Adding Value to Biomass

Abstract

There has been a significant increase in the use of biomass in commercial materials over recent years, largely driven by legislative and environmental pressures. However, commercially-successful biomaterials need to be able to offer improvements in materials properties or functionality when compared to existing standards, or at least maintain the current levels. This talk highlights the recent work undertaken at Warwick under the broad banner of “Wealth out of Waste”. Initially starting with fine chemicals and products from degraded waste biomass, the programme has extended to generate reduced environmental impact polymers and metal nanoparticles from polluted land. 

Bio

Stuart Coles is Assistant Professor of Sustainable Materials in WMG.  His main research interests are based around the substitution of natural materials into industrial products.  His research includes work on biopolymer and biocomposites processing, bioresins and biofuels.  He has also been involved in developing new tools for life cycle sustainability assessments and understanding the implications of changing to renewable energy sources in rural areas of developing countries.  His current research projects include investigating cleaning land for wealth (CL4W; EPSRC) value-added bioresins from algae biorefineries (FP7), utilisation of waste cooking oils in epoxy resins (Brazil SWB), co-axial electrospun microcomposites (EPSRC DTA) and enabling decision aiding in nanoparticle sustainability assessments (EPSRC DTA). He has also recently been awarded funding from Innovate UK to study production of new materials from recycled carbon fibre.

Monday, July 13, 2015

ARMS 1109

9:30 am