Ciência sem Fronteiras (Science Without Borders)
PhD Project Template:
PI name & contact details:
Dr Witold Kwapinski
Lecturer
Faculty of Science and Engineering
University of Limerick
Ireland
E-mail: [email protected]
Department
Phone: +353 (0)61 23 4935
Office: L1-006
Chemical and Environmental Sciences Department
Has project been agreed with head (or
nominee) of proposed registration school?
Yes
Research Centre / group affiliation:
Carbolea Research Group at the University of Limerick
Research group / centre website:
www.carbolea.ul.ie
PI website / link to CV:
www.carbolea.ul.ie/Witold_Kwapinski.html
Brief summary of PI research / research group / centre activity (2 or 3 lines max):
Dr Witold Kwapinski is chemical engineer and his research interests are focused on second
generation biomass thermal conversion processes into fuels and chemicals. He is one of the leaders of
Carbole group, successfully supervising a number of PhD students from all over the world.
Title & brief description of PhD project (suitable for publication on web):
Biochar as a source of nutrients
Europe and Latin America are also experiencing annual increases in their quantities of organic wastes
and the same time a depletion of nutrients from soil. Effective management and recycling of the
organic matter and plant nutrients of biodegradable wastes, by applying a proper technology can
mitigate environmental impacts, contribute to crop fertilisation, and reduce the requirement for the
provision of mineral N, P, K and micronutrients.
Thermo-chemical conversion, and in particular pyrolysis followed by chemical treatment, offers a
promising approach for the conversion of biowaste into energy and char (biochar). Pyrolysis is not
new - it has been known since ancient times - but the techniques and the sustainable uses of the
products that emerge from the process need improvements if they are to be completely safe and
reliable.
The project will focus on the technique with the best potentials for optimal production of high quality
nutrient recycling biochar. Commercial and industrial applications of pyrolysis technologies for the
production of biochar, particularly from waste, requires accurate quantitative predictions of yields
and properties of the chars, depending on the feedstock composition and the operating conditions.
There is also a need to optimise the efficiency and environmental impact of the technology to ensure
its long term sustainability. In the project we will focus on wildly available waste (e.g. bagasse, swine
bones and manure). Modern agriculture is heavily dependent on P derived from phosphate rock, a
non-renewable resource, and biochar from above feedstocks can be a source of nurtients (especially P
and K), play a role of carbon sequester, soil conditioner, refuge for microorganism, adsorber (heavy
metals and/or water) or eventually after nutrients extraction as fuel. Recent work at UL has shown
that P is released from biochars formed at different temperatures, and release increased as the
temperature of pyrolysis was increased. Phosphorus has some properties that are similar to sulphur.
Organic P comes in the form of esters and a carbon bonded form (e.g. phosphonates). In contrast to S,
P is not volatile and is expected to be retained during pyrolysis. As parts of organic P could be
transformed to the inorganic form, it is currently unclear which P species exist in what quantities in
the biochar.
Unique selling points of PhD project in UL:
The Principal Investigator of the proposal has excellent experience in their fields and has also a
proven track record of Brazilian partners’ collaboration. In the area of biochar Witold cooperate with
world leading expert in Brazil Dr Etelvino Henrique Novotny from Embrapa Solos in Rio de Janeiro
Recently they published five scientific papers in high rank journals:
Melligan, F., Dussan, K., Auccaise, R., Novotny, E.H., Leahy, J.J., Hayes, M.H.B., Kwapinski, W. Characterisation of the
products from pyrolysis of residues after acid hydrolysis of Miscanthus. Bioresource Technology 108, 258-263, 2012.
Linhares C.R., Lemke J., Auccaise R., Duó D.A., Ziolli R.L., Kwapinski W., Novotny E.H. Reproducing the organic
matter model of anthropogenic dark earth of Amazonia and testing the ecotoxicity of functionalized charcoal
compounds. Pesquisa Agropecuária Brasileira 47(5), 693-698, 2012.
Novotny E.H., Auccaise R., Velloso M.H.R., Corrêa J.C., Higarashi M.M., Abreu V.M.N., Rocha J.D., Kwapinski W.
Characterisation of phosphate structures in swine bones biochar. Pesquisa Agropecuária Brasileira 47(5), 672-676,
2012.
Melligan F., Auccaise R., Novotny E., Leahy J.J., Hayes M.H.B., Kwapinski W. Pressurised pyrolysis of Miscanthus
using a fixed bed reactor, Bioresource Technology 102, 3466 – 3470, 2011.
Kwapinski W., Byrne C., Kryachko E., Wolfram P., Adley C., Leahy J.J., Novotny E.H., Hayes M.H.B. Biochar from
waste and biomass, Journal of Waste and Biomass Valorization 1, 177 – 189, 2010.
UL is home of the Competence Centre of Biomass and Bioenergy in Ireland.
Name & contact details for project queries, if different from PI named above:
Please indicate the graduates of which disciplines that should apply:
Chemistry
Environmental Science
Biochemistry
Biotechnology and related disciplines
Chemical Engineer
Please indicate whether students can apply for:
Sandwich programme only
X
Full PhD programme only
Either of the above
Ciência sem Fronteiras / Science Without Borders Priority Area:
Please indicate the specific programme priority area under which the proposed PhD project fits- choose only
one (tick box):
Engineering and other technological areas
Pure and Natural Sciences (e.g. mathematics, physics, chemistry)
Health and Biomedical Sciences
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)
Aerospace
Pharmaceuticals
Oil, Gas and Coal
Renewable Energy
X
Minerals
Biotechnology
Nanotechnology and New Materials
Technology of prevention and remediation of natural disasters
Biodiversity and Bioprospection
Marine Sciences
Creative Industry
New technologies in constructive engineering