Syie Luing Wong

About the research project «Feasibility study on plastic pyrolysis in electromagnetic field over zeolites impregnated with magnetic nanoparticles – PEFZIMN»

Research line: Plastic waste to alternative fuels

Mentor: Prof. Marta Muñoz Hernández (URJC)

Abstract

Following the increasing generation of plastic waste, scientists are searching an efficient and environment-friendly process for plastic waste treatment. Pyrolysis is a thermochemical process which converts plastic waste to liquid fuel without adversely affecting food supply. Despite the intensive research of such technology using various reactor and process designs, the energy-intensive nature of the process is one of the challenges to be tackled before the plastic pyrolysis can be applied massively at industrial scale. A possible solution to such challenge is the magnetic heating, where the heat is generated by magnetic nanoparticles in alternating magnetic field. Such technology is associated with fast start-up/cool down rate, localized heating (therefore minimal energy wastage). While magnetic heating has been used in fine chemical synthesis, electrolysis and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, there is no investigation on the use of such technology in plastic waste recycling. The aim of this project is to study the feasibility of magnetic heating in conversion of plastic waste to liquid fuels. Magnetic nanoparticles impregnated on zeolites will be synthesized and used as heating agent and catalysts. A magnetic heating reactor will also be designed to investigate plastic pyrolysis over the synthesized catalysts. Specifically, the product yields and compositions will be characterized completely. The proposed project is expected to bring important insights on the use of solid reactants in catalysis driven by magnetic heating.

About Syie Luing Wong

Wong Syie Luing received his bachelor degree (2012) and PhD degree (2016) in Chemical Engineering from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). His PhD research project focused on fluid catalytic cracking of plastic for fuel production. He successfully fabricated a fixed bed reactor for detailed investigation the effects of nickel-impregnated zeolites and process parameters on the polymer conversion and yield for low density polyethylene dissolved in benzene. In 2016, He worked as a postdoctoral researcher in UTM (2017-2019), where he expanded his research interests to adsorbent synthesis from biomass waste and tire pyrolysis carbon black for wastewater treatment, upgrading of tire pyrolysis oil to light hydrocarbons for fuels application, and catalyst synthesis for biodiesel production. In 2020, Wong was elected a Chartered Chemical Engineer by Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE). At present, Wong has published 26 articles in international high impact journals, with an h-index of 15. More information on his publications is available in Google Scholar, Researgate and ORCID (0000-0003-1827-4096). He also serves as a reviewer in several international journals, including Journal of Cleaner Production, Catalysis, Fuel and Environmental Chemical Engineering. Currently, he serves as a Marie Sklodowska Curie Action GET fellow in University Rey Juan Carlos University, mentored by Prof. Marta Muñoz Hernández