Production of Useful Chemicals, Liquid Fuels and Solids from Industrial Wastes Available in Northern BC and Canada

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The increasing concern about the future availability of petroleum as the main source of liquid fuels and chemicals has prompted the search for alternatives. Attention is turning to the conversion of low-value streams from biomass operations, and oil and gas processes, to higher-value products. Plant biomass-derived fuels and chemicals are currently the only carbon-neutral, renewable alternative to fossil fuels. Renewable gasoline/diesel fuels are the transportation fuels of the future. Thus, the use of low/negative value wastes, produced from the industrial processing of renewable and non-renewable raw materials, deserve acute attention. In Canada and northern BC in particular, the generation of higher value products from low value “renewables” from wood processing (e.g. lignin, biomass residues) and “non-renewables” from oil refining (e.g. FCC bottoms, petroleum sludge) is key for the continued economic viability of these important industries. The long-term goal of this Discovery Grant is to develop suitable strategies to generate high value-added products directly from low/negative value waste streams and resources. Two approaches will be studied. One will investigate new upgrading routes to produce unprecedentedly high yields of infrastructure compatible fuels (e.g. hydrocarbons) and high-value “non-fuel” specialty chemicals (e.g. flavors, cosmetics) from the selective conversion of these low-cost materials. A key objective will be to use a single reactor and lean in-situ hydrogen conditions to maximize safety and minimize economic costs. Two laboratory reactors (fixed-bed, stirred tank) operating separately or in tandem will be used to study the performance of selected catalysts. Compatible waste streams will be co-processed to potentially improve the selectivity and product yield. For the promising route(s), the kinetics, mechanism(s), modeling, and reaction conditions in terms of conversion, product yield and selectivity will be determined. The other approach will study these waste streams (or portions thereof) for the production of useful advanced materials via granulation, activation and other techniques. For example, their use as sources of low-cost biochars and adsorbents for pollutant removal from industrial waste waters will be investigated. In each strategy, essential structure-property relationships will be elucidated via appropriate characterization studies, with practical applications and economic benefits identified for the most promising products and processes. This Discovery Grant program is well suited to train Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) for the emerging job markets in bio-refining and waste upgrading. The proposed work will lead to several benefits, including: pollution reduction created by industrial wastes and residues, and valorization of forestry and petroleum byproducts; all with significantly positive economic and environmental impacts.