Introductory Remarks

Problem statement: post-consumer and industrial wastes involving plastics quickly lose their physicochemical integrity and utility value, hence becoming a global environmental pollutant damaging the entire ecosystem. Heterogeneity and end value have hampered recycling; Only 9 % plastics is recycled globally, with Canada and US recycling 6 and 4 %, respectively. Conventional technologies such as incineration solves mass to volume waste problem but adds to pollution levels. Like other world economies, Canada and US diverts 82 and 73% plastic wastes to landfills. However, landfills have become pollution hubs due to soil and water leachates, and air pollution, thus the need for a paradigm shift to sustainable safe approaches to waste management. The purpose of this study is to investigate the hybrid conversion process of unsorted waste streams and non-hazardous reaction media to produce low carbon fuels (H₂) and materials (char and oil).

Method & Experimental procedure: Leveraging on superior water sub-and-supercritical properties, and the negation for the feedstock drying step, competitive hydrothermal conversion technology was investigated at different reaction conditions.

Results: Preliminary batch results revealed 0.041g H₂/g feed and 0.005g CH₄/g feed; 88.2 % char yield with improved thermal stability; up to 16.22% liquid yield containing high value components such as phenols, syringols, Guaiacol, cresols, etc. Conclusions & Significance: Hybrid hydrothermal conversion addresses environmentally unsafe and challenging heterogenous wastes by converting them to green high value products in a circular economy model. Further studies on continuous scale, catalysis and various waste feedstocks are underway to fully optimize the operation parameters in preparation for future commercial adoption.

Biography

Dr. Emmanuel is a Postdoctoral Fellow at NRC Ottawa, he holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and he is a P.Eng. license holder under the Professional Engineers of Ontario. Dr. Emmanuel has three patents and over 15 peer reviewed journal publications. As a lead researcher, he managed a 3-year $500,000 industrial project that developed biodegradable formulation to replace single-use polluting plastics and a manufacturing company (Palmade Plastic Cutlery Manufacturing LLC, Dubai (https://www.palmade.me/)) was born out of that invention. He managed and engaged in several other internal-based projects and collaborations that won him several research awards such as the chancellor’s innovation award and Mitacs graduate fellowship, etc.

Research interest; Deployment of thermal chemical conversion technologies for utilization of different waste feedstocks to low carbon fuels and valuable products in a hybrid sustainable circular economy model. The aim is to decarbonize the manufacturing industry. Polymer engineering focusing utilization of biodegradable formulations to replace single-use plastics and polymer applications in the biopolymer medical cartilage formulations to replace worn-out mammalian joints. Finally, he has interest in CO₂ capture and oil spill control using membrane designs from plant waste-based extracts. The three patents focused on the above 4 main research pillars of interest.

Teaching interests; Thermodynamics, Transport Phenomena, Engineering Management, Numerical Methods for Engineers, Chemical Reaction Engineering, Fluid Phase Equilibria, Rheology, Design & Analysis of Experiments (statistics), Quality Engineering, Mathematics for Chemical Engineers.

Contact: emmanuel.galiwango@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca (work); emmanuelgaliwango@gmail.com (personal)