidics; Mineralogy; Multiphase Flow; Process Intensification; and Waste Management.
Additional affiliations
August 2017 - present
University of Guelph
Position
  • Professor (Assistant)
Description
  • Research in the fields of environmental engineering, process intensification, sustainability and climate change mitigation.
August 2014 - present
Sheridan College
Position
  • Professor in Applied Chemical and Environmental Sciences
Description
  • Teaching: Environmental Science; Fluid Mechanics; Air Pollution Chemistry; Waste Water Treatment.
August 2014 - August 2017
Sheridan College
Position
  • Professor
Description
  • Teaching and research in the fields of applied chemical and environmental sciences.
Education
January 2010 - December 2013
KU Leuven
Field of study
  • Chemical Engineering
January 2006 - September 2007
University of Toronto
Field of study
  • Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry
September 2000 - May 2004
University of Toronto
Field of study
  • Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry

Publications

Publications (319)
Article
Full-text available
Considered a well-known carbon sequestration method, terrestrial enhanced rock weathering (ERW) involves the application of crushed silicate-bearing minerals to urban and agricultural soils. Once dissolved in a soil–water system, alkaline minerals adjust the pH in a range favorable for pedogenic carbonate formation and, hence, atmospheric carbon dr...
Article
Full-text available
Graphene oxide (GO) was synthesized through the thermal decomposition (TD) of citric acid (CA) through an alternative and more environmentally friendly route than the conventional method. Functionalization with amine (diethylenetriamine) was performed (GOF-DETA) to impart basic characteristics to GO, and impregnated copper (GOF-DETA+Cu) was used to...
Preprint
This study explores a novel approach to point-of-use (POU) water disinfection using 3Dprinted, metallic-coated filtration infills based on Triply Periodic Minimal Surface (TPMS) geometry. Designed for low-cost, scalable applications in remote and rural areas, the infills were fabricated using conductive PLA-based filaments, then coated with copper...
Preprint
This research presents an innovative approach for metal coat production directly on a 3D printed part to be adopted as a point-of-use (POU) water treatment technology utilizing metallic surfaces based on Triply Periodic Minimal Surface (TPMS) structured filtration infills. TPMS infill meshes were coded in a Schwarz P function using Python to be 3D...
Article
Full-text available
Biochar, produced through the pyrolysis of biomass and green waste, offers significant potential as a soil amendment to enhance soil health and sustainability in agriculture. However, the current Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) systems for biochar predominantly focus on carbon credits/offsets, neglecting crucial aspects related to it...
Preprint
This research presents an innovative approach for metal coat production directly on a 3D printed part to be adopted as a point-of-use (POU) water treatment technology utilizing metallic surfaces based on Triply Periodic Minimal Surface (TPMS) structured filtration infills. TPMS infill meshes were coded in a Schwarz P function using Python to be 3D...
Article
Full-text available
The modern world's major challenges, such as global warming, air pollution, and increasing energy demands, escalate the importance of sustainable development and transition toward renewables using innovative and environmentally friendly solutions, such as intensifying chemical processes, to reduce carbon footprints effectively. Aiming to enhance th...
Article
Full-text available
Acidic soils limit plant nutrient availability, leading to deficiencies and reduced crop yields. Agricultural liming agents address these issues and are crucial for deploying silicate amendments used in enhanced rock weathering (ERW) for carbon sequestration and emission reduction. Grower recommendations for liming agents are based on the liming in...
Presentation
Full-text available
The access to clean water is a great humanitarian challenge not only for developing countries, but also for isolated regions where sewage treatment systems are unavailable. In this context, the development and deployment of point-of-use (POU) technologies are a low-cost, clever and emergent solution to produce pathogen-free water for several uses,...
Presentation
Microfluidic flow cytometry is gaining popularity as it is portable and reduces the usage of sample and sheath fluid. However, the design of these devices has primarily relied on empirical and trial-and-error approaches, there is a need for a more precise understanding of how fluidic and geochemical parameters affect the device’s performance. To th...
Preprint
Full-text available
Acidic soils limit plant nutrient availability, leading to deficiencies and reduced crop yields. Agricultural liming agents address these issues and are crucial for deploying silicate amendments used in enhanced rock weathering (ERW) for carbon sequestration and emission reduction. Grower recommendations for liming agents are based on the liming in...
Presentation
Full-text available
Pathways to net-zero carbon emissions pledged under the Paris Agreement rely on both CO2 reduction and removal. Under the best-case abatement scenario of anthropogenic emission, there is need for 10 Gt CO2 or more to be removed from the atmosphere annually. Geological sequestration in solid carbonates and dissolved alkalinity has the potential to s...
Poster
The reliable measurement of the inorganic carbon content of soils and its changes resulting from land management practices and amendments is crucial for precisely quantifying carbon stocks as part of monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) schemes. While various methods are available for evaluating carbonate content in soils, the most direct a...
Poster
Full-text available
Space geochemical modelling is a powerful tool for supporting cosmochemistry in studying the geochemistry of visited astronomical objects and predicting the geochemical conditions on more obscure planets and moons. Geochemical models can assist in simulating the evolution of the atmosphere, crust, and interior of planets or moons and the geochemica...
Poster
Full-text available
Despite the number of studies on the Moon and other celestial bodies as far as Mars, the number of studies conducted on celestial objects beyond Mars, the significantly high expenses and the required time for space explorations escalate the essence of novel methods to manage such limitations. Space geochemical modelling is a powerful tool for suppo...
Article
The reliable measurement of the inorganic carbon content of soils and its changes resulting from land management practices and amendments is crucial for precisely quantifying carbon stocks as part of monitoring, reporting, and verification schemes. While various methods are available for evaluating the carbonate content in soils, the most direct ap...
Cover Page
Full-text available
Water Treatment Technology: In article number 2300663, Leonardo G. T. C. Melo, Rafael Mattos dos Santos, and co-workers present a point-of-use (POU) water treatment technology utilizing metal/metallic surfaces based on triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) structured filtration infills. Computational fluid dynamics modeling using Ansys CFX softwar...
Article
Full-text available
The ever-escalating CO2 concentration in the atmosphere calls for accelerated development and deployment of carbon capture processes to reduce emissions. Mixed matrix membranes (MMMs), which are fabricated by incorporating the beneficial properties of highly selective inorganic fillers into a polymer matrix, have exhibited significant progress and...
Article
Full-text available
This investigation presents a new approach for evaluating soil organic carbon (SOC) content in farming soils using a photocatalytic chemical oxygen demand (PeCOD) analyzer combined with geographic information system (GIS) technology for spatial analysis. Soil samples were collected at various sites throughout Canada and were analyzed using sieve an...
Presentation
Full-text available
Acidic soils hinder nutrient accessibility to plants, causing deficiencies and reduced crop yields. The common use of liming agents in agriculture (wherein the use of limestone/dolomite is typically a net CO2 emitter) not only addresses these issues, but also is the most direct path for globally deploying silicate amendments used for Enhanced Rock...
Poster
Full-text available
Turfgrass, extensively utilized in recreational spaces, urban green areas, and sports fields, provides visually appealing landscapes and recreational opportunities. To achieve optimal turfgrass growth and aesthetics, a meticulous nutrient management strategy is imperative. Nitrogen, a primary macronutrient, plays a vital role in essential physiolog...
Presentation
Full-text available
This presentation explores the potential of Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) as a viable solution for climate change mitigation. Drawing from recent research at the University of Guelph and beyond, we will delve into the capacity of global croplands to drawdown CO2 via mineral weathering, highlighting the importance of soil pH and temperature on sili...
Article
Full-text available
This research presents a point‐of‐use (POU) water treatment technology utilizing metal/metallic surfaces based on Triply Periodic Minimal Surface (TPMS) structured filtration infills. Computational Fluid Dynamics modeling using Ansys CFX software is employed to analyze the behavior of Escherichia coli bacteria within a continuous liquid phase movin...
Article
The present study aimed to produce pure and Nb-doped ZnO particles and analyze the effects of different amounts of Nb on the ZnO lattice, obtaining a material that can exhibit good performance in different optical and antimicrobial applications. Pure ZnO and Nb-doped (1, 2, 4 and 8 mol%) particles were prepared using a microwave-assisted hydrotherm...
Article
Full-text available
In the pursuit of sustainable solutions for carbon dioxide CO2 sequestration and emission reduction in the steel industry, this study presents an innovative integration of steelmaking slag with the modified Solvay process for sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) synthesis from saline brines. Utilizing diverse minerals, including electric arc furnace (EAF) s...
Thesis
Full-text available
Microfluidic flow cytometry is gaining popularity as it is portable and reduces the usage of sample and sheath fluid. However, the design of these devices has primarily relied on empirical and trial-and-error approaches, there is a need for a more precise understanding of how fluidic and geochemical parameters affect the device’s performance. To th...
Preprint
Full-text available
Considered as a well-known carbon sequestration method, terrestrial enhanced rock weathering involves the application of crushed silicate-bearing minerals to urban and agricultural soils. Once dissolved in the soil-water system, alkaline minerals adjust the pH in a range favorable for pedogenic carbonate formation and, hence, atmospheric carbon dra...
Preprint
Full-text available
Mineralization of powder form of fast-weathering silicate minerals (e.g., wollastonite and diopside) is reckoned as a stable and relatively low-cost method for sequestrating atmospheric CO 2 in agricultural and urban soils. While the process, called terrestrial enhanced weathering, has well shown the capacity of carbon drawdown in lab and field sca...
Presentation
Terrestrial enhanced weathering of alkaline silicate minerals is a promising climate change mitigation strategy during the global energy transition. This process creates a substantial carbon sink through the accumulation of pedogenic carbonate and bicarbonate in soils and groundwater. However, little attention has been given to the influence of loc...
Presentation
Abstract The ongoing energy transition presents an urgent need to mitigate climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As urban migration continues to accelerate, cities play a crucial role in this endeavor. Urban farming holds promise for carbon sequestration in cities. As urban migration increases, cities' role in mitigating climate chang...
Thesis
Full-text available
This investigation presents a new approach for evaluating soil organic carbon (SOC) content in farming soils using a photocatalytic Chemical Oxygen Demand (PeCOD) analyzer incorporated with Geographic Information System (GIS) technology for spatial analysis. The PeCOD system, which relies on photochemical oxidation of organic carbon, showed an exci...
Article
Full-text available
Featured Application: The focus of this review is the use of SEM imaging to gain insight into the composition and morphology of minerals in view of predicting or understanding their reactivity or the process by which they are formed. Abstract: Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is a powerful tool in the domains of materials science, mining, and geo...
Preprint
Currently, point-of-use (POU) disinfection technologies have a significant impact addressing the control of microbial pathogens in water. Among the physical factors related to microbial filtration/inactivation, the rate of particles collision with the disinfecting surface is crucial to guarantee satisfactory efficiency. Through a Computational Flui...
Presentation
Full-text available
As climate change concerns and the demand for sustainable and environmentally friendly energy sources grows, recent advancements in nuclear power technologies suggest promising achievements in using thorium as an alternative nuclear fuel. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of thorium resources worldwide, with a particular focus on their d...
Presentation
Traditional mineral processing methods are known for their high temperatures, chemically intensive processing, hazardous waste discharge, and substantial carbon emissions. To tackle these challenges, a carbon-negative mining technology is needed which can extract critical metals from low-grade minerals while simultaneously removing CO2 from the atm...
Preprint
Full-text available
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is a powerful tool in the domain of material science, mining, and geology, owing to its enormous potential to provide unique insights into the micro and nanoscale worlds. This comprehensive review discusses the background development of SEM, basic SEM operation including the specimen preparation and imaging proces...
Presentation
Full-text available
This project encompassed research on the integration of the sodium bicarbonate production from subsurface brine with steelmaking, whereby slags from steelmaking were considered and experimented with for use in either: (i) the regeneration of ammonium from the spent brine; (ii) as a co-reagent in the bicarbonate reaction process to reduce the need f...
Preprint
Full-text available
In the pursuit of sustainable solutions for carbon dioxide CO2 sequestration and emission reduction in the steel industry, this study presents an innovative integration of steelmaking slag with the modified Solvay process for sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) synthesis from saline brines. Utilizing diverse minerals, including electric arc furnace (EAF) s...
Article
Terrestrial enhanced rock weathering (ERW) is reckoned as a robust method to contribute to stabilizing atmospheric carbon and combat global warming. The method is particularly a matter of interest in agricultural soil, offering a vast opportunity for the application of crushed silicate minerals and secondary carbonate accumulation and migration. Al...
Article
CONSPECTUS: The central theme of this Account is the development of intensified and sustainable chemical processes for the sequestration of CO2 in synergism with the utilization of wastes of industrial, urban, and agricultural origins. A challenge when working with solid waste−fluid reactions is that mass transfer limitations across solid−liquid, s...
Article
Full-text available
Enhanced rock weathering (ERW), as a negative emissions technology for climate change mitigation, has received far more public, governmental, and academic attention (according to the authors’ account of engagement with such actors) in the past year than in the many years since its first mention in the literature. The term ERW was conceived by Beerl...
Poster
Full-text available
Soil organic carbon (SOC) is a vital indicator of soil health and plays a crucial role in mitigating climate emissions through carbon sequestration. Accurate and rapid estimation of SOC is essential for farmers to implement climate change mitigation strategies and claim carbon credits. In this study, we developed and validated a protocol for the ra...
Article
Carbon concentrations in the atmosphere are increasing yearly, making it the primary contributor to climate change. To reduce CO2 emissions, various strategies and technologies have been implemented. Mineral carbonation is an effective technology for mitigating climate change. Despite its efficiency, the slow pace of mineral carbonation poses a cha...
Preprint
This research presents a novel approach for estimating soil organic carbon (SOC) content in agricultural soils using a photocatalytic Chemical Oxygen Demand (PeCOD) analyzer integrated with Geographic Information System (GIS) technology for spatial analysis. The PeCOD method, which relies on photochemical oxidation of organic carbon, demonstrated a...
Poster
Full-text available
It is estimated that 2 to 20 quadrillion (10^15) cubic meters of methane exist in the Earth’s crust in the form of solid hydrate (also known as methane clathrate). The recovery of this methane, however, presents an enormous challenge to engineers, and it is doubtful if energy needs may not be better satisfied with more sustainable technologies that...
Article
Full-text available
During production from oil wells, the deposition of asphaltene and wax at surface facilities and porous media is one of the major operational challenges. The crude oil production rate is significantly reduced due to asphaltene deposition inside the reservoir. In addition, the deposition of these solids inside the surface facilities is costly to oil...
Article
Full-text available
Terrestrial enhanced weathering of alkaline silicate minerals is a promising climate change mitigation strategy with the potential to limit the global temperature rise. The formation and accumulation of pedogenic carbonate and bicarbonate in soils/subsoils and groundwater offers a large sink for C storage; the amount of soil inorganic carbon (SIC)...
Article
Full-text available
In this investigation, a unique approach using a green surfactant extracted from the Avena sativa (AS) plant in conjunction with three different salts, including Na2CO3, NaCl, and Na2SO4, was examined for enhanced oil recovery. In addition, the efficiency of NaOH as a supplementary chemical in the process was investigated. Based on the results of t...
Article
Full-text available
The textile sector of Bangladesh has positively contributed to a significant impact on its national economy and employment opportunities due to its rapid growth. The increasing number of wet processing units has led to a growing amount of wastewater volume as well as textile sludge (a byproduct of wastewater or effluent treatment plants). In 2015,...
Poster
Full-text available
The presented work aimed to investigate pre-recorded tutorials' impact on online fatigue and students' performance. An anonymous survey was conducted to explore students' note-taking habits, perceptions, and preferences for live or pre-recorded tutorials. Interestingly, results suggest an even split between preferences for live and pre-recorded tut...
Poster
Full-text available
The advancement of computers and information technologies introduces modern threats to the traditional education system and raised new concerns even about academic integrity. This work explores a positive fightback approach to combat academic dishonesty by improving students’ experience and learning rate through active learning, interactive learnin...
Article
Full-text available
Thorium is a naturally occurring radioactive element that has been identified as a potential alternative fuel for nuclear energy production. Additionally, thorium-based nuclear reactors have inherent safety features that reduce the risk of nuclear accidents and proliferation. As a result, there has been growing interest in the development of thoriu...
Poster
Full-text available
It is well known that waterborne bacteria is a significant health concern in water safety, which can cause immediate illness. However, the presence and health impact of waterborne viruses are less appreciated. It is reported that 219 virus species are pathogenic to humans, and the WHO has classified the waterborne viruses to have a moderate to high...
Poster
In the present study, we have looked into evidence of the vertical distribution of weathering products in soils amended with crushed wollastonite, whose relatively rapid weathering rate helps in the shorter-term to inform what occurs in the longer-term with slower weathering minerals. The experimental setup includes soil columns with and without wo...
Article
Full-text available
Rare earth elements (REEs) are typically found in low concentrations within natural rocks that make up mine tailings, such as carbonates in association with silicates within carbonatite igneous rocks, so it is of interest to develop (bio)hydrometallurgical ways to liberate them from the silicate matrix. This work investigated, through geochemical m...
Article
Full-text available
Metals are essential in our daily lives and have a finite supply, being simultaneously contaminants of concern. The current carbon emissions and environmental impact of mining are untenable. We need to reclaim metals sustainably from secondary resources, like waste. Biotechnology can be applied in metal recovery from waste streams like fly ashes an...
Presentation
Full-text available
The present research investigates the biodegradability of straws made from agave waste. The benefit of agave straws are two-folds i.e., utilizing the agave waste resulting from tequila production, and producing biodegradable straws to eliminate a single-use plastic straws. The testing is conducted under possible disposal environments such as ocean...
Article
Full-text available
The present work investigates the production of sodium bicarbonate in combination with the co-utilization of saline brine and carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS). The use of ammonia in the traditional Solvay process could be eliminated by using a modified Solvay process. This study compared the modification with the addition of th...
Research
Full-text available
The reviewed paper investigated enhanced rock weathering (ERW) in the core soils taken from dry croplands in UK. These soils were treated with crushed basalt and were exposed to natural weathering condition for a period of 14 months within columns. In the core, the soil dissolution was sampled in 10-20 cm intervals to understand the fate of dissolu...
Conference Paper
Enhanced weathering of silicate minerals is a negative emissions technology that captures atmospheric CO2 via the formation of carbonates. When certain silicate rocks are mixed with agricultural soils, improved agricultural yields are witnessed, implying that the benefits are twofold. Natural silicates, such as basalt and olivine, weather too slowl...
Article
Full-text available
Following the emergence of COVID-19, nations around the world implemented effective restrictions that limited people's movements and economic activity, which reportedly led to environmental improvements. The lowering of air emissions is one environmental indicator that has been connected to the pandemic. The diurnal temperature range (DTR) is one e...
Article
The use of natural green surfactants has become one of the most popular techniques for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) because these types of surfactants are environmentally-friendly, efficient, sustainable, and less expensive than commercial surfactants. In the current study, the extraction of natural surfactant from the Red Beet (RB) plant is introdu...
Research
Full-text available
Potential competing interests: The author(s) declared that no potential competing interests exist. The reviewed paper investigated the effects of pH and charged compounds on the integrity of synthetic magnesium silicate. The problem of Mg 2+ dissociation from magnesium silicate and its interaction with charged compounds specifically, was explored i...