Plastic Waste Upcycling
As a substantial increase in plastic waste directly threatens environmental well-being and ecological balance, our group is engaged in several projects centered around the upcycling of plastic waste. We are exploring various types of plastics, recently focusing on oxygenated polymers like polypropylene glycols and polyurethanes. These polymers undergo catalytic decomposition to yield valuable chemicals. By employing different catalysts, we can enhance selectivity towards more valuable chemicals. Primarily, we utilize zeolite-based catalysts for this purpose. Our experiments involve testing various commercial catalysts such as ZSM-5, beta zeolite, Zeolite Y, and Mordenite. We have successfully synthesized high surface area one- and two-dimensional zeolites to investigate the influence of surface area, pore size, and pore volume on selectivity. We are also studying different silica-to-alumina ratios of zeolites to understand the impact of varying active sites on product distribution and selectivity.
Selected Publications
- H-ZSM-5 Catalysts for the Catalytic Upcycling of Polypropylene Glycol
- Zeolite‐based Catalysts for Conversion of Oxygenated Polymer Waste by Use of Positron Annihilation
Biomass Conversion
Biomass is one of the most plentiful resources in the world, such as agricultural residues, and has great potential for sustainable energy. Plants, having chlorophyll, absorb energy from the sun to convert CO2 from the air and nutrients from the ground into complex carbohydrates. Therefore, ideally, carbon is cycled in the atmosphere when biomass is consumed as a fuel. Our group focuses on (i) biomass torrefaction and (ii) biowaste co-pyrolysis with and without catalysts. There are three main products from torrefaction and pyrolysis: syngas, bio-oil, and biochar. In general, bio-oil has high acidity and water content, causing storage and transportation issues, and the complex nature of the organic species of bio-oil makes utilization as a chemical feedstock troublesome. We are developing a novel process to separate and upgrade bio-oil using ammonia. Also, we are investigating pretreatment and activation processes to enable biochar to be absorbents for direct air CO2 capture.
Selected Publications
- Novel Process for the Upgrading of Model Torrefaction Bio-oils using Ammonia
- Torrefaction of Pelletized Corn Residues with Wet Flue Gas