Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Fossil-based energy resources account for about 80% of world's primary energy consumption. The world focus has now shifted towards utilization of renewable carbon sources, due to increased climate concerns, enhanced worldwide demand for fuels, depleted oil reserves and increased cost of production, and political commitment by Canada and many other countries through Paris Accord in 2015 and Glasgow Climate Change Pact in 2021. Biomass is a carbon-neutral renewable energy resource for the production of biofuels and valuable chemicals. Transportation industry is the largest contributor (25%) to air pollution in Canada. Canada consumes 20 billion litres/y of diesel fuel in transportation, farming industries, and mining. With current mandate at 2% blend, Canada produces and consumes 400 million litres (ML)/y of biodiesel thus generating 40 ML/y of glycerol. The sustainability of the biodiesel industry requires the use of low-cost oils and fats as feed and by-product glycerol utilization to chemicals, through innovative and cost competitive technologies. The aviation industry emits ~2% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) and plans to cap emissions from air travel, and a reduction of GHG emissions to 50% of 2005 levels by 2050. To achieve this goal, this industry needs to substitute fossil fuel with biofuels as they deliver 60-90% of lower carbon footprint. The proposed research program comprises two innovative themes. The first focuses on the development of novel heterogeneous catalysts for continuous biodiesel production from non-edible vegetable oils such as fryer grease and low-quality vegetable oils such as green seed derived canola, mustard and soya, and utilize by-product crude glycerol to biochemicals. Novel solid acid catalysts and mesoporous materials will be developed for biodiesel production and for glycerol conversion to two industrially important chemicals 1,3 propane diol and glycerol carbonate. The later utilizes carbon dioxide from atmosphere for its synthesis. The second focuses on novel gas-to-liquid conversion technologies for jet-fuel from syngas and light olefins (C2-C4). Required high quality synthesis gas (a mixture of H2 and CO) can be produced from biomass via gasification, which is an excellent feedstock for Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis (FTS) process. Innovative carbon-based Fe catalysts for FTS and Pt supported mesoporous aluminosilicates will be developed for oil production and for hydrocracking and isomerization of FT wax to jet fuel, respectively. In this research program, the study will include (1) novel catalysts' synthesis and catalytic reactions, products' analysis; (4) in-depth catalysts' characterization; (5) catalyst activity and product selectivity correlation with catalysts' properties; (6) kinetic studies; and (7) process scale-up, economics and life cycle assessment assess their industrial viability. In addition to creating 11 HQPS, the research program will help to complement Canada's initiatives for GHG reduction.