Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

Achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the Canadian Waste Sector by 2050 relies on expanding the implementation of advanced technologies for energy and resource recovery from waste streams. Organic waste valorization mitigates GHG emissions from traditional end-of-life disposal practices such as landfilling and simultaneously substitutes fossil-based energy and resources, facilitating the transition to a low-carbon economy. The bottleneck of bioprocess technologies is the slow process rate and the low product yield from complex feedstocks. Lignocellulose-containing organics such as agricultural biomass, paper waste, wood residues, and pulp & and paper sludge are examples of complex feedstocks produced largely in Canada and worldwide. The composition of the lignocellulose, composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, hinders the ability of microorganisms to break it down. The coupled effect of high temperature (140-200?) and high pressure (5-20 bar) during the hydrothermal process (HTP) can disintegrate the lignocellulose structure. This results in the release of intracellular biopolymers and the solubilization of extracellular substances, including lignin, which accelerates the subsequent bioprocess. In addition to the integrated HTP/bioprocess technique, HTP is key to thermochemical conversion technologies. Thermochemical conversion at 200-500? can be an alternative to bioprocesses to recover chemicals or energy carriers from lignocellulose-containing waste with low moisture content, such as wood residues. They can also be used to convert non-biodegradable waste streams, such as plastics, to value-added products. We are requesting a bench-scale hydrothermal system rated at 500? and 5000 PSI. The system is pivotal to our research programs and enables our HQP to perform various hands-on experiments. This research will provide new insights into applying HTP alone (thermochemical conversion) and in combination with bioprocesses for organic waste valorization. We will investigate the application of HTP for enhanced anaerobic digestion and fermentation processes to produce biomethane, biohydrogen, fatty acids, and solvents. We will employ waste-derived carbon-based materials produced during HTP to accelerate the direct interspecies electron transfer in bioprocesses. We will also use the equipment to study the conversion of organic waste to organic acids, char, and bio-oil through hydrothermal carbonization and liquefaction processes. Over the next five years, we anticipate that over 30 HQP will be involved in various research projects and receive training on the hydrothermal process. This training will enable them to have rewarding careers in industry or academia in the growing areas of green chemical engineering and waste management.