Madalena Maria Gomes de Queiroz Dias has contributed to Chemical Engineering through her academic achievements, research, and roles in institutional management.

She graduated from the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP) in 1977, joining the Department of Chemical Engineering of FEUP as Teaching Assistant. She obtained her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Houston, Texas, USA, in 1984, specializing in the Simulation of Flow in Porous Media.

Following her doctoral studies, she worked as a Research Scientist at the multinational company Schlumberger Ltd., first at Schlumberger-Doll Research, in Ridgefield, Connecticut, USA and later at Schlumberger Cambridge Research, Cambridge, UK, where she conducted research in the characterization and simulation of flow in oil reservoirs.

In 1988, she returned to FEUP, where she pursued her teaching and research career, becoming an Associate Professor in 1993.

Throughout her career, she has held various leadership and institutional management roles. Notably, she served as the Director and Scientific Coordinator of the Associate Laboratory LSRE-LCM from 2013 to 2021, and from 2005 to 2010, she was involved in the founding of Fluidinova, SA, a spin-off company of U.Porto.

She served on various councils and committees,including: Chemical Engineering Department Executive Committee (1997-2001); Chemical Engineering Course Scientific Committee (2001-2012); Chemical Engineering Department Council (2001-2022); FEUP Scientific Council (2005-2022); University of Porto Senate (2014-2019); CEMUP - U.Porto Materials Centre Coordinating Council (2016-2022); CoLAB MORE Scientific-Technological Council (since 2020); CIMO/ IPB External Advisory Board (since 2017); RMIN - Rede Nacional de Investigação de Montanhas Coordination Council (since 2017).

She continues to contribute to research activities at LSRE-LCM following her retirement from teaching in 2022.

She is co-author of more than 120 papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals and book chapters, supervised 15 Ph.D. thesis, 16 Master dissertations, and 5 post-doctoral researchers. She was the Principal Investigator of 29 research projects and has participated in more than 30. She is co-author of 1 patent granted in EU and USA, 1 patent granted in Germany and USA, 1 patent granted in Portugal, and 4 other international patent applications.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Mixing in chemical reactors
- Micro/Meso structured reactors; NETmix Technology
Process modelling and simulation
- Network Modelling
Nanoparticle materials continuous production processes
- Pickering Emulsions
- Microcapsulation
Valorisation of Natural Products
- Extraction, refining and stabilisation processes
Application of supercritical and high pressure CO2
- Extraction and refining of essential oils
- Sterilization processes

PATENTS

J.C.B. Lopes, V.J.P. Vilar, M.F.C. Moreira, M.M.G.Q. Dias, Ricardo R.J.N. Santos, R.F.S. Maia, Electrochemical device and respective uses. Portuguese Patent 20232005089326, June 2023.
J.C.B. Lopes, M.M.G.Q. Dias, M.F.S. Costa, C.A.M. Teixeira, R.J.N. Santos, Continuous production of clathrate hydrates from aqueous and hydrate-forming streams, methods and uses thereof. PCT/IB2020/062552, December 2020. US Patent 17786968, June 2022. EU Patent EP4084894, December 2019. Portuguese Patent 116038, December 2019.
J.C.B. Lopes, M.M.G.Q. Dias, M.F.S. Costa, R.J.N. Santos, C.A.M. Teixeira, Network heat exchanger device, method and uses thereof. PCT/IB2018/052463, April 2018. US Patent 11 484 862, October 2019, granted November 2022.
J.C.B Lopes, P.E.M.S.C. Laranjeira, M.M.Q. Dias, A.A.A.Martins, Network Mixer and Related Mixing Process. PCT/IB2005/000647, February 2005. US Patent 8434933 B2, September 2008, granted May 2013. EU Patent 1720643, September 2006, granted October 2008. Portuguese Patent 103072, February 2004, granted December 2009.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

J. Matos, R.J. Santos, M.M. Dias, J.C.B. Lopes. Mixing in the NETmix Reactor. Frontiers in Chemical Engineering, 3, 771476, 2021 A. Ribeiro, Y.A. Manrique, F. Barreiro, J.C.B. Lopes, M.M. Dias. Continuous production of hydroxyapatite Pickering emulsions using a mesostructured reactor. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 616, 126365, 2021 G. Ruphuy, M. Souto-Lopes, D. Paiva, P. Costa, A.E. Rodrigues, F.J. Monteiro, C.L. Salgado, M.H. Fernandes, J.C. Lopes, M.M. Dias, M.F. Barreiro. Supercritical CO2 assisted process for the production of high-purity and sterile nano-hydroxyapatite/chitosan hybrid scaffolds. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research - Part B Applied Biomaterials, 106, 965-975, 2018 M.F. Costa, C.M. Fonte, M.M. Dias, J.C.B. Lopes. Heat Transfer Performance of NETmix — A Novel Micro-Meso Structured Mixer and Reactor. AIChE Journal, 63, 2496-2508, 2017 M.J. Lima, C.G. Silva, A.M.T. Silva, J.C.B. Lopes, M.M. Dias, J.L. Faria. Homogeneous and heterogeneous photo-Fenton degradation of antibiotics using an innovative static mixer photoreactor. Chemical Engineering Journal, 310, 342–351, 2017 B.A. Marinho, R. Djellabi, R.O. Cristóvão, J.M. Loureiro, R.A.R. Boaventura, M.M. Dias, J.C.B. Lopes, V.J.P. Vilar. Intensification of heterogeneous TiO2 photocatalysis using an innovative micro-meso-structured-reactor for Cr(VI) reduction under simulated solar light. Chemical Engineering Journal, 318, 76-88, 2017 C.M. Fonte, M.E. Leblebici, M.M. Dias, J.C.B. Lopes. The NETmix reactor: Pressure drop measurements and 3D CFD modeling. Chemical Engineering Research and Design, 91, 2250-2258, 2013 P.E. Laranjeira, A.A. Martins, J.C.B. Lopes, M.M. Dias. NETmix®, A New Type of Static Mixer: Modeling, Simulation, Macromixing, and Micromixing Characterization. AIChE Journal, 55, 2226-2243, 2009 P.J. Gomes, V.M.T.M. Silva, P.A. Quadros, M.M. Dias, J.C.B. Lopes. A Highly Reproducible Continuous Process for Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles Synthesis. Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, 9, 3387-3395, 2009

SELECTED PROJECTS

Cat4GtL - Continous Catalytic reactor for the Gas-to-Liquid process using NETmix technology. Reference: POCI-01-0247-FEDER-069953. Funded by: ANI – Agência Nacional de Investigação, I&DT - Projectos de I&DT em Todos os Domínios Científicos. Starting Date: 2020/09/01. Duration: 36 months. BIOma - BIOeconomy integrated solutions for Mobilization of the Agrofood chain. Reference: POCI-01-0247-FEDER-046112. Funded by: ANI – Agência Nacional de Investigação, . Starting Date: 2020/07/01. Duration: 36 months. Valor Natural - Natural Resources through the Extraction of High Added Value Ingredients for Applications in the Food Industry. Reference: NORTE-01-0247-FEDER-024479. Funded by: ANI – Agência Nacional de Investigação, P2020|COMPETE - Programas Mobilizadores. Starting Date: 2018/09/01. Duration: 48 months. NoMIC2Bone - NanoXIM® Based Antimicrobial Structures for Bone Regeneration. Reference: NORTE-01-0247-FEDER-017905. Funded by: ANI – Agência Nacional de Investigação, P2020|COMPETE - Projetos em Copromoção. Starting Date: 2017/07/01. Duration: 42 months. UnirCell - Unitised regenerative fuel cell for efficient renewable energy supply: from materials to device. Reference: POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016422. Funded by: FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, PAC - P2020|COMPETE -Programa de Ações Conjuntas. Starting Date: 2017/01/01. Duration: 48 months. TexBioPro - Functionalization of textile substrates with biodegradable microparticles produced by continuous processes. Reference: POCI-01-0247-FEDER-003472. Funded by: ANI – Agência Nacional de Investigação, P2020|COMPETE - Projetos em Todos os Domínios Científicos. Starting Date: 2016/04/01. Duration: 36 months. SolarNETmix - Solar-Driven Catalytic NETmix® Reactor. Reference: PTDC/EQU-ERQ/123045/2010. Funded by: FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I&DT - Projectos de I&DT em Todos os Domínios Científicos. Starting Date: 2012/03/31. Duration: 40 months. FluSHELL - Development of a Thermo-Hydraulic Network Model for SHELL Type Power Transformers. Reference: FEUP/EFACEC/2011/03. Funded by: EFACEC Energia Starting Date: 2011/04/29. Duration: 24 months.
Madalena Dias
Prof. Associado Aposentado
dias@fe.up.pt