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Preface: Mexican Congress on Chemical Reaction Engineering (MCCRE 2008) The reactor is the heart of a chemical process, and a thorough understanding of the phenomena occurring during the transformation of reactants into the desired products is of vital importance for the development and optimization of the process. This was the theme of the second Mexican Congress on Chemical Reaction Engineering (MCCRE 2008), organized by various research centers, institutes, and universities during June 15-19, 2008 in the coastal city of Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico. The scientific program of MCCRE 2008 was comprised of 8 plenary lectures, 10 oral sessions (Modeling and Simulation; Catalysis I, II and III; Reactor Performance; Kinetic Modeling; Hydrotreating; Process Aspects; Miscellaneous I and II), 1 poster session, and an exhibition of products and services offered by 8 international companies. Almost 200 participants coming from 25 countries attended MCCRE 2008. A total of 43 oral papers and 70 posters were presented. The following eight plenary lectures were given by world authorities in the field: 1. Gilbert F. Froment (Texas A&M University, USA), “More Realistic Kinetics for Commercial Processes” 2. Kurt Vanden Bussche (Universal Oil Products, USA), “Diversification of the World’s Energy Sources and Its Challenges for the Chemical Engineering Profession” 3. Jan Verstraete (Institut Francais du Petrole, France), “Methodologies for Process Development at IFP” 4. Jan Lerou (Velocys, Inc., USA), “Microreaction Technology: Benign by Design” 5. Milorad P. Dudukovic (Washington University at St. Louis, USA), “The Role of Reaction Engineering in Development of Efficient Technologies” 6. Francoise Mauge (Universite de Caen, France), “In Situ and Operando Infrared Spectroscopy for Deep Insight into Heterogeneous Catalysts”
7. Marc-Olivier Coppens (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, USA), “Design and Synthesis of Hierarchically Structured Porous Catalysts” 8. Matthew Neurock (University of Virginia, USA), “Tracking and Controlling Molecular Transformations over Catalytic Surfaces” The social program of the first day included a reception, during which local snacks and beverages were served right on the wonderful beach of Ixtapa. Music, dancing, and fun extended the activities into the late hours. The conference dinner was held in the evening of the second day. Mariachi music, typical Mexican dances, and spectacular fire-based performances accompanied a wide selection of quality Mexican food. During the afternoon of the third day, a cruise took the participants around the bay of Zihuatanejo. They enjoyed the beautiful sunset in the Pacific Ocean and danced to live music on board the three decks. The poster session was a combination of science and socializing: exotic drinks and snacks allowed for more casual discussions and for establishing collaborations between different institutions and countries. This issue collects 28 selected full manuscripts, which cover different aspects of chemical reaction engineering in the following processes: deep hydrodesulfurization, catalytic supercritical water oxidation, hydroprocessing of heavy crude oils, copper production, transesterification of castor oil, oxidative dehydrogenation of propane, vegetable oil hydrogenation, catalytic ozonation, catalytic cracking, catalytic reforming, hydrocracking, and catalytic oxide hydrogenation of ethane. The guest editors would like to acknowledge the authors who contributed to this special issue and Industrial Engineering Chemistry Research for offering the possibility of disseminating the results of this successful meeting to a wider scientific community.
Jorge Ancheyta Instituto Mexicano del Petro´leo, Eje Central La´zaro Ca´rdenas Norte 152, Col. San Bartolo Atepehuacan, Me´xico D.F. 07730 Mexico
Gilbert F. Froment Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M UniVersity, 3122 TAMU, College Station, Texas 77843-3122 IE801842J
10.1021/ie801842j CCC: $40.75 2009 American Chemical Society Published on Web 01/28/2009
