How to Mentor

Article by Jamie Cleaver

Mentors and mentees alike need to understand what good practice looks like, as the results of

getting it wrong can be damaging

PERHAPS you are new to the idea of mentoring, maybe you are a seasoned mentor, or

you might be a potential mentee looking for a mentor. Whether you are part of a formal
mentoring programme, or just curious about the prospect of informal mentoring, being

aware of a few simple principles can bring great benefits.

Mentoring is a growing activity. Companies and institutions are establishing mentoring

schemes, as mentoring becomes recognised for its positive potential. It therefore makes sense

to consider how to be a good mentor – not just to raise your game, but because there is potential

to do damage if you get it wrong. In other words, a poor mentor, even with good intentions,

can demotivate, undermine self-confidence, and promote dependence, rather than

independence. It’s worthwhile knowing what good mentoring practice is.

What is mentoring?

The essence of mentoring is about helping people to help themselves. The mentor should be in

a position to help, by offering experience, wisdom or fresh perspectives. Mentees ‘helping

themselves’ implies that responsibility for progress lies with the mentee. This is a very

important point that we shall return to shortly. The context usually relates to professional

development, and the framework takes the form of a mutually-agreed mentoring relationship.
This relationship might be part of a formal company scheme, or it might be an informal
arrangement between colleagues. It might be internal, involving a mentor and mentee from the

same organisation, or it might be external, where the mentor might be from outside the

mentee’s organisation.

So is mentoring the same as coaching? Some people use the terms interchangeably, and there

is certainly some overlap. The main distinctions are summarised in Table 1. The key difference

for our purposes is that mentoring implies a more long-term, or open-ended relationship in

which the mentor can draw on their knowledge or experience of the field to help the mentee.

Coaching is often short-term, with a specific focus. The coach does not necessarily require

relevant or specialised knowledge of the field, but relies on coaching skills to get results.

Effective mentoring therefore involves combining knowledge and experience, coupled with

proficient coaching skills. We will say more about coaching skills shortly.

The benefits of good mentoring are far-reaching. The positive impact on the mentee’s

professional development is explicit, whether it is guidance in getting Chartered, help with

stepping into a new role, or identifying and acquiring new skills. However, there are also

considerable benefits to the organisation and to the mentor. Organisational benefits of

mentoring follow logically in terms of increased staff motivation, productivity and creativity;

better staff recruitment and retention; and reduced stress, grievances, and absenteeism.

The positive feature of organisational benefits of mentoring is that they can be quantified. But

what’s in it for the mentor? Well, apart from the great satisfaction that comes from helping

others, mentoring adds value to the mentor too. It introduces you to new perspectives,

encourages you to reflect on your own professional development, and sharpens your

interpersonal skills.
Wouldn’t it be good to have a ten-point checklist procedure or approach for effective mentoring
that we can apply, like we would in design or fault-finding? Mentoring approaches exist, but

like any tool, they require skilled use. The challenge in using these tools arises because

mentoring is dynamic and unpredictable, and every mentoring relationship is unique. Proficient

use of mentoring tools comes with training and learning by experience.

So what’s involved in mentoring? At the heart of mentoring is the mentoring relationship, in

which the qualities and skills of the mentor are only a part of the picture (see Figure 1).

To be effective, we need to tune in to the other factors that contribute to the relationship before

we focus specifically on the attributes of the mentor.

The context

This relates to systemic factors that influence and frame the mentoring relationship. Typical

factors include the nature of the working environment, any formal mentoring remit, and

specific challenges such as getting Chartered. These factors are usually fixed, and therefore the

mentor has to be aware of them and work with them, or around them.

Ethics

An effective mentoring relationship is built on a platform for developing trust. This platform

is guided by ethics surrounding issues such as confidentiality, fairness and autonomy. At the

start of a mentoring relationship, these issues should be discussed, agreed, and formalised if

necessary, in a working agreement. The mentor’s role is to initiate this discussion.

The mentee

It’s important to appreciate that the other partner in the mentoring relationship will have a
unique starting point, and will show up with varying levels of commitment, clarity, confidence

and independence. This feedstock variability creates a huge challenge for the mentor, who must

be sufficiently perceptive and flexible to adapt to the mentee, and help them clarify their agenda

and targets.

Outcome

The tangible outcome of mentoring can be valued by the extent of action taken and changes

made, when compared against the mentee’s initial goals or objectives. However, there are likely
to be intangible outcomes that are difficult to measure. These might relate to increased
confidence and wellbeing, or clarity and assurance that comes from discussing options. It is

important for the mentor to encourage the mentee to reflect on the tangible and intangible

outcomes of the mentoring relationship.

The mentor

Expanding on our original concept of helping people to help themselves, the mentor’s role is

to facilitate learning and development in a supportive and challenging manner. This is easier

said than done, and requires a combination of qualities and skills along with a suitable

approach. Let’s briefly get to grips with these concepts before expanding on mentoring skills

and approaches.

Mentor qualities

These are individual attributes such as style, personality, experience and wisdom. An effective

mentor would be aware of their qualities and deploy those that would enhance the mentoring

relationship, and withhold those that will detract or distract. For example, a mentor with

relevant practical experience might share it with the mentee in an anecdotal way. The use of
mentor qualities in the relationship is one of the main distinctions between mentoring and

coaching.

Mentor skills

We can distinguish between core skills and practical skills. Core skills are based around

effective communication, and are essential in order for the mentor to connect and build a

rapport with the mentee. These skills take a lifetime to learn. Practical skills on the other hand,

relate to various tools and techniques that the mentor can deploy to facilitate the mentoring
process. They are easily learned, or may be already familiar to you. A tool like SWOT analysis
for example, is familiar to many. However, the real skill comes in using the right tool at the

right time, and in being able to make sense of the outcome, so you can suggest what tool to use

next. We will cover some useful tools towards the end of the article.

Mentoring approach

This is a structure, framework or philosophy that guides the mentoring process. A number of

approaches are available, each with various features and merits. Some of the commonly-

encountered approaches are listed in Table 2. Becoming proficient in any of these approaches

takes time, training, and practice. Even professional coaches might only master two or maybe

three approaches. However, anyone new to mentoring can be effective, even with a basic

awareness of a mentoring approach. Probably the most accessible and relevant approach for

mentoring is Egan’s Skilled Helper Model. More on this later.

Core skills for mentoring

So far, we have examined the concepts behind mentoring, and considered the various factors

that are involved. It’s now time to examine in depth the core skills required when we are face-

to-face with a mentee. These skills enable us to establish a rapport quickly, to put the mentee

at ease, and to know when to push and challenge the mentee, and when to support and

encourage. Let’s be clear, we cannot obtain these skills by reading. They are acquired by

experience.

A good place to start is with Carl Rogers, the founder of modern coaching and mentoring

practice. He identified the three core conditions of empathy, authenticity, and respect that

contribute to effective mentoring and coaching.

Empathy is the ability to put ourselves into the mental shoes of another person, to understand

their emotions, feelings, and expectations. This concept underpins all communication, and is

particularly vital in mentoring. If we are not aware of the emotions of our mentee, we are going

to get an incomplete picture of the situation, our input is likely to be insensitive, and the mentee

is not going to feel valued and respected. We can develop our ability to empathise by careful

listening and using body language. Using these principles, a good mentor will be able to pick

up subtle changes in the mentee’s emotional state. We will explore listening and body language

in more detail below.

Authenticity involves being your genuine self, and is important as it allows trust to develop. It

can also help to defeat negative attitudes. A warm and genuine approach allows the mentee to

feel valued, which in turn builds self-esteem. Having a sincere interest in the development of

your mentee has great power. Faking a sincere interest is transparent and leads to a lack of trust

and an ineffective mentoring relationship.

Respect, or unconditional positive regard is about valuing people as themselves. Rogers

considered that this was an important requirement to enable people to grow and fulfil their

potential. The mentor may not approve of the mentee’s actions, values, or decisions, but they

should maintain an attitude of respect and acceptance regarding the mentee.

Having at least an awareness of Rogers' core conditions should help you take your first steps

in the right direction as a mentor. Part of your development as a mentor should involve growing

in authenticity, respect, and in your ability to empathise using careful listening and fluency in

body language. The latter two skills can be readily developed.

Listening

Most people would claim to be good listeners. Ask yourself when was the last time you really
focussed on what someone was saying, trying to understand them completely, without
interrupting. Now ask yourself the reverse question; when was the last time someone listened

to you in this way, giving their undivided attention, really seeking to understand. The answer

to both questions for most people is “never”. This level of focussed listening is what is required

for effective mentoring. It has two immediate benefits. First, the mentor gets the full

information, including facts and feelings, and so is able to empathise. Secondly, the very act of

listening carefully to someone makes them feel valued, un-rushed, and promotes creative

thought. This is why sometimes listening attentively to someone can help them solve a problem.

It’s also a very powerful way of building trust in a relationship.

The challenge to attentive listening, particularly for engineers, is that we tend towards

diagnostic listening. We focus on the facts, and our mind is already working on trouble-

shooting and problem solving. Immediately our attention is not on the speaker, and we are

missing valuable information. A mentor needs to steer away from this natural problem-solving

tendency, and listen to the person. Remember, we are trying to help people to help themselves.

We can do this best by soaking up everything they say, and perhaps reflecting it back to them

to make sure we understand them.

The other potential challenge to attentive listening for a mentor is that we have to suspend our

own agenda. This goes against the grain because we are accustomed to competing to get our

ideas heard and our solutions adopted. Usually in a meeting, we are on the lookout for occasions

to shine, to show our knowledge. This approach has no place in effective mentoring. First, it

means we are not fully listening to the mentee if we are focussing on ourselves. Secondly, and

more fundamentally, we are missing the point that mentoring is about helping other people,

and not helping ourselves.

Body language

We communicate our emotions and feelings through body language. Having at least an
awareness of body language helps us in everyday communication, whether we are speaking to
senior staff, colleagues, or junior staff. Body language is particularly important for mentors

because, when coupled with attentive listening, it helps us to empathise. Most of us have an

awareness of body language through differences in facial expression and posture. A good

mentor builds on this by developing an awareness of the dynamics, noticing subtle body

language changes that might suggest a positive or negative response to an idea, for example. A

good mentor also uses their own body language to put the mentee at ease and to help build a

rapport. Body language fluency is something that can be developed, just by being aware of it.

A note of caution however: people from different cultural backgrounds use different body

language and this can cause confusion and misunderstanding.

The skilled helper model

Now we have examined the core skills required for mentoring, let’s take a look in detail at one

of the more accessible and relevant mentoring approaches. Egan’s skilled helper model4 is an

ideal framework for mentoring, and is widely used. It is disarmingly simple, being based on

just three stages or questions:

1. What’s going on? (the current picture)

2. What do you want instead? (the preferred picture)

3. How might you get what you want? (the way forward)

Each stage involves three steps that help to answer the question fully. The model is easily

represented by the simple matrix shown in Figure 2.

We make progress through the model by moving from left to right, enabling the mentee to take

appropriate action that leads to valued outcomes. Notice that we might jump back and forth

between the steps in each stage as required, to gain clarity or to explore ideas further.

Stage 1 is about clarifying the issues that are driving the desire to change. In the first step, the
mentor builds rapport, and encourages the mentee to describe the current situation. The second

step is about ensuring that the mentee does not overlook any perspectives, and challenges any

assumptions that might be restricting. The third step encourages the mentee to summarise the

whole picture, to focus on the most important issues, and to prioritise what to work on.

Stage 2 is about encouraging the mentee to focus on the preferred picture; to imagine possible

ways forward, to set some goals or objectives, and to check that the goals are appropriate. In

step 1, we adopt classical creative thinking by suspending judgement and generating as many

ideas as possible. In step 2, we take our ideas and set an agenda for change. In step 3, we get

the mentee to test their commitment and motivation for change.

Stage 3 is about planning a way forward. In step 1, again we think creatively about the various

ways in which the mentee could achieve their goal. In step 2, we help the mentee to discover

the most suitable strategy for them. In step 3, we encourage the mentee to draw up a plan for

action.

Applying the skilled helper model

We have already indicated that the skilled helper model is non-linear and iterative. It is

important to remember that the mentoring process should start wherever the mentee is, and

follow their agenda. Your mentee might show up requiring step 1 of stage 1 to help them

identify what’s going on. They might show up very clear on what they are about, and just need

step 3 of stage 3 to help them plan their next move. However, they are most likely to show up

somewhere in between these two states. The experienced practitioner of the skilled helper

model will be able to locate quickly the mentee’s position in the matrix and be able to chart a

way forwards. Depending on the situation, some stages or steps of the model may require no

discussion; others may take several sessions to explore. A certain amount of iteration may

occur, within a stage, or between stages. The model merely provides a guiding framework with

points of reference.

Potential problems

To complete these ideas on mentoring, let’s take a look at some potential problems and collect

some thoughts on how to overcome them.

The reluctant mentee

Sometimes mentees might be assigned to a mentor automatically, or assigned with the intention

of rectifying perceived problems such as poor performance. In these cases, the mentee might

be reluctant to engage with the process. This is a real challenge. It is useful to start from the

viewpoint that people can change if they choose to, and help them to discover the benefits of

having a mentor. Rogers’ core skills of empathy, respect, and genuineness are essential here.

Don’t take it personally. Be there for them and be prepared to help when they are ready for it,

on your terms as well as theirs.

The broken mentoring relationship

At times, the mentor may feel that the relationship is not working. Perhaps they have to put in

too much effort, perhaps they are out of their depth with the nature of the challenges, or perhaps

there is a clash of ideologies or values. Alternatively, the mentee may feel over-challenged or

under-challenged, or perhaps the adopted approach is too structured or not sufficiently

structured. Maybe they just feel that the mentor is not sufficiently on their wavelength.

Review meetings are a good way of identifying problems. Mentors can raise their concerns in

a non-judgemental way and work towards a solution jointly with the mentee. Useful questions

that explore the mentee’s view might be: What am I doing that is helping you? What am I doing

that is getting in the way? If there was something you would like to change about the way we

work, what would it be?

The temptation to give advice

Giving advice is not recognised as one of the skills or qualities of effective mentors. However,

there is often great temptation to offer advice to the mentee, especially given the level of

professional experience and knowledge of the mentor. Beware of giving advice for the

following reasons:

• Only the mentee knows what is best for them.

• It can create dependence and reduce the resourcefulness and autonomy of the mentee.

• It rarely works, as people often don’t take advice.

When asked or tempted to give advice, we could:

• Try to facilitate the mentee to advise themselves.

• Provide facts and information that might be useful to them.

 • Perhaps share our own experiences, with the caveat that our situation will be different

from their own.

The mentor/manager

Can a mentor be the mentee’s manager? This represents a potential conflict of interests if the

mentor/manager were to confuse the roles. It would be difficult to make unbiased management

decisions, appraisals or assessments. The mentee may feel reluctant to discuss areas of

weakness or dissatisfaction with the mentor/manager. Ethical considerations must play a big

part in defining the working agreement.

Some mentees would naturally choose their manager as their mentor due to their respect for

their experience or integrity. In this case there is a tendency for the learning relationship to be

more skill-based, rather than based on behaviour.

The mentor/friend

Can you be a mentor to a friend? This is really about setting clear boundaries and flagging up

when you are in the mentor/mentee role. It is therefore important that the mentoring meetings

occur in a set location at a set time and for a set duration. Some people may be able to flip

easily between the roles of mentor/mentee and friends; others may struggle with the split. It is

probably an issue that is worthwhile discussing. Remember also that as a mentor you have a

life-long responsibility to the mentee regarding confidentiality, and this needs guarding

carefully to preserve the trust, long after you have moved on from the mentoring relationship.

A mentor, not a counsellor

Occasionally a mentee might have psychological issues, perhaps relating to illness,

bereavement, or relationships, for example. This is way beyond the remit of mentoring. Do not

just “have a go” at helping them, first because you can do real damage to the mentee’s

wellbeing, and secondly the burden may well have a negative impact on you.

Suggest to your mentee that they seek the right kind of support from a trained counsellor. This

type of situation emphasises the importance of establishing a mentoring agreement to define

the boundaries of the discussions.

Reaping rewards

Helping others to help themselves can be really rewarding for all involved. I hope this has

inspired you to consider mentoring, and has given you some guidance on how to get started in

mentoring or how you might raise your mentoring game. Remember that mentoring is learned

through experience, and by self-reflection. It’s constructive to ask your mentee for feedback to

help you improve. As a final thought, the single most important quality a mentor can exhibit is

a genuine interest in the welfare and success of the mentee. If this isn’t in place, the success of

the mentoring relationship will be mediocre at best.

100 Centuries of Chemical Engineering

Article by Martin Pitt CEng FIChemE

In a prelude to IChemE’s centenary celebrations, IChemE Fellow Martin Pitt charts the

influence of chemical engineering since the dawn of civilisation

CHEMICAL engineering is fundamentally about the transformation of substances into

materials on a scale which is useful to society, not just an individual. The first requirement

is a settled community with access to resources, and some specialisation in work. As

IChemE prepares to celebrate its centenary throughout this year, I wanted to

acknowledge the deeper roots of our discipline, which you could argue stretch back

thousands of years. Here we look at the organised chemical transformations that have

been essential to the development of civilisation ever since, starting with the earliest cities

100 centuries ago and the technology around then.

The -OH groups on silicate polymers are dehydrated by heat to give strong -O- crosslinks and

a rigid waterproof structure. This allowed storage and transport of food and drink, and began

trade. For most of human history, cultures are identified by the shards of pottery left behind.

The making of pottery opens the door on various other key developments. Baked clay tablets
show the first known writing. And pottery enabled brewing, the first biochemical process. The

ancient Egyptians produced beer on an industrial scale, giving pyramid workers 5 L/d.
Ancient pottery and clay tablet with cuneiform writings

Brick pottery kilns were the first industrial chemical reactors, converting copper carbonate to

copper in a high temperature reducing atmosphere. Tin can be produced in the open air.

Combining the two in the correct ratio produces bronze, a new substance superior to its

components. Both pottery and bronze require mastery of energy – the other component of
chemical engineering – and for success the processes must be controlled, a critical skill.
(Bracelets) Jozefsu/Wikimedia Commons
Late Bronze Age bracelets and axe head

The Egyptians heated the rock gypsum CaSO4.2H2O, dehydrating it to CaSO4.0.5H2O. The

powder mixed with water turned back to rock. This was used with sand as mortar in their

monuments and for painting on inside their temples and tombs.

Michele Ursi/Shutterstock.com
Funerary mask made with linen, plaster and gold
Iron was much more difficult to get from ore. Not only does it have to be at a high temperature

but the reducing agent is carbon, not carbon monoxide. So a careful arrangement and control

of charcoal and ore in a furnace was required. The Philistine giant Goliath is described in The

Bible as having an iron-tipped spear which would have pierced bronze armour. Those

civilisations which mastered it had a huge advantage in warfare and later in technology.

(Sword) NTNU Vitenskapsmuseet/Wikimedia

Prehistoric iron axe head and early iron age Viking sword
The Chinese developed a complex combination of unit operations involving both physical and

chemical processes to make a new wonder substance – paper. This was another enabling

technology, which meant that a vast empire could be governed by a civil service using written

messages, contracts and proclamations. By 750 CE, there was a major paper industry in the

Islamic world so scholars could record knowledge from the ancient civilisations and science as

it began to be practised. Even later, Caxton’s printing press would have something other than

animal skins to print upon. The success of printing is normally credited to the mechanical

process, but as so often through history, it is the chemical engineering process which meant it

could be used so widely, and cheaply.

One of the things the Romans have given us is concrete. Lime CaCO3 is heated to get quicklime

CaO. With water, this reacts to give a solid CaOH which had been used for mortar for some

time. However, by mixing it with volcanic ash a slow reaction takes place giving a complex

calcium silicate reaching full strength in 90 days, and lasting for centuries.

The Colosseum, Rome

The Chinese began mixing fuels (sulfur and charcoal) with crystals of nitre extracted from bat

poo. The possession of gunpowder technology became a defining factor in world history, itself

dependent on access to resources of nitrate minerals (fossilised bird poo) and sulfur. Plus the

expertise.
The Germans developed a method for making nitre from urine, involving biological and

chemical processes. Queen Elizabeth paid a considerable sum of money to purchase the details.

This chemical process and the development of expertise in particle technology made British

gunpowder a reliable and economic product, without which the British Empire would never

have existed.

Extensive production and use of metals was accompanied by industrial processes described in

the book De re metallica. These included unit operations including crystallisation and

distillation, and the manufacture and purification of acids, bases and salts.
archive.org
Purification of Sulfur (from De re metallica)
De re metallica describes the distillation of silver and nitric acid. However, it was the demand

for alcoholic liquor which promoted the development of this unit operation on increasing

scales. In 1822 a column still was introduced in Ireland, and it was an improved version of this

by Aeneas Coffey which was the basis for the columns used for the early American oil industry.
A lush growth of weeds on and around the nitre process for gunpowder and a new scientific

attitude led to the realisation that nitrogen was important for crop growth. This contributed to

the Agricultural Revolution in which nitrogen compounds and mineral phosphate and

potassium greatly increased yields. Nowadays the nitrogen compounds are produced by the

Haber process, and this and fertilisers are an important part of the chemical industry.
By what was called double burning of limestone and clay and grinding, a powder was obtained

which reacted with water to make cement the equal of the Roman one, but faster setting and

much cheaper because it is from very common materials. Today, globally, the concrete made

with Portland Cement is the industrial substance used in the largest amount.
Mauveine was the first synthetic dye, effectively the rare royal purple. Queen Victoria had one

of the first dresses dyed this colour. Other colours quickly followed and the modern dye

industry gave us a colourful world.

This brings us neatly to the dawn of the Institution of Chemical Engineers, which was founded

in 1922. Visit IChemE’s dedicated centenary website (ChemEng Evolution) for more historical

insights and information on events being held throughout the year.

First up: Chemical engineers and consumption

2022 marks IChemE’s centenary year, and each month has a dedicated theme and an

accompanying webinar that members are encouraged to attend. These webinars will

focus on the future opportunities and challenges facing chemical engineers and the

profession. February’s theme is sustainability, and the webinar on 16 February will see a

panel of experts discuss the challenges associated with consumption. A key question they

will address is: What will define the sustainable chemical engineer’s approach to these

challenges?

Currently, global production and consumption levels are estimated to be overshooting the

planet’s biocapacity by about 50% each year. With standards of living on the rise, there is an

obvious need to change the way the planet’s material resources are used, and there is a prime

role for the profession in addressing this issue.

Join experts including Malcolm Wilkinson, Chair of IChemE’s Sustainability SIG; Pratima

Rangarajan, CEO of OGCI Climate Investments; and Mark Apsey, Chair of IChemE’s Energy

Community of Practice to hear their thoughts and pose your own questions on what these

changes mean for our futures.

Topics of discussion are expected to include the ethical responsibilities of chemical engineers

when it comes to sustainable development; acting as an honest broker; designing and building

resilient systems; and applying a systems approach to the circular economy.

Blogging on the topic, IChemE member Nikolay Cherkasov, who is Managing Director of Stoli

Chem and was part of the editorial panel looking at sustainability and environment, wrote:

“Chemical engineering has an outstanding track record for solving major environmental

problems. The solutions range from contributing to feeding the world’s population (through

the development of the Haber-Bosch process for producing synthetic fertilisers), to delivering

sustainable energy for power and transport, and safe drinking water to minimise disease.”

He added: “We welcome curiosity, debate and conversation – everyone is invited to participate.

Register now to reserve your place. If you are unable to join live, a recording will be available
via the ChemEng Evolution website after the event.”

The Cold Treatment

Article by Amanda Jasi

Todd Cline talks about his role in designing sustainable products

IN THIS series, we speak to chemical engineers working outside of the fossil fuel sectors

to highlight the breadth of opportunities open to those just starting their careers or

seeking to change sectors.

Todd Cline is the Director of Research & Development for Global Fabric Care at consumer
goods company Procter and Gamble. Given the array of products P&G makes, it’s quite likely

you have at least one at home whether its Oral B toothpaste, Olay skin cream, Aussie shampoo

or Pampers nappies. Currently Cline’s main responsibility is leading the technical organisation

of the company’s efforts to achieve its Ambition 2030 sustainability goals for North America

Fabric Care, which includes its Tide laundry detergent.

“This includes our work to design products that help consumers lead more sustainable lives,

such as by washing clothes in cold water or through recyclable packaging, and to reduce the

environmental footprint of our products and packages.

“Through our environmental sustainability programme, we’re doing our part to stop climate

change, with an ambition of being net zero by 2040. We are a science-based company, and the

number one driver of carbon footprint of laundry products is how consumers use them. Almost

70% of the total carbon footprint is due to the energy used to heat the water. So we are very

focused on creating products that can be used in cold water, and educating consumers on the

many benefits of cold washes including reduced carbon footprint, reduced utility costs, and

clothes lasting longer.

“We are also committed to reducing the carbon footprint of our raw materials and packaging

by 40% per use of product by 2030, while still maintaining exceptional cleaning in cold water.

This is no small feat! Beyond climate we have significant efforts under way on circularity and

reducing plastic waste, and assuring quality of water systems as well, because our detergents

end up in water streams. So our sustainability efforts are quite holistic.”

I am very passionate about the outdoors, and I love that I get to focus on being part of the

solution for climate change in a meaningful way

What is the most rewarding part of your role?

“As an avid trail runner and skier, I am very passionate about the outdoors, and I love that I get

to focus on being part of the solution for climate change in a meaningful way.

“Our aspiration on Tide is to get 75% of laundry loads in North America washed on cold by

2030. Changing how people do laundry may not sound especially meaningful, but that change

will avoid more than 27m t of CO2 that would be created from heating water. I truly appreciate

how my work lines up so well with my passions, and the large-scale impact we can have
because we reach so many consumers. It all starts with having products that excel in washing

on cold, which gets back to many basics of chemistry and chemical engineering.”

Todd graduated with a Bachelor’s in chemical engineering from the University of Kentucky,

US, and then obtained a Master’s in business administration at Xavier University, US. He has

worked for P&G for 20 years.

rblfmr / Shutterstock.com
Our aspiration on Tide is to get 75% of laundry loads in North America washed on cold by
2030
What skills have you developed since leaving university that you think have been key in

helping you achieve your career aims?

“One is becoming much more proficient in data analysis and statistics compared to the level

we applied in undergraduate studies, as we are a very data driven company. The second is how

to take very complex data and technical learning and find ways to effectively communicate

them so colleagues across the business can fully engage and act on them. And finally, in recent

years, learning the science of life cycle analysis to upskill in the sustainability space.”

What aspects of chemical engineering do you apply in your everyday role?

“One of the key things I learned studying chemical engineering is creative technical problem

solving – regardless of the type of problem you’re facing. Much of my work today is focused

on consumer insights and behaviour, and strategies to reduce carbon footprint, so not

specifically what I studied in my chemical engineering courses. But the methods of developing

technical depth and creative problem solving apply incredibly well to the work we do in R&D.”

What chemical/process engineering skills are in demand in your sector?

“I think there is a strong demand for candidates with experience and passion in application of

green chemistry thinking and also understanding of life cycle assessment and how to act on it.

“We must find ways to deliver more sustainable products – especially lower carbon footprint

– without asking consumers to make trade-offs in performance and cost. I think chemical

engineers can play a key role in how we develop and combine technologies to create materials

and products, and manufacturing processes to tackle these challenges. There are many exciting
new spaces such as carbon capture and transformation where chemical engineers can play a

critical role in how to create and commercialise.”

What advice would you give to a recent graduate or early careers chemical engineer who wants

to work in your sector/role?

“Be ready for regular reinvention. We move to different product categories, technologies, and

geographies fairly regularly, so it is important to be comfortable with becoming an expert and

then starting over again. The basic technical problem-solving skills we learn as chemical
engineers serve us well as we continually learn and reinvent throughout our careers.

“My journey has taught me that graduation was not the end of my learning, but just the start.

My studies in chemical engineering equipped me to enter my career and do the regular learning

and reinvention required as my role changes and in response to external forces. So be prepared

for the fun of continuous learning throughout your career, and look for opportunities to learn

in the areas where you are most passionate.”

Nitrate: An Emerging Solution

Article by Jonathan Wright CEng MIChemE, Peter Voigt, Gerrit Boersma and LiAnn

Goh

Jonathan Wright and colleagues explain how their IChemE Award-winning ion exchange and

encapsulated bacteria technologies can combat critical nitrate problems

NITRATE pollution is a major issue around the world, causing serious health effects in

humans and severe damage to aquatic environments. Conventional treatment methods

often struggle to meet the ever-tightening nitrate limits being mandated around the

world.

To overcome this issue, Clean TeQ Water has developed a new process that won the IChemE

2021 Awards Biochemical Engineering category and went on to win the Outstanding

Achievement in Chemical Engineering Award. The process, named BIONEX, is a combination

of our innovative continuous ionic filtration and encapsulated bacteria technologies, that

removes nitrate to very low levels and converts it to nitrogen gas. The process is already being

successfully implemented to treat nitrate from wastewater from coal mines and steel facilities

in China, as well as in municipal and aquaculture applications.

The impact of nitrate

High concentrations of NOx (nitrate and nitrite forms of nitrogen) in waterways can be caused

by fertiliser runoff, and discharge from industrial and municipal treatment plants. Even

moderate nitrate concentrations can lead to eutrophication of natural water bodies, causing

algal blooms that severely harm the aquatic environment. In 2020 alone, the Harmful Algae

Event Database (HAEDAT)1 reported almost 600 harmful algal bloom events globally, and the

US EPA’s 2013-2014 National Rivers and Streams Assessment2 rated 43% of rivers and

streams as having poor quality in regard to their nitrogen content.

Governments and authorities are now acting to avoid long-term knock-on effects to their clean

water resources

Infant methemoglobinemia (blue baby syndrome) has well-established links to high nitrate
levels and is one of the main reasons for nitrate concentration limits being set for drinking
water around the world. Recent literature reviews of over 30 global epidemiologic studies have

found increasing links to various forms of cancer, even when concentrations are below the

current drinking water limits3.

For these reasons, governments and water authorities around the world are placing increasingly

strict regulations on nitrate concentrations in waters for discharge to the environment, and for

drinking. These stricter limits are appearing at the same time as nitrate levels in agricultural

and water-stressed areas are increasing, leading the need to urgently upgrade water treatment

infrastructure.

For too long, nitrogen issues have been growing unnoticed, and governments and authorities

are now acting to avoid long-term knock-on effects to their critical and ever-declining clean

water resources. Conventional bacteria treatment methods such as CAS (conventional activated

sludge), BNR (biological nutrient removal), MBBR (moving bed bio-reactor), and MBR

(membrane bio-reactor) are struggling to reduce effluent nitrate concentrations below the 1

mg/L limit that regulators are requiring. While reverse osmosis and ion exchange can treat to

these concentrations, they produce large volumes of waste that can be difficult to manage.

Wetlands can be effective for nutrient reduction but have extremely large footprints and are

known to struggle to meet the nitrate limits at low temperatures.

We have designed BIONEX specifically to deal with these nitrate issues in an environmentally

friendly and cost-effective manner. By combining two of our innovative water treatment

technologies, continuous ionic filtration (CIF), and lens encapsulated bacteria (BIOCLENS),

the process electively removes nitrate/nitrite from water sources and converts it to harmless

nitrogen gas.
How does continuous ionic filtration work?

Continuous ionic filtration is a continuous ion exchange technology where ion exchange resin
is continuously moved around the system for regeneration. Water treatment occurs in the

adsorption column, which uses a moving packed bed of ion exchange resin. It can be likened

to the continuous sand filtration process; however, the ion exchange resin continuously

removes dissolved ions through ion exchange while simultaneously filtering solids if required.

In BIONEX, continuous ionic filtration is used to exchange nitrate ions for chloride ions on a

strong base anionic resin that has strong nitrate selectivity in the presence of competing anions,

such as sulfate. The unique counter-current movement of resin in the continuous ionic filtration

system results in higher equilibrium loading concentration of nitrate to be achieved on the resin
and consistently remove nitrate to <1 ppm. It also ensures there are minimal effects of fouling,
which is a limiting factor when using batch ion exchange systems, particularly in wastewaters

where bacteria and sludge can be present. Wash water is recovered and reused by the process

without the need to discharge it from the system.

Contaminated water flows in through the base of adsorption columns and leaves out of the top

through screening elements. Resin loaded with nitrate is periodically lifted pneumatically from

the base of the adsorption column into the separate desorption and washing stages, also

operated in counter- current fashion, and progressively removes contaminants and desorbs the

nitrate from the resin into a nitrate rich salt brine. This leaves washed, nitrate-free regenerated

resin to be returned to the adsorption column.

Figure 1: Continuous ionic filtration operating diagram

What is BIOCLENS?
Figure 2: BIOCLENS schematic

Lens encapsulated bacteria are living bacteria which are encapsulated in a stable, porous

polymer gel matrix. As the lenses are stirred in a reactor, water and dissolved impurities diffuse

through the lenses and come in contact with the bacteria, where targeted reactions occur.

Specifically-selected bacteria with high nitrification or denitrification activity are used in the

lenses, resulting in high removal activity. The encapsulation protects bacteria in saline

environments and from potentially toxic compounds in the feed. The compact and regulated

conditions of the bioreactor also promote complete reactions which means potentially lower
nitrous oxide emissions. Nitrous oxide produced by lens encapsulated bacteria is currently
being measured in pilot plant and will be measured in the most recent full-scale plant; results

are expected soon.

Denitrification is the process of converting nitrate/nitrite to harmless nitrogen gas. The lens

encapsulated bacteria process uses nitrate-reducing bacteria that act as the biocatalyst. The

process is performed under anoxic conditions with dissolved oxygen concentration less than

0.5 ppm. In depleted oxygen environments, nitrate is the primary target for bacteria. The

reactions can be expressed as:

When degrading nitrate (NO3-), it is first reduced to nitrite (NO2-) by an enzyme within the

bacteria, and which in turn is then enzymatically converted to nitrogen gas (N2). A carbon

source is required for the reactions to occur, and typically acetate is used. If there are simple

organic substrates present in the water these can also be used as a carbon source. Since bacteria

are encapsulated, as opposed to being free cell (as used in traditional treatment technologies),
they remain protected in harsh environments and can cope with high ammonia and nitrate

concentrations and osmotic pressures that are seen in salt-laden brines. Testing has shown that

extremely high activity rates are still observed in the presence of high salt concentrations.

Figure 3: BIOCLENS SEM imaging of the inner porous matrix which entraps microorganisms
The BIOCLENS system typically has one or two agitated reactors using a specific mixing blade

design and a proprietary screening system to retain the lens carriers inside the tanks, as shown

in Figure 4. Other components include process and chemical tanks, dosing systems and

electrical and control to fully automate the plant.

Figure 4: BIOCLENS denitrification reactor

How BIONEX works

BIONEX combines the continuous ionic filtration and BIOCLENS processes in a

complimentary fashion to remove nitrate and convert it to nitrogen gas.

The process diagram of a BIONEX system can be seen in Figure 5. The concentrated nitrate

brine stream from desorption is treated by lens encapsulated bacteria, typically removing nitrate

to under 10 mg/L. The brine is then filtered, and returned to the desorption column, where it is

reused for resin regeneration. Less than 1% of the feed flow is purged from the brine loop in

order to prevent buildup of contaminants. The waste stream typically has a TDS of 10,000

mg/L with 10 mg/L nitrate. In most cases, the small waste stream can either be returned

upstream to the front of the wastewater treatment plant and/or can be blended with the product

as a zero liquid discharge (ZLD) solution.

Salt usage is minimised since most of the brine is reused and not discharged. This is often a

downfall of batch ion exchange processes where high volumes of nitrate-bearing brines are

discharged from the system and need to be managed. The recycling of the brine reduces the

opex of the process with typical treatment costs of US$0.10–0.15/m3 water treated, compared

to typically US$0.15–0.20/m3 for conventional ion exchange and reverse osmosis, and

US$0.40/m3 for biology

Figure 5: BIONEX flowsheet

Test work and piloting success

We completed a range of lab-scale experiments that initially enabled the sensitivity of

denitrifying and nitrifying biocatalysts, in relation to a range of operating conditions such as

temperature, hydraulic residence time, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, mass-to-volume ratio of

catalyst, carbon source type, and carbon-to-nitrogen, to be established. Results have shown that

activity rates of the biocatalyst are consistently high, depending on influent nitrogen levels, and

at low levels of catalyst loading can yield even higher activity rates of greater than 5,000 mg

NOx/kgh which is otherwise unheard of in conventional technologies.

Further process development and testing that we carried out has resulted in the ability

of BIONEX to be tuned to provide a unique sulfate desorption step to ensure low nitrate levels

can be maintained consistently when sulfate-to-nitrate ratios in the feed are high, enabling a

high degree of nitrate polishing to be sustained during long-term operation, without producing

any additional waste.

A pilot-scale project was carried out in Taiping, China, treating up to 100 kL/d of industrial

wastewater containing 15 ppm NO3-N and to reduce it to less than 1.5 ppm. For this plant a

fixed-bed ion exchange system was used, and the waste brine was treated with lens

encapsulated bacteria. It was found that the fixed bed resin quickly suffered from extensive

fouling and the flow was severely restricted.

Figure 6: Example BIONEX plant layout

A second pilot plant has been operating in Tianjin, China from early 2021 to provide proof of

concept to a client whose current wetland treatment plant is struggling to reach <3 ppm nitrate.

The pilot plant treats up to 100 m3/d. The continuous ionic filtration plant is seen on the left

of Figure 6, while the two stages of lens encapsulated bacteria reactors are seen on the right. A

proprietary self-cleaning screen keeps the lenses within the reactor whilst allowing treated

water to pass through (see Figure 7). The bioreactors have a 2-hour residence time at 25°C.

Carbon dosing is controlled to optimise the activity of the lens encapsulated bacteria reactors.

Figure 7: (L-R) photos of the continuous ionic filtration skid, BIOCLENS reactors, and screen
used in the pilot

The results in Figure 8 show the nitrate consistently removed to less than 1 ppm (undetectable

levels), apart from three instances during periods of maintenance/shutdown. This resulted in a

brine, containing 200 ppm nitrate being fed to the lens encapsulated bacteria reactors.
Figure 8: Feed and effluent nitrate concentrations to the plant over a 6-month period

Figure 9 shows the activity of the lens encapsulated bacteria reactors over time. After a few

days for bacteria to acclimatise from cold storage, the two-staged reactor system consistently
removed nitrate in the desorption brine to <10 ppm, which allows for efficient regeneration of

the loaded resin in the continuous ion exchange system. The two-stage system was optimised

by reducing the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, with the activity rates seen across both reactors

peaking at around 1,000 mg NOx-N/kgh at higher carbon levels. The pH and temperature of

the system was controlled automatically during operation.

Piloting confirmed that the BIONEX system can consistently achieve <1 ppm nitrate in the

effluent, and that lens encapsulated bacteria removes sufficient nitrate from the brine for it to

be reused with minimal salt top-up required. These results form the basis for large-scale water

treatment plants that can polish nitrate to very low levels with low chemical consumption, low
waste production, and with small footprints.
Figure 9: Biological activity of lens encapsulated bacteria reactors during piloting

Current applications

Clean TeQ Water is currently delivering a flagship first-of-its-kind 12 ML/d BIONEX plant in

Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China which will reduce the total nitrogen from the wastewater

treatment plant effluent from a coal mine from 5 ppm to less than 1 ppm. We envision this to

be the first of many plants in China, especially in sensitive areas such as the Yellow River

Basin which covers the Northern provinces of China, where this plant is located.

We have also signed an exclusive distribution agreement with MCC Energy Conservation and

Environmental Protection to market the BIONEX technology across the steel sector in China,

following the successful piloting period in Tianjin which now starts the detailed design process

for a large-scale treatment facility. This technology has the potential to be the missing piece

for existing water treatment plants looking to intensify their nitrate removal capacity.

Meanwhile, our BIOCLENS technology also offers the ability to retrofit into existing treatment

systems or be used on its own to treat concentrated nitrogen-polluted feed waters. It can be

enclosed within existing activated sludge reactors to enhance ammonia or nitrate removal.

Another recent success is its deployment in the aquaculture industry, where shrimp pond waster
is treated to remove nitrate and nitrite to improve shrimp health. The plant (pictured in Figure

10) removes nitrate from 30 ppm to 0 ppm for a 60 m3/d flow.

Figure 10: BIOCLENS reactor for aquaculture treatment

Positive outlook

Novel technologies such as BIONEX can offer superior treatment to reach stricter regulatory

requirements (<1 ppm TN) for discharge to ocean and surface water, with biological treatment

able to manage highly saline brines with minimal resource consumption and waste

production. BIONEX plants typically operate with >99% recovery, with significantly lower

waste and opex than batch ion exchange or reverse osmosis plants, meaning brine evaporation

ponds and liquid waste handling can be eliminated when a zero liquid discharge approach is
possible.
The results of piloting have major implications for both groundwater and wastewater treatment,

with BIONEX providing a potential solution to provide nitrate removal to low levels even when

there is limited space available on site. The technology allows users to meet ultra-low nitrate

concentrations that are often mandated by regulating bodies with minimal resource

consumption and waste production.

In addition, it is a key enabler for reuse of wastewater for irrigation, industry, agriculture and

aquaculture purposes, reducing demands on clean drinking water, whilst reducing harmful algal

blooms and eutrophication of sensitive water bodies.

We are investing further in nutrient removal technologies, having recently launched our

PHOSPHIX phosphate recycling technology which removes phosphate to <0.1 ppm and

produces a solid, reusable phosphorus product. Future developments are under way for an

integrated nitrate and phosphate removal process which combines this process with BIONEX

using a single ion exchange resin.