Technologies for the Valorization of Alternative Fossil and Renewable Resources

替代资源化学品和燃料研究所（ICFAR）于2009年在西部大学成立，以适应我们不断扩大的研究活动，涉及低价值化石资源（从油砂中提取的重油）和可再生能源（残留生物质，有机废物和选定的作物）的热裂解和升级为升级产品，使用先进的化学反应器技术。拟议的发现赠款建立在多年的经验，热裂解重油和残余生物质材料使用传统的气固流化床反应器以及最近的技术，包括机械流化反应器。热裂解本质上是一种非选择性过程，并产生数百种化学物质。拟议的发现赠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集成来提高可冷凝和固体产品的选择性并提高其质量和价值。这项研究的目的是将低价值或负价值的资源（残渣、有机废料、污泥和重质碳氢化合物）转化为（a）更容易升级和与石油燃料流结合的高价值中间产品，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。为实现这一目标，将开展旨在提高选择性和质量的项目：（一）在反应过程中，（二）在初级产品收集过程中，以及（三）初级产品的后处理。这些项目将包括：在与分馏冷凝系统集成的鼓泡流化床中或之后的催化热解;在与分馏冷凝系统集成的在逐渐增加的温度下操作的机械流化反应器中的非催化分批热解;通过先进的萃取技术和催化转化工艺使液体馏分增值，通过活化，造粒，或用于生产先进材料的用途;使用超临界流体进行反应和分馏的生产和稳定的新方法。该研究将产生几个有益的结果：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格，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。从低质量、剩余或废弃的资源中生产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.