Professor
The Stifel & Quinette Jens Professor of Environmental Engineering Science
Biography
Professor Axelbaum is currently the Director of the Consortium for Clean Coal Utilization at Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL). He also heads the Laboratory for Advanced Combustion and Energy Research and served as associate director of the Center for Materials Innovation from 2005 to 2008. From 1998 to 2007, he was chairman and chief scientific advisor for AP Materials, Inc., a startup company he founded that specialized in flame synthesis of nanopowders. Cabot Corporation acquired the company in August of 2007.
Professor Axelbaum has over 65 peer-reviewed publications and holds four patents. Prior to joining WUSTL in 1990 he was a research associate and lecturer at Princeton University. He has worked for General Electric and Barry-Wehmiller, and in 2006 was a visiting professor at Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel.
Research
Professor Axelbaum studies combustion phenomena, ranging from oxy-coal combustion to flame synthesis of nanotubes. His studies of fossil fuel combustion focus on understanding the formation of pollutants, such as soot, and then using this understanding to develop novel approaches to eliminating them. Recently, his efforts have been focused on addressing global concerns over carbon dioxide emissions by developing approaches to carbon capture and storage (CCS).
Axelbaum’s synthesis research has yielded methods of producing stable metal nanoparticles and single-walled carbon nanotubes in flames. His present research in materials synthesis is directed towards producing next-generation battery materials for electric vehicles. Xtend Energy has recently acquired a licensed for the technology developed under this research.
Professor Axelbaum also performs research on hydrogen fire safety and combustion in microgravity, and is principal investigator of a combustion experiment that is being prepared for the International Space Station.
Selected Publications
Yi, F. and Axelbaum, R.L. "Stability of spray combustion for water/alcohols mixtures in oxygen-enriched air," Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, 2012 In Press.
Zhang, X. and Axelbaum, R.L. "Spray Pyrolysis Synthesis of Mesoporous Lithium-Nickel-Manganese-Oxides for High Energy Li-Ion Batteries," Journal of The Electrochemical Society, 159(6), A834-A842, 2012.
Lecoustre, V.R., Sunderland, P.B., Chao, B.H., and
Axelbaum, R.L. "Numerical investigation of spherical diffusion flames at their sooting limits,"
Combust. Flame, 159(1), 194-199, 2012.
Holtmeyer, M.L., Kumfer, B.M., and Axelbaum, R.L. "Effects of biomass particle size during cofiring under air-fired and oxyfuel conditions," Applied Energy, In Press, Corrected Proof 2012.
Zhang, X., Zheng, H., Battaglia, V., and Axelbaum, R.L. "Flame synthesis of 5 V spinel-LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 cathode-materials for lithium-ion rechargeable-batteries," Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, 33 2010.
Unrau, C.J. and
Axelbaum, R.L. "Gas-phase synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes on catalysts producing high yield,"
Carbon, 48(5), 1418-1424, 2010.
Skeen, S.A., Yablonsky, G., and
Axelbaum, R.L. "Characteristics of non-premixed oxygen-enhanced combustion: II. Flame structure effects on soot precursor kinetics resulting in soot-free flames,"
Combust. Flame, 157(9), 1745-1752, 2010.
Lecoustre, V.R., Sunderland, P.B., Chao, B.H., and
Axelbaum, R.L. "Extremely weak hydrogen flames,"
Combust. Flame, 157(11), 2209-2210, 2010.
Selected Research
Title: Flame-assisted synthesis of Li-ion battery materials
Role: Principal Investigator
Sponsor: NSF
Title: Sodium flame studies for nanoparticle synthesis
Role: Principal Investigator
Sponsor: Cabot Corporation
Title: Flame design, a novel approach to clean efficient diffusion flames
Role: Principal Investigator
Sponsor: NASA
Title: Air-fired and oxy-combustion of coal and biomass to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Role: Principal Investigator
Sponsor: Consortium for Clean Coal Utilization
Title: Feasibility study of algal systems for biofuel production
Role: Principal Investigator
Sponsor: Monsanto & Archer Daniels and Midland