James A. Ritter

James A. Ritter is a Carolina Distinguished Professor and the L. M. Weisiger Professor of Engineering in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of South Carolina's Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing, where he also holds the Gibbons Teaching Professorship. With over 171 peer-reviewed articles and 8 U.S. patents, his work centers on advancing cyclic adsorption technologies for industrial applications.

Education:

• Ph.D., State University of New York at Buffalo, 1989
• M.S., State University of New York at Buffalo, 1985
• B.S., State University of New York at Buffalo, 1983

Research Focus: Professor Ritter's pioneering work spans gas separation, hydrogen storage, and carbon capture through pressure swing adsorption (PSA) and temperature swing adsorption (TSA). His research integrates fundamental adsorption science with practical process development, emphasizing structured adsorbents, novel modeling techniques, and experimental characterization of mass transfer dynamics. This work addresses critical energy and environmental challenges including CO₂ capture and naval fuel production.

Publication Trends: Recent publications (2023-2025) demonstrate consistent innovation in cyclic adsorption processes, with emphasis on structured adsorbent design, advanced modeling (particularly kinetically limited linear driving force approaches), and experimental techniques for dynamic condition analysis. Key application areas include carbon capture at national facilities, naval ammonia production, and fundamental gas separation mechanisms using carbon molecular sieves.

Scientific Recognition:

• AIChE Institute Award for Excellence in Industrial Gases Technology (2016)
• Fellow of the American Chemical Society (2012)
• Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (2013)
• Fellow of the International Adsorption Society (2023)

Professional Impact: Professor Ritter has consulted for over 40 organizations including NASA MSFC, ExxonMobil, Shell, and DOE, with current research funded by ONR and DOE. As Editor-in-Chief of Adsorption (since July 2024) and former Associate Editor (2021-2024), he shapes the field's scholarly discourse while leading collaborative projects with national laboratories and industry partners.

Research Infrastructure: His work leverages university facilities at USC and partnerships with the National Carbon Capture Center, focusing on bench-scale to pilot-scale validation of adsorption processes for energy and environmental applications.