Inspiring Minds seeks to broaden awareness and impact of graduate student research, while enhancing transferable skills. Students were challenged to describe their research, scholarship or creative activity in 150 or fewer words to share with our community.
Reem Shomal
PhD candidate, Faculty of Engineering
Harnessing Waste for the Future: Upgrading Bio-oil into Sustainable Fuel
The energy crisis is a growing concern as our reliance on fossil fuels exacerbates the gap between supply and rising global demand. Canada, as the world's largest producer of lignocellulosic waste biomass, holds significant potential to address this challenge. Our research focuses on developing viable substitutes for conventional crude oil products, contributing to a more sustainable energy future. This biomass can be converted into bio-oil, which shares many characteristics with crude oil. Our study introduces a novel multiphase catalytic hydrodeoxygenation process that operates under mild conditions to remove oxygen atoms and improve the bio-oil’s stability for conventional use. We enhance this process by utilizing cost effective and abundant metals like Nickel, Titanium and Ruthenium. This approach not only increases hydrogen gas solubility and reduces consumption but also offers a more economically viable solution. Additionally, this process significantly lowers the carbon footprint, aligning with Canada’s goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions.
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