Abstract
The desire to produce energy and commodities using waste biomass has increased significantly over the past few decades. One thermochemical conversion technique that has gained attention for wet feedstocks is hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL). Hydrothermal liquefaction draws inspiration from the natural subsurface processes that produce crude oil from biomass. The HTL process uses subcritical temperatures and pressures (250-350°C; 5-22 MPa) and operates at 10-30 wt% solids to produce biocrude, biochar, an aqueous product, and gas. Since the HTL process utilizes water as a reaction media, extensive drying of wet feedstocks is not necessary which reduces the feedstock pretreatment costs. Thus, HTL is an ideal conversion technique for wet waste biomass such as algae and municipal sludge. This seminar will highlight work of at the University of Kansas on the valorization of waste biomass to produce a high quality biocrude and a biochar rich in nutrients. Studies will be presented on HTL of municipal sludge, the impact of the wastewater composition on the product quality and yield, the potential to upgrade the crude for processing in refineries, and possible extensions of the technology to process other waste streams.
Bio
Susan Stagg-Williams is currently the Charles E. & Mary Jane Spahr Professor and Chair of the Chemical and Energy Engineering Department at the University of Kansas (KU). She joined KU in 1999 after receiving a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Oklahoma. She also serves as the KU Faculty Athletics Representative to the Big 12 and NCAA and has held that role since 2013.
Susan’s research is focused on the thermochemical conversion of waste biomass with a goal of recovering and recycling nutrients and producing higher value products, including biocrude and biochar. She is also interested in the production, characterization, and testing of fuels, specifically in correlating feedstock composition to fuel properties. She has mentored over 125 graduate and undergraduate students in research, leading to more than 50 publications, 270 presentations, and over 5 million in funding. Susan is also passionate about teaching with a specific focus on increasing active learning in the classroom to improve student learning and retention.