Prof. Hossein Ganjidoust
Environmental Engineering Division, Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
Title: ROLE OF CATALYST IN INDUSTRIAL SOLID WASTE TO ENERGY
Abstract:
The global energy landscape is fraught with multiple challenges of increasing energy demand, energy access issues, environmental impact, climate change and pollution, which have spread across economic, environmental and technological domains. The use of catalysts in waste-to-energy processes has made significant progress; these catalysts play a key role in processes such as electrocatalytic oxidation of urea, catalytic pyrolysis of plastic waste, thermochemical conversion and production of biodiesel and green hydrogen, increasing the efficiency, selectivity and sustainability of the process.
Catalysts, as key elements in the conversion of industrial solid waste into energy, play a very important role and can significantly increase the efficiency and selectivity of chemical processes. In this study, we will examine different types of catalysts and their sources, various applications in industrial waste to energy processes, environmental and economic benefits, challenges and future prospects. The development of green catalysts based on industrial waste is considered one of the key solutions for producing clean energy and reducing environmental pollution in the future. These catalysts are often prepared from waste sources such as red mud (RM), steel slag (SS) and recycled zeolites and can reduce pollutants, lower process costs and contribute to sustainable waste management. Carbon-based catalysts obtained from agricultural, municipal and industrial waste can be converted into materials such as activated carbon, biochar and hydro char and used as effective adsorbents in various processes. Also, transition metal-based catalysts extracted from used batteries and e-waste are very effective in environmental remediation processes. Calcium-based catalysts, obtained from food waste such as oysters and eggshells, are also widely used in biodiesel production. In addition to environmental benefits, the use of green catalysts reduces dependence on expensive raw materials and strengthens the circular economy; Of course, the challenges of optimizing catalytic activity, thermal resistance, and recycling are discussed in the remainder of the research.
Biography:
HosseinGanjidoust received his BS in Chemical Engineering from Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas in 1976, 1st MS in Industrial Management from Central Missouri State University, Warrensburg, Missouri in 1977 and 2nd MS in Sanitary Engineering from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1978 and PhD in Environmental Engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla in 1988. From March 1995 to April 1996.
He was on a Year of Sabbatical Leave at The National Institute for Resources & Environment (NIRE), Tsukuba Science City, Tsukuba, and Ibaraki, Japan. For three years since March 2013.He has over 30 years’ experience in teaching and research in graduate levels and is presently engaged as Full Professor in the Department of Environmental Engineering, Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty, at Tarbiat Modares University in Tehran, I.R. Iran. Dr. Ganjidoust’s research interests include water & wastewater, industrial and hazardous waste handling, treatment, and disposal. In addition, he has given many lectures related to Culture, Archeology & humanity Sciences.
He has supervised more than 30 research projects, and many PhD and MS students’ theses. At present time, he is supervisor of 6 PhD theses and 8 MS theses.
He has published over 150 papers in scientific and ISI Journals and over 200 conference proceedings on his research. He was engaged in the books entitled: Principles of construction debris Landfill Site Selection (Case study: Tehran), Department of Housing and Urban Development, Building and Housing Research Center, Feb. 2013 (in Persian), "Application of Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) in Sanitary & Industrial Wastewater Treatment", Tarbiat Modares Univ. Published in February 2011 and a chapter on: “Hazardous Waste Management in Islamic Republic of Iran, HWM Policies and Practices in Asian Countries” published by Asian Productivity Organization (APO), Tokyo in October 2001.