Zdeněk Matějka

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Zdeněk Matějka
Zdenek.Matejka.jpg
Born April 30, 1937
Teplice, Czechoslovakia
Died October 2, 2006(2006-10-02) (aged 69)
Prague, Czech Republic
Alma mater Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague
Known for ion exchange
water treatment
Scientific career
Fields chemistry
Institutions Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague
Doctoral advisor František Karas
Zdenek Matejka working at CKD Dukla Zdenek.Matejka.CKD.jpg
Zdeněk Matějka working at ČKD Dukla

Zdeněk Matějka (April 30, 1937 – October 2, 2006) was a Czech chemist known for his contributions to development of ion exchange.

Czech Republic republic in Central Europe

The Czech Republic, also known by its short-form name, Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west, Austria to the south, Slovakia to the east and Poland to the northeast. The Czech Republic covers an area of 78,866 square kilometres (30,450 sq mi) with a mostly temperate continental climate and oceanic climate. It is a unitary parliamentary republic, with 10.6 million inhabitants; its capital and largest city is Prague, with 1.3 million residents. Other major cities are Brno, Ostrava, Olomouc and Pilsen. The Czech Republic is a member of the European Union (EU), NATO, the OECD, the United Nations, the OSCE, and the Council of Europe.

Chemist scientist trained in the study of chemistry

A chemist is a scientist trained in the study of chemistry. Chemists study the composition of matter and its properties. Chemists carefully describe the properties they study in terms of quantities, with detail on the level of molecules and their component atoms. Chemists carefully measure substance proportions, reaction rates, and other chemical properties. The word 'chemist' is also used to address Pharmacists in Commonwealth English.

Ion exchange

Ion exchange is an exchange of ions between two electrolytes or between an electrolyte solution and a complex. In most cases the term is used to denote the processes of purification, separation, and decontamination of aqueous and other ion-containing solutions with solid polymeric or mineralic "ion exchangers".

Zdeněk Matějka was born in 1937 in Teplice. In 1955 he moved to Prague, to study chemistry at Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague. He received his master's degree in 1960. While working in Water Research Institute of ČKD Dukla corp., he started external doctor course at Department of Heat Engineering, Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague. His supervisor was Prof. František Karas, founder of the department. In 1967 he received his PhD degree for his research on electrodeionization of water. Later, in 1972, he moved from industry to university. For many years he worked as assistant professor on fundamentals of ion exchange.

Teplice Town in Czech Republic

Teplice ; Teplice-Šanov until 1948 is a statutory city in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic, the capital of Teplice District. It is the state's second largest spa town, after Karlovy Vary.

Chemistry is the scientific discipline involved with elements and compounds composed of atoms, molecules and ions: their composition, structure, properties, behavior and the changes they undergo during a reaction with other substances.

Electrodeionization is a water treatment technology that utilizes electricity, ion exchange membranes and resin to deionize water and separate dissolved ions (impurities) from water. It differs from other water purification technologies in that it is done without the use of chemical treatments and is usually a polishing treatment to reverse osmosis (RO). There are also EDI units that are often referred to as continuous electrodeionization (CEDI) since the electric current regenerates the resin mass continuously. CEDI technique can achieve very high purity, with conductivity below 0.1 µS/cm. Recently, Argonne National Laboratory developed a process called Resin-Wafer Electrodeionization (RW-EDI), which uses a unique porous resin wafer mold made from immobilized loose ion-exchange resin beads. The resin wafer material enhances mass transfer between solid and liquid phases to achieve a high purity, especially when treating impaired or brackish water.

In 1990, after the Velvet Revolution, he was promoted to associate professor. His research group worked mainly on selective removal of heavy metals via chelating ion exchangers and removal of nitrates from water. In 1997, he became head of Department of Power Engineering. For his teaching and scientific achievements, he was promoted to full professor in 2000. He retired soon after in 2002 at age of 65 (mandatory retirement) but he was still leading his research group working on part-time. Zdeněk Matějka died in Prague after a long illness on October 2, 2006.

Velvet Revolution democratization process in Czechoslovakia in 1989

The Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent transition of power in what was then Czechoslovakia, occurring from 17 November to 29 December 1989. Popular demonstrations against the one-party government of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia included students and older dissidents. The result was the end of 41 years of one-party rule in Czechoslovakia, and the subsequent dismantling of the planned economy and conversion to a parliamentary republic.

Associate professor is an academic title. In North America and universities elsewhere using the North American system, it is a position between assistant professor and a full professorship. In the United Kingdom, the title associate professor is sometimes used in place of reader. The title of associate professor in Australia and New Zealand, as well as in South Africa, India, parts of Southeast Asia, Ireland and other countries, like the title of reader, corresponds to a full professorship in North America.

Mandatory retirement also known as enforced retirement, is the set age at which people who hold certain jobs or offices are required by industry custom or by law to leave their employment, or retire.

During his work at Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague he supervised about 60 MSc and 20 PhD students. He established numerous scientific contacts worldwide namely in Japan, Germany, United States, UK and Turkey.

Japan Constitutional monarchy in East Asia

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies off the eastern coast of the Asian continent and stretches from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and the Philippine Sea in the south.

Germany Federal parliamentary republic in central-western Europe

Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central and Western Europe, lying between the Baltic and North Seas to the north, and the Alps to the south. It borders Denmark to the north, Poland and the Czech Republic to the east, Austria and Switzerland to the south, France to the southwest, and Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands to the west.

United States federal republic in North America

The United States of America (USA), commonly known as the United States or America, is a country composed of 50 states, a federal district, five major self-governing territories, and various possessions. At 3.8 million square miles, the United States is the world's third or fourth largest country by total area and is slightly smaller than the entire continent of Europe's 3.9 million square miles. With a population of over 327 million people, the U.S. is the third most populous country. The capital is Washington, D.C., and the largest city by population is New York City. Forty-eight states and the capital's federal district are contiguous in North America between Canada and Mexico. The State of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east and across the Bering Strait from Russia to the west. The State of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U.S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, stretching across nine official time zones. The extremely diverse geography, climate, and wildlife of the United States make it one of the world's 17 megadiverse countries.

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