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Research Projects

Development of Clean and Clean-up Technologies

I have been intensively involved in environmental science research and consultancy work. The main aim of my research work is to develop and optimise both clean and clean-up technologies for environmental pollution control.

Clean Technologies

The development of clean process technologies involves the optimisation and improved control of chemical reactions in existing processes and development of new processes to achieve environmentally clean reactions. This research work has led to the development of at least three commercially viable clean technology processes by controlling the emissions of toxic pollutants into the environment. Some of these clean process technologies are now being used on industrial scales in the UK and abroad. Key areas include:

• Development of 'state of the art' clean process technology for selective metal removal and recovery
• Development of membrane systems appropriate for selective metal recovery and recycle
• Development of methods for the recovery of added-value chemicals from waste to eliminate or minimise the hazardous component
• Use of physical and chemical methods to concentrate harmful or valueless components from secondary metal waste arisings
• Development and use of ionic liquids in metal recovery and recycle

Clean-up Technologies

The introduction of new stringent environmental regulations means that industries are now being forced to comply with the strict discharge consent levels for both solid wastes and industrial effluent streams. The research carried out under this heading involves the development and optimisation of novel environmental clean-up technologies to remove toxic organic and inorganic pollutants from solid wastes and effluent streams to meet new consent levels. This research work involves the physical and chemical treatment of industrial effluent streams originating from textile, leather, petrochemical, pharmaceutical and chemical industries for the protection of the environment. This research work has led to the development of two patents for the control of environmental pollution. Key areas include:

• Development of clean-up technologies for metal removal and recovery
• Waste minimisation through recycling of materials from industrial and end-of-life wastes
• Development of clean-up technologies to remove dyes from textile effluent streams
• Photo-assisted electrochemical destruction of organic pollutants
• Separation and characterisation of intermediates formed during destruction of organic pollutants
• Determination of kinetics and mechanisms of degradation processes

Grants Awarded

Higher Education Commission (HEC) and British Council (BC), Pakistan in collaboration with Mr Suhail Soomro, Mehran University, Pakistan Waste Treatment and Management. £35,000 December 2007 – December 2009

EPSRC RAIS (GR/R54958/01 in collaboration with Professor Grimes (PI) and Professor John Donaldson Chemical reclamation of material from Aluminium furnace residue. £29,605 April 2001 – March 2003

EPSRC/DTI Link (GR/L96189) in collaboration with Professor Grimes (PI) and Professor John Donaldson Chemical reclamation of material from Aluminium furnace residue. £129,140 September 1998 – March 2001

Awards

My research work on the development and optimisation of clean and clean-up technologies has led to the sponsoring companies (BEWT (Water Engineers) Limited and JBM International Ltd.) achieving the Queen’s Award for Environmental Achievement.