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Gregory Patience
B.Sc., M.Sc. (Calgary), Ph.D. (Poly)

Research interests and affiliations

Research interests
  • Catalysis, synthesis
  • Transient redox kinetics
  • Gas-solids fluidization
  • Chemicals derived from biomass
  • Biomass valorization
  • Reactor design and scale-up
  • Circulating and turbulent fluidized beds
  • Process economics and experience curves
  • Extraction of essential oils to fight malaria
  • Mass production and global gas flaring reduction (GGFR)
  • Glucose to speciality chemicals
  • Cathode materials (LiFePO4)
Expertise type(s) (NSERC subjects)
  • 1800 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
  • 1801 Reaction fundamentals and reactor design
  • 1804 Heat transfer
  • 1807 Combustion
  • 2203 Modelling, simulation
  • 2301 Petroleum-based and fossil fuels
  • 3606 Kinetics and mechanisms of reactions
  • 3607 Catalysis

Publications

Recent publications

Biography

Gregory Patience is a Canada Research Chair and Professor of Chemical Engineering at Polytechnique Montréal. Elsevier published his textbook on experimental methods and  the Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering has publised close to 50 peer-reviewed articles. His second book - Communicate Science Papers, Presentations and Poster Effectively - Elsevier promoted as one of the top 10 reference texts every graduate student should own.  This book also served as the basis for two dozen articles on writing and ethics in the same journal. His article on ethics and authorship was viewed more than 20,000 times in 2019 in the first period following its publication in 2019 (Intellectual contributions meriting authorship: Survey results from the top cited authors across all science categories:https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0198117). Nature News featured it in 2018 (Who gets credit? Survey digs into the thorny question of authorship:https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-05280-0). His laboratory has integrated mechano-chemical techniques to reduce processing times to produce powders. He has introduced ultrasonic probes into media mills with 2 mm zirconia beads. It also has spray-drying capacity ranging from bench scale (150 mm in diameter) to the pilot-scale (800 mm in diameter) with a drying capacity of 10 kg h-1).  Much of the equipment was purchased with a grant from the Automotive Partnership to produce LiFePO4 cathode materials for Libatteries. He is developing catalytic processes to convert biosubstrates into value-added chemicals and fuels: one application involves atomizing low-volatility compounds - fructose, glucose, HMF, DFF, vegetable oil, glucose, lignin - in fluidized beds operating at over 150 oC. Professor Patience began his career at DuPont in 1990 after obtaining his PhD from Polytechnique de Montréal.  He resided in Wilmington, DE (USA) until 1996, then moved to Asturias, Spain, for 4 years, followed by another 4 years in Geneva, Switzerland, before returning to Canada in 1994. He obtained a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science from the University of Calgary.  His alma mater awarded him the alumni technical achievement award in 2020 and the OIQ selected him for the Honoris Genius—Social Engagement prize in 2022.  In 2023, the Chemical Institute of Chemistry elected him as fellow of the institute.

 

Teaching

GCH2560 - Experimental methods and instrumentation

GCH3110 - Chemical reaction engineering

GCH8271 - Process design

GCH8272 - Project design and environmental impact

GCH6201 - Catalysis and applied kinetics

GCH6902 - Gas-soild reactor design

CAP7110 - Writing science effectively

Supervision at Polytechnique

COMPLETED

Other achievements

Founded Patience Enterprises Group, Inc.

Fellow, Chemical Institute of Canada, “The Fellowship is a distinguished class of membership that recognizes CIC members who have made, and continue to make, major contributions to the chemical engineering profession”

 Honoris Genius—Social Engagement, Ordre des Ingénieurs du Québec, Professor Patience’s sustainable project to fight malaria focused on disease prevention rather than treatment. He introduced Nepeta Cataria to Burundi that produces nepetalacone in trichomes that is an effective mosquito repellent(the hydrogenated form is best). The NGO ACECI has built an eco-village in Burundi

 Schulich Technical Achievement Alumni Award, University of Calgary, Professor Patience patented a micro-refinery processes to reduce methane emissions economically. In the first step oxygen partially oxidizes methane to CO and H2 at 2 MPa and 1000 C. In the second step, Fe and Co catalyst recombine the CO and H2 to long chain hydrocarbons

Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference Student Plant Design Competition 2021 18. Transformation of Lactose to Lactic Acid, 3rd prize, Montréal, QC 2020 17. Debromination of Electronic Plastic Waste by a Mechanochemical Reaction 2019 16. Dimethyl Ether Modular Micro Refinery, 3rd prize, Halifax, NS 2018 15. A Modular Solution For Gas Flaring, 3rd prize, Niagra Falls, ON 2017 14. Plastic from Wood, 1st prize, Edmonton, AB 2016 13. Urban mining: PMMA recycling, 3rd prize, Quebec City, QC

Nature News, Who gets credit? Survey digs into the thorny question of authorship” www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-05280-0, This article featured my contribution entitled Intellectual contributions meriting authorship: Survey results from the top cited authors across all science categories (doi.org/10.1371/ journal.pone.0198117)

Certificate of Merit: nominated as the recruit of the year—École Polytechnique

Commercialization of Easy Set LYCRA®, Team award for the successful launch of a new LYCRA®fibre

THF commercialization, Team award for the safe start up of a 150 million$ project

Oscar Award for contributions to DuPont Chemicals, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994,

Bourse d’Excellence de l’Ecole Polytechnique, Awarded to one PhD candidate each year, 24 000 $

Bourse d’Etudes Supérieures Fonds FCAR, Awarded to students from outside the province studying in French, 12 000 $

NSERC Post Graduate Scholarship, 40 000 $

Home Oil Co. Ltd. Scholarship, 4000 $

Alberta/Canada Energy Research Award, 2000 $

News about Gregory Patience

NEWS | June 22, 2021
Discovery grants: Polytechnique Montréal obtains nearly $3,9 million for research programs | Read
NEWS | February 24, 2021
50 Polytechnique Montréal researchers among the top 2% most cited in their respective fields | Read
NEWS | September 14, 2018
Chemical engineering research from Polytechnique Montréal published by the « Chemical Society Reviews » journal | Read
NEWS | June 14, 2018
Practices of granting authorship: «Nature» takes an interest in the work of two Polytechnique Montréal professors | Read
NEWS | December 14, 2017
Polytechnique Montréal awarded $2.4 million grant for three chairs as part of the Canada Research Chairs Program | Read

Press review about Gregory Patience

December 2, 2023, La Presse, Batteries lithium-ion : le Québec vise-t-il juste? Gregory Patience, professeur titulaire au Département de génie chimique, partage son opinion au sujet de l'usine Northvolt et de la commercialisation des batteries de sodium-ion.
June 25, 2023, La Presse, La batterie lithium-ion a encore de beaux jours devant elle Gregory Patience, professeur au département de génie chimique, parle des enjeux autour des batteries lithium-ion.
March 8, 2023, Les Affaires, Le génie pour verdir les industries polluantes Gregory Patience, professeur titulaire au Département de génie chimique, discute à propos du projet du Groupe d’entreprises Patience, dont il est fondateur, qui consiste à développer une technologie de microraffinerie « à petite échelle » pour convertir le méthane ainsi gaspillé en « diesel vert ».
January 17, 2023, CBC Montreal, Police identify 2 of 3 victims found at explosion site north of Montreal as investigation continues Gregory Patience, professeur titulaire au Département de génie chimique, partage son expertise suite à l'explosion survenue dans le centre de distribution de propane à Saint-Roch-de-l'Achigan. (en anglais seulement)
August 29, 2022, Radio-Canada / Le 15-18 , Tous les bus électriques de la STM retirés temporairement : Gregory Patience La Société de transport de Montréal (STM) a décidé de retirer de la route ses 42 autobus électriques par mesure de prévention. Pour le professeur titulaire au Département de génie chimique à Polytechnique Montréal Gregory Patience, le risque de surchauffe n'est pas étonnant, puisque ce risque est couru par n'importe quelle batterie. 
July 13, 2021, QuebecScience, Le glas du plexiglas polluant Dans cet article, Gregory Patience, professeur titulaire au Département de génie chimique de Polytechnique Montréal, discute à propos d’un procédé de fabrication du plexiglass, en cours de développement à Polytechnique, et des enjeux du recyclage de cette sorte de plastique.
March 10, 2021, Les affaires, Les ingénieurs voient la vie en vert Gregory Patience et Oumarou Savadogo, professeurs titulaires au Département de génie chimique de Polytechnique Montréal, discutent du nouvel engouement pour le génie chimique.    
May 29, 2018, Nature, Des chercheurs européens inventent l'avion résistant au givre Mention de Gregory Patience, professeur titulaire au Département de génie chimique de Polytechnique Montréal.
February 2, 2018, Scientific Reports, Sustainable manufacture of insect repellents derived from Nepeta cataria Une étude sur le paludisme réalisée par Gregory Patience et Daria Camilla Boffito, professeurs au Département de génie chimique à Polytechnique Montréal, et leurs collaborateurs Federico Galli et Nicolas A. Patience.