Technologies for the Valorization of Alternative Fossil and Renewable Resources

2009年，西大成立了替代资源化学品和燃料研究所（ICFAR），以适应我们不断扩大的研究活动，利用先进的化学反应器技术，将低价值的化石资源（从油砂中提取的重油）和可再生能源（残余生物质、有机废物和选定的作物）热裂解和升级为升级产品。“发现”计划的拨款是建立在使用传统气固流化床反应器以及包括机械流化床反应器在内的最新技术对重油和残余生物质材料进行热裂解的多年经验基础上的。热裂解本质上是一个非选择性的过程，并产生数百种化学物质。Discovery拨款的主要目标是通过先进反应器和分离技术的协同组合和整合，提高可冷凝和固体产品的选择性，提高其质量和价值。该研究将致力于将低价值或负价值资源（残留物、有机废物、污泥和重碳氢化合物）转化为(a)高价值的中间体，这些中间体可以更容易地升级并与石油燃料流整合，更重要的是，(b)转化为高价值的目标“非燃料”化学产品，如药品、香料、化妆品、特种和精细化学品。该目标将通过处理旨在解决选择性和质量提高的项目来实现(i)在反应期间，（ii）在主要产品的收集期间，以及（iii）通过对主要产品的后处理。这些项目将包括：在带有分馏冷凝系统的鼓泡流化床中或之后进行催化热解；在机械流化反应器中的非催化间歇式热解，在逐步升高的温度下与分式冷凝序列相结合；通过先进的萃取技术和催化转化工艺实现液体馏分的增值，通过活化、造粒或利用生产先进材料实现固体馏分的增值；在反应和分馏中使用超临界流体整合生产和增值的新方法。这项研究将带来几个有益的结果：减少残留物和废物造成的污染，从垃圾填埋场转移，农业和林业副产品的价值，温室气体排放的净减少，以及可再生能源与传统化石燃料和化学品的整合。用低质量的、剩余的或废弃的资源环保地生产出高质量的产品，将为社会所有成员提供经济、环境和社会效益。

The Institute for Chemicals and Fuels from Alternative Resources (ICFAR) has been established at Western University in 2009 to accommodate our expanding research activities dealing with the thermal cracking and upgrading of low value fossil resources (heavy oils extracted from the oil sands) and renewables (residual biomasses, organic wastes and selected crops) into upgraded products, using advanced chemical reactor technologies. The proposed Discovery grant builds upon years of experience in thermal cracking of heavy oils and of residual biomass materials using conventional gas-solid fluidized bed reactors as well as more recent technologies, including mechanically fluidized reactors. Thermal cracking is an intrinsically non-selective process and generates hundreds of chemical species. The main objective of the proposed Discovery grant is to improve the selectivity and enhance the quality and value of the condensable and solid products by a synergistic combination and integration of advanced reactor and separation technologies. The research will aim at the conversion of low value, or negative value resources (residues, organic waste materials, sludges and heavy hydrocarbons) into (a) high value intermediates that can be more readily upgraded and integrated with petroleum fuel streams, and, more importantly, (b) into high value targeted “non-fuel” chemical products, such as pharmaceuticals, flavors, cosmetics, specialty and fine chemicals. The objective will be achieved by tackling projects designed to address selectivity and quality enhancement (i) during the reactions, (ii) during the collection of the primary products, as well as (iii) by post-processing the primary products. The projects will include: catalytic pyrolysis in, or following, a bubbling fluidized bed integrated with a fractional condensation train; non-catalytic batch pyrolysis in a mechanically fluidized reactor operating at progressively increasing temperatures integrated with fractional condensation trains; valorization of liquid fractions by advanced extraction techniques and catalytic transformation processes and of the solid fractions by activation, granulation, or utilization for the production of advanced materials; novel approaches to integration of production and valorization using supercritical fluids for both reaction and fractionation. The research will lead to several beneficial outcomes: reduction of pollution created by residues and wastes, diversion from landfills, valorization of agricultural and forestry co-products, net reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and integration of renewables into conventional fossil fuels and chemicals. The environmentally friendly production of high quality product from low quality, residual or waste resources will provide economic, environmental and social benefits to all members of society.