Engineer Assistant

VEDASRI VEDHARATHINAM

** ****** **, *** ****, Athens, OH 45701, USA Ph: 603-***-**** ********@****.***

Highlights

• A chemical engineer with knowledge and research experience in electrochemistry, physical and analytical chemistry.

• Experienced in E-Chem techniques and data analysis of Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), Rotating Disc Electrode voltammetry (RDE)

Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), galvanostatic and potentiostatic techniques and skilled in electrodeposition.

• Extensive experience in the operation and data interpretation of characterization techniques such as:

- In situ Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS), in situ Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray

Diffraction Spectroscopy (XRD), Electrochemical Quartz Crystal Microbalance (EQCM), in situ Vander Pauw Electrical

Conductivity measurement, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), Thermo

Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS).

• Experienced in design of electrochemical systems for various applications.

• Skilled in data-mining and troubleshooting plans to resolve research problems.

• Excellent in written and oral communication with published peer-reviewed journal articles, research proposals, technical reports,

and research presentations at international conferences.

• Mentor to undergraduate and graduate students in research studies and trained them on E-Chem and spectroscopy techniques.

• Experienced in standard chemical laboratory safety practices, techniques and trouble shooting.

• Adept in statistical analysis of data using regression, ANOVA, and DOE.

• Proficient in Microsoft Office, Origin, Matlab and Minitab.

Research Experience

Graduate Research Assistant (PhD), Ohio University, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Athens, OH, USA.

Advisor: Dr. Gerardine G. Botte

Electro-oxidation mechanism of urea on Ni and Ni-Co bimetallic catalyst in alkaline medium

• Designed electrochemical batch reactors and unit cells and tested various conditions like urea concentration, KOH (electrolyte

concentration), effect of stirring (flow), temperature, etc to optimize the urea electrolysis process.

• Electrodeposition of Ni and bimetallic Ni-Co catalyst on metal substrates.

• Used E-Chem techniques such as CV, RDE, galvanostatic and potentiostatic techniques, and EIS to investigate the mechanism

and kinetics of the electrochemical reaction.

• Employed E-Chem coupled in situ surface characterization techniques such as Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS)

and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) to further quantify the mechanism of urea on Ni/ Ni-Co catalyst surface.

Recovery of Ni-Co catalyst from spent Ni-MH battery and its application as catalyst in electro-oxidation of urea

• Recovery of Ni-Co catalyst by recycling spent Ni-MH battery using various steps such as acid leaching, solvent extraction, and

electrochemical recovery by electrodeposition.

• Optimized operational parameters to achieve maximum efficiency for electrodeposition.

• Designed and constructed batch and continuous electrolytic cell for metal recovery.

• Employed E-Chem along with surface characterization techniques such as SEM and EDX for morphological studies.

• Leader of the research team and supervised undergraduate and graduate students in conducting research, effectively.

• Organized meetings on a regular basis to analyze the research progress.

Graduate Research Assistant (MSc), University of Calgary, Department of Chemistry, Calgary, AB, Canada.

Advisor: Dr. Viola I. Birss

A possible solution to the mechanical degradation of anode-supported Ni-YSZ due to redox cycling

• Expertise in high temperature synthesis of Ni-YSZ composite material as anode for Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC).

• Familiar with synthesis of sol-gel prepared Ni-YSZ cermet SOFC anode and high temperature synthesis of YSZ disc as

electrolyte support for SOFC half cells.

• Hands on experience in ball milling, screen printing and plasma sputtering.

• Skilled in the operation and data interpretation of TGA under high temperature oxidation/reduction conditions.

• Investigated the microstructural change of Ni-YSZ anode during redox cycling using SEM.

Reverse Cell Bias for the Prevention of Ni Oxidation during Air Exposure in Ni-YSZ anode

• Explored the effect of reverse cell bias (negative potential) during redox cycling by E-Chem techniques such as CV and EIS.

• Investigated the microstructural change of Ni-YSZ anode before and after exposure to negative bias using SEM.

Education

PhD, Chemical Engineering, Ohio University, Athens, USA. (GPA -3.71/4.00) Expected graduation: Aug, 2013

MSc, Chemistry, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada. Sep 2009

BTech, Chemical & Electrochemical Engineering, Central Electrochemical Research Institute, Karaikudi, India. May 2006

Awards and Honors

• Wrote a proposal on “Recovery of Ni-Co Alloys from Spent Ni-MH Batteries and its Application in Urea Electrolysis for H2

Production” and won the Student Enhancement Award of $5,824 from Ohio University, 2011.

Won 1st prize for poster presentation at Ohio University's Annual Student Research and Creative Activity Expo for 2010, 2011

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and 2012.

• Top ten finisher of Hydrogen Student Design Contest, 2012, project titled “Combined Heat, Hydrogen and Power (CHHP)

plant for Ohio University”.

• Student Travel Grant from the Electrochemical Society (2008 and 2011) and University of Calgary (2008).

• Graduate Research Assistantship with full tuition waiver: University of Calgary – 2006 to 2009; Ohio University - since 2010.

• Awarded student member, Electrochemical Society (ECS), since 2010.

Leadership Activities

• Founder and President of the Ohio University ECS Student Chapter.

• Organized student outreach programs for Ohio University ECS Student Chapter at schools during ECS meetings.

• Wrote articles about the student outreach that was published in Interface (ECS journal).

Graduate mentor for Ohio University ChemECar (undergraduate team) which won 3rd place at AIChE regional conference, 2012.

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Publications & Proceedings

• Vedharathinam, V.; Botte, G. G., Understanding the electro-catalytic oxidation mechanism of urea on nickel electrodes in

alkaline medium. Electrochim. Acta 2012, 81, 292-300.

• Vedharathinam, V.; Botte, G. G., Direct evidence of an EC’ mechanism in the electrocatalytic oxidation of urea on Ni(OH)2

catalyst. Electrochim. Acta 2013, 108, 660-665.

• Vedharathinam, V.; Botte, G. G., Electrocatalytic oxidation of urea on Ni0.85Co0.15(OH)2 catalyst in alkaline medium. Appl.

Catal., B In preparation.

• Vedharathinam, V.; Botte, G. G., Investigation of the oscillatory electro-oxidation of urea on Ni catalyst: electrochemical

impedance spectroscopy and in situ surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy. J. Phys. Chem. B In preparation.

• Vedasri, V.; Young, J. L.; Birss, V. I., A possible solution to the mechanical degradation of Ni-yttria stabilized zirconia anode-

supported solid oxide fuel cells due to redox cycling. J. Power Sources 2010, 195, (17), 5534-5542.

• J. Young, V. Vedharathinan and V. Birss, 2011, "Reverse Cell Bias for the Prevention of Ni Oxidation during Air Exposure",

ECS Transactions, Vol. 35 "SOFC XII", May 1-6, Montreal, Canada.

• J. L. Young, V. Vedaharathinam, S. Kung, S. Xia, V. I. Birss, 2007,"Understanding nickel oxidation and reduction processes in

SOFC systems", ECS Transactions (ECST, Vol. 7, Issue 1), 10th Int. Symp. on Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC-X), June 3-8,

2007, Nara, Japan.

• Muralidharan, V. S.; Visalakshi, R.; Vidhya, S. R.; Vedasri, V., Corrosion behavior of glassy materials - A critical review.

Corros. Rev. 2006, 24, (1-2), 1-26.

Presentations (Selected)

Mechanistic Studies during Electro-Oxidation of Urea on Ni-Co Catalyst in Alkaline Medium 222nd ECS Meeting 2012 -

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Honolulu, HI, USA (Oral).

• Investigating the Reaction Mechanism for Electrochemical Oxidation of Urea on Ni-Hydroxide Modified Electrodes in Alkaline

Medium 220th ECS Meeting 2011 - Boston, MA, USA (Oral).

Electro-Oxidation of Urea on NiOOH Electrode 218th ECS Meeting 2010 - Las Vegas, NV, USA (Oral).

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A Possible Solution to Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Cracking due to Ni Anode Oxidation/Reduction Processes 214th ECS Meeting

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2008 - Honolulu, HI, USA (Oral).

Recovery of Ni-Co alloy from Ni-MH Battery Waste and its application in urea electrolysis 63rd annual meeting of the ISE

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2012 - Prague, Czech Republic (Poster).

References: Available upon request

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