个人简介

Dr. Xu’s research is centered on development of bio-energy and high-value bioproducts (biofuels, biochemicals and biomaterials) from bioresources (e.g., agro-forest biomass/residues, municipal solid wastes and wastewater sludge) via thermochemical and catalytic conversion processes. In addition, Dr. Xu is active in upgrading of heavy residual oil via hydro-treatment and recovery of organics from oil sands tailing water. Dr. Xu has co-edited a Springer book on biorefinery, published 10 book chapters and more than 90 peer-reviewed journal papers. He is one of the key faculty members for the Green Process Engineering (GPE) program – The first of its kind of program in Canada. Awards and Distinctions Outstanding Young Scientists Award in 1999 from Japan Institute of Energy Syncrude Canada Innovation Award in 2011 from Canadian Society of Chemical Engineers (presented each year to one young Canadian chemical engineer under the age of 40 who has made a distinguished contribution to the field of chemical engineering while working in Canada) 2014 Outstanding Profile Award in Professionals Sector from Fairchild Television. Professional Activities NSERC/FPInnovations Associate Industrial Research Chair in Forest Biorefinery Co-editor-in-chief for the International Journal of Chemical Reactor Engineering (IJCRE), an international peer reviewed journal published by De Gruyter.

研究领域

Catalytic conversion of sugars into value-added chemicals; renewable hydrogen/methane production via supercritical water gasification of wet biomass or organic wastes; bio-crude production via hydrothermal liquefaction of biomass; de-polymerization of lignin into bio-phenols and bio-polyols; synthesis of bio-based resins/adhesive, polyurethane and epoxy resins. Development of efficient processes to separate lignin and hemicellulose from crop residues (or food processing residue); Utilization of separated lignin as bio-polyols for the synthesis of polyurethane foam or adhesives; Use of the residual cellulose and starch separated from crops for the production of cellulose/starch acetate materials with different degrees of acetylation Valorization of glycerol into fuel additives and chemicals The booming of biodiesel industry all over the world has led to generation of a huge amount of glycerol as byproduct. It was predicted that by 2020 the global production of glycerol will be 41.9 billion liters annually. In order to avoid the saturation of global glycerol market, it is urgent to develop value-added products to consume the excessive glycerol for the sustainability of biodiesel industry. We are working with petrochemical industries to develop proprietary catalysts and continuous process to convert glycerol (even crude glycerol) into oxygenated fuel additives or chemicals such as solketal, 1,2-propanediol and 1,3-propanediol. The project aimed at investigating removal of heterocyclic S and N from oil sand bitumen or heavy gas oil derived from oil sand bitumen in supercritical fluids (paraffinic solvents) using hydrodesulfurization (HDS) and hydrodenitrogenation (HDN) catalysts. Similarly, we are also working on upgrading bio-crude oil or fast pyrolysis oil via hydro-de-oxygenation (HDO), mainly focusing on developing inexpensive HDO catalysts (such as phosphorous-modified NiMo/Al2O3 catalysts, activated carbon or mesoporous materials (MCM-41, SBA-15) supported catalysts. This project aims to develop cost-effective technological solutions to recycling and recovery of valuable products from industrial residues and waste streams – petroleum coke, oil sands process-affected water. Canada is blessed with the second largest proven reserve of oil in the world, mainly in oil sands deposits in Alberta. In the oil sands industry, an average of 3 barrels of fresh water is needed for every barrel of oil produced from surface mines. A large fraction of the process water ends up in the tailings produced during bitumen extraction. The oil sands process-affected water contain organics from the bitumen separation process (e.g., naphthenic acids (NAs) and bitumen/aromatic hydrocarbons), among which NAs are the major constituent in terms of both concentration and toxicity. Treatment of the process water has been a critical issue for the oil sands industry, with respect to sustainable oil production and freshwater resource protection. In this project, we are closely collaborating with Newalta Corporation to develop innovative engineered environmental solutions to valorization of petroleum coke as an inexpensive but effective adsorbent (highly porous activated carbon (HPAC, as illustrated in the following image) materials with tailored structure/surface properties) for treatment of oil sand process water and tailings. The removal and recovery of NAs/bitumen using the HPAC materials produced from residues (petroleum coke) could not only reduce fresh water consumption and enable recovery of residual organics from process water and tailings, but also turn residue petroleum coke into valuable products (adsorbents) and hence, reduce the need for disposal.

Forest biorefinery Conversion of agricultural biomass/residues into starch/cellulose acetates and bio-based polyurethane materials Valorization of glycerol into fuel additives and chemicals Upgrading of heavy residual oil or bio-crude via hydro-treatment Recovery of organics from oil sands process and tailing water

近期论文

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Mahmood N, Yuan Z, Schmidt J, Xu C*, 2014. PRODUCTION OF POLYOLS VIA DIRECT HYDROLYSIS OF ­­KRAFT LIGNIN: OPTIMIZATION OF PROCESS PARAMETERS. J-FOR, In press. Huang S, Mahmood N, Tymchyshyn M, Yuan Z, Xu C*, 2014. Reductive De-polymerization of Kraft Lignin for Chemicals and Fuels using Formic Acid as an In-situ Hydrogen Source. Bioresource Technology 171 (2014) 95–102. Yuan Z, Zhang Y, Xu C*, 2014. Synthesis and thermomechanical property study of Novolac phenol-hydroxymethyl furfural (PHMF) resin. RSC Adv. 4: 31829–31835. Ferdosian F, Yuan Z, Anderson M, Xu C*, 2014. Synthesis of lignin-based epoxy resins: optimization of reaction parameters using response surface methodology. RSC Adv. 4: 31745–31753 Zhang L, Xu C*, Champagne P, Mabee W, 2014. Overview of current biological and thermo-chemical treatment technologies for sustainable sludge management. Waste Management & Research. DOI: 10.1177/0734242X14538303 Nanda, MR, Yuan Z, Qin W, Poirier MA, Xu C*, 2014. Purification of Crude Glycerol using Acidification: Effects of Acid Types and Product Characterization. Austin J Chem Eng. 1(1): 1-7. Shirani, M., H.S. Ghaziaskar*, C. Xu. 2014. Optimization of glycerol ketalization to produce solketal as biodiesel additive in a continuous reactor with subcritical acetone using Purolite® PD206 as catalyst. Fuel Processing Technology 124: 206-211. Reyhanitash, E., M. Tymchyshyn, Z. Yuan, K. Albion, G. van Rossum*, C.Xu*. 2014. Upgrading fast pyrolysis oil via hydrodeoxygenation and thermal treatment: effects of catalytic glycerol pretreatment. Energy Fuels 28 (2), pp 1132–1138. Nanda, M., Z. Yuan, W. Qin, H. Ghaziaskar, M.-A. Poirier, C. Xu*. 2014. Catalytic conversion of glycerol to oxygenated fuel additive in a continuous flow reactor: process optimization. Fuel 128: 113-119. Nanda, M., Z. Yuan, W. Qin, H. Ghaziaskar, M.-A. Poirier, C. Xu*. 2014. A new continuous-flow process for catalytic conversion of glycerol to oxygenated fuel additive: catalyst screening. Applied Energy 123: 75–81. Zhang, Y., M. Chen, Z. Yuan, C. Xu*. 2014. Kinetics and Mechanism of Formaldehyde-free Phenol-glucose Novolac Resin Cured with an Epoxy. IJCRE 12(1): 1–8. Nanda, M., Z. Yuan, W. Qin, H. Ghaziaskar, M.-A. Poirier, C. Xu*. 2014. Thermodynamic and kinetic studies of a catalytic process to convert glycerol into solketal as an oxygenated fuel additive. Fuel 117: 470–477. Mahmood N, Yuan Z, Schmidt J, Xu C*, 2013. ­­VALORIZATION OF HYDROLYSIS LIGNIN FOR POLYOLS AND RIGID POLYURETHANE FOAM. J-FOR 3 (5): 26-31. Feng, S., S. Cheng, Z. Yuan, M. Leitch, C. Xu*. 2013. Valorization of bark for chemicals and materials: A review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 26: 560–578. Feng, S., Z. Yuan, M. Leitch, C. Xu*. 2013. Hydrothermal liquefaction of barks into bio-crude – Effects of species and ash content/composition. Fuel 116: 214–220 Tymchyshyn, M., Z. Yuan, C. Xu*. 2013. Direct Conversion of Glycerol into Bio-oil via Hydrotreatment Using Supported Metal Catalysts. Fuel 112: 193–202. Mahmood, N., Z. Yuan, J. Schmidt, C. Xu*. 2013. Production of polyols via direct hydrolysis of kraft lignin: Effect of process parameters. Bioresource Technology 139: 13–20. Ghaziaskar, H., C. Xu*. 2013. One-step continuous process for the production of 1-butanol and 1-hexanol by catalytic conversion of bio-ethanol at its sub-/supercritical state. RSC Adv. 3: 4271–4280. Cheng, S., Z. Yuan, M. Leitch, M. Anderson, C. Xu*. 2013. Highly efficient de-polymerization of organosolv lignin using a catalytic hydrothermal process and production of phenolic resins/adhesives with the depolymerized lignin as a substitute for phenol at a high substitution ratio. Industrial Crops and Products 44: 315-322. Tymchyshyn, M., Z. Yuan, C. Xu*. 2013. Reforming of Glycerol into Bio-crude: A Parametric Study. International Journal of Chemical Reactor Engineering 11: 1–13. Gao,W. J., M. N. Han, X. Qu, C. Xu and B.Q. Liao*. 2013. Characteristics of Wastewater and Mixed Liquor and Their Role in Membrane Fouling. Bioresource Technology 128: 207-214. Shao, Y., J. Wang, F. Preto, J. Zhu and C. Xu*. 2012. Ash Deposition in Biomass Combustion or Co-firing for Power/Heat Generation. Energies5(12): 5171-5189. Ferdosian, F. Z. Yuan, M. Anderson, C. Xu*. ­­­­­­2012. Chemically Modified Lignin through Epoxidation and Its Thermal Properties. Journal of Science & Technology for Forest Products and Processes 2(4): 11-15. Badour, C., A. Gilbert*, C. Xu*, H. Li, Y. Shao, G. Tourigny, F. Preto, 2012. Combustion and Air Emissions from Co-firing a Woody Biomass, a Canadian Peat and a Canadian Lignite Coal in a Bubbling Fluidized Bed Combustor. CJChE 90: 1170-1177. Xu, C.*, J. Donald, 2012. Upgrading peat to gas and liquid fuels in supercritical water. Fuel 102:16–25.