Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

The rising global demand for nano-based, carbon-based, porous, and composite materials has sharpened interest in the production of sustainable carbon materials prepared from bio-precursors. The aim is to i) reduce manufacturing costs, ii) align with circular economy principles, and iii) replace petroleum-based materials with natural biomass-based products. The long-term objective of this research program is to develop fundamental and applied knowledge on the characteristics of forestry residues and their thermochemical conversion into sustainable carbon materials with physicochemical properties that target various needs and applications. The specific and short-term objectives (SO) are the following: SO1) Evaluate the different thermal conversion processes for functional carbon materials preparation and compare them for efficiency and the impacts on physicochemical properties (surface chemistry, chemical composition, and porosity) to improve contaminated water treatments; SO2) Evaluate the environmental impacts of producing functional carbons made from low-quality wood (end-of-life panels) compared to high-quality wood (from sawmills) and petroleum-based materials to improve contaminated gas treatments; SO3) Perform a techno-economic study of carbon production based on forestry products according to wood waste type, transport mode, emissions, and energy costs; and evaluate the physicochemical properties for energy storage and electrochemical behavior. Various types of locally available, recyclable, sustainable, simple to process, and widely accessible forest residues will be thermochemically converted into functional carbon materials via different thermochemical processes (pyrolysis, activation, etc.) combined with different functionalization methods (surface oxidation, amination, etc.) to improve the physicochemical and textural properties. This program will benefit from access to several specialized laboratories containing state-of-the-art equipment and experienced staff with relevant expertise at the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT) as well as several national and international collaborations. Multiple research and scientific spin-offs are expected. Among others, the results will address the enormous wastes generated by the forest industry and the urgent need to shift to a circular economy and renewable energy sources. This approach aligns with Québec's 2030 Plan for a Green Economy and Canada's 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan, which will guide government actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change over the next decade. Our program will also contribute to train highly qualified personnel (HQP) [1 PhD ($25k/4 years), 2 MSc ($21k/2 years), and 5 undergraduate interns ($8k/4-month internship)] and will generate 1 doctoral thesis, 2 master's thesis, and 5 dissertation projects. Further spin-offs are anticipated in the form of research disseminations (technical reports, conferences and scientific papers).