Jeffrey H. Harwell

Jeffrey H. Harwell is a Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Oklahoma, where he has served for nearly 30 years. He holds the Asahi Glass Chair and is a Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. His research focuses on surfactant science, colloids, enhanced oil recovery (EOR), environmental remediation, and microemulsion design. Notable contributions include coining the term 'admicelle' and co-inventing the admicellar polymerization process.

Harwell's academic journey began with a PhD at the University of Texas, where his dissertation on surfactant chromatography earned the 1984 Victor K. LaMer Award. He has published nearly 200 refereed papers, co-authored five books, and secured over $15 million in research grants. His work spans industries including oil recovery, consumer products, and environmental cleanup, with patents on processes like CoMoCat for carbon nanotube production and surfactant-based EOR formulations.

His research innovations include minimizing surfactant adsorption and losses through mechanisms like precipitation, advancing middle-phase microemulsions, and applying HLD-NAC models for formulation design. He has collaborated with over 40 corporations, including Schlumberger-Dowell, DuPont, and Proctor & Gamble. Awards include the 2006 Outstanding Ground Water Remediation Project (National Ground Water Association) and multiple AIChE paper awards.

Harwell co-founded Surbec Environmental LLC and Chemical Flooding Technologies, Inc., applying his research to real-world challenges. His current work emphasizes in-situ CO2 EOR, nanoparticle-enhanced formulations, and sustainable surfactant systems. He has pioneered methods to enhance oil recovery in high-salinity reservoirs and developed pH-responsive nanoparticle gels for reservoir stimulation.