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

对未来石油作为液体燃料和化学品主要来源的担忧日益加剧，促使人们寻找替代能源。人们的注意力正转向将低价值物流从生物质业务以及石油和天然气工艺转向更高价值的产品。植物生物质衍生燃料和化学品目前是化石燃料的唯一碳中性、可再生的替代品。可再生汽油/柴油是未来的交通燃料。因此，在可再生和不可再生原材料的工业加工过程中产生的低/负值废物的使用值得高度重视。特别是在加拿大和不列颠哥伦比亚省北部，从木材加工的低价值“可再生能源”(如木质素、生物质残渣)和炼油的“不可再生能源”(如催化裂化底板、石油污泥)中生产更高价值的产品，是这些重要行业持续经济可行性的关键。探索基金的长远目标是发展合适的策略，直接从低/负价值的废物流和资源中产生高附加值的产品。这两个方法将被研究。其中一个将研究新的升级途径，通过对这些低成本材料的选择性转化，生产出前所未有的高产量的基础设施兼容燃料(例如碳氢化合物)和高价值的“非燃料”特种化学品(例如香料、化妆品)。一个关键的目标将是使用单一的反应堆和稀薄的原位氢气条件，以最大限度地提高安全性和最大限度地降低经济成本。将使用两个单独或串联运行的实验室反应器(固定床、搅拌槽)来研究选定的催化剂的性能。兼容的废流将被共同处理，以潜在地提高选择性和产品产量。对于有希望的路线(S)，将确定动力学、机理(S)、模型和反应条件(转化率、产物收率和选择性)。另一种方法将研究这些废流(或其中的一部分)，以通过造粒、活化和其他技术生产有用的先进材料。例如，将调查它们作为低成本生物炭来源和用于从工业废水中去除污染物的吸附剂的用途。在每个战略中，将通过适当的表征研究阐明基本的结构-性质关系，并为最有希望的产品和方法确定实际应用和经济效益。这一发现助学金计划非常适合为生物精炼和废物升级领域的新兴就业市场培养高素质人才(HQP)。拟议的工作将带来几个好处，包括：减少工业废物和残渣造成的污染，以及林业和石油副产品的定价；所有这些都具有重大的积极经济和环境影响。

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.