Phone: +44 121 204 3417
Email: [email protected]
Office: MB110H

I joined Aston University in 2007. During my postdoctoral career at Aston, I was involved in a wide variety of research areas, including: pyrolysis processes of biomass with the application of gas chromatography (Py-GC-MS) and thermogravimetric (TGA) analytical methods (SUPERGEN project, LignoValue project), catalytic pyrolysis of biomass and acid-hydrolysis residues, catalytic esterification of bio-oils (DIBANET project) as well as hydrodeoxygenation of pyrolysis liquids (SUPERGEN project).

My current research efforts at Energy and Bioproducts Research Institute are mainly associated with:

• Thermochemical and physical properties of biomass and natural polymers

• Biochar production and characterisation

• Environmental engeenering - soil remediation

• Hydrothermal liquefaction of lignocellulosic biomass and algae

• Carbon materials for sensors and environmental applications

• Analytical pyrolysis

• Characterisation and standardisation of biofuels

• Catalytic upgrading of fast pyrolysis liquids

• Inorganic matter in biomass and bio-chars

• SEM-EDX studies of carbonaceous materials

I coordinate all research tasks assigned to Aston University within the Horizon ABC-SALT project (2018-2022).

Since 2013 I have managed EBRI Laboratories in the following areas: implementation of Aston statutory H&S regulations, preventative maintenance contracts, equipment specification and procurement, risk assessments, safe operating procedures and first aid.

Since 2017, my role as a lecturer includes laboratory-based teaching (Chemical Engineering and Process Control), supervision of MEng and PhD students along with involvement in the Muscat University Partnership. 

My current research is highly interdisciplinary, focused on biochar technologies and covering the development, characterisation and application of biochar in environmental settings, particularly for soil health improvement and remediation as well as in sustainable construction materials (including work being advanced through two active KTP projects with Miles Macadam Ltd and Jasmonite Ltd).

Core reseach projects:

• Building UK–Viet Nam Talent in Clean Energy and Carbon-Negative Materials: Advanced Biochar Quality Assessment with Hyperspectral Imaging and ML/AI – British Council (10/2025 – 02/2026 with potential one-year extension) – Going Global Parnership – UK-Viet Nam iTech Path; development of international Talent Programme Roadmap and higher education links with Viet Nam.
• Solid-State Microwave Engineered Biochar for Critical Mineral Recovery and Sustainable Circular Applications – Henry Royce Institute (10/2025 – 03/2026), PI – Development of engineered biochar for environmental applications; project in close collaboration with AIPT (aston Univerity) and Mildech Ltd (UK)
• The Biochar Clean Tech Accelerator – Empowering Regional Clusters – Innovative UK research project (04/2023 – 03/2026). Co-PI and WP 3 (Feedstock, liquid, gas and solid products) leadership. Main research work is focused on production of biochar and bioliquids using laboratory-scale (Aston University/EBRI) and industrial scale (Urban Biochar Demonstrator) pyrolysis systems, along with characterisation of pyrolysis products.
• Ofwat Innovation Fund (Water Breakthrough Challenge 4 Catalyst Stream) - Transforming Bioresources – the Benefits of Biochar; (06/2025 – 12/2026), formal start date TBC,18-month project; Co-PI role. This project investigates biochar production as an alternative to conventional biosolids management practices. Project partners: Anglian Water, Aston University, CCm Technologies Ltd, Eliquo Hydrok Ltd, Imperial College London, Jacobs UK Ltd, Scottish Water, Spring Innovation Ltd, Thames Water, Uisce Éireann, WRM Ltd.
• EPSRC Impact Builder Awards (Call 4) - RALF: Real-time Analysis of Leachables by Fluorescence; 01.10.2023 – 30.09.2024; PI role. The aim of this proof-of-the-concept project is to develop a rapid method for the analysis of organic compounds (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons – PAHs) that can potentially present in biochar after its production via the pyrolysis process and prior to application into the soil (biochar as a soil amendment medium).
• Innovate UK / SBRI Scheme - Biochar absorption mats for the reduction of ammonia emissions from agricultural practices; Project focused on application of biomass-derived biochar in absorption mats used in agricultural settings for reduction of ammonia and free nitrogen. I have successfully created a consortium of industrial partners (Griffiths Family Farms, CETCO International and Combind Industries Ltd.
• EPSRC IAA Impact Primer Awards (RKE) - Valorisation of biochar derived from distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS); Project aimed to study potential thermal routes (pyrolysis and hydrothermal carbonisation) of distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS) from the distilleries industry with a particular focus on biochar that can be used as a carbon sequestration option and medium for nutrients recovery (particularly Nitrogen).
• ABC-Salt: Advanced Biomass Catalytic Conversion to Middle Distillates in Molten Salts – Horizon 2020. Horizon 2020 research project on validation at laboratory scale a novel route to produce sustainable liquid biofuels (middle distillates) from various lignocellulosic waste streams for the transport industry. Research activities/tasks in WP 3 (Primary liquefaction) and WP 4 (Hydro-pyrolysis in molten salts); WP 7 (Communication, dissemination, outreach activities and exploitation) leadership.

• Thermal processing of biomass, waste and micro/macro-algae
• Biomass-to-Liquid technologies - production of synthetic fuels from biomass through different thermochemical routes
• Catalytic pyrolysis of biomass, lignins and waste
• Catalytic hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of fast pyrolysis liquids
• Applications of pyrolysis chars (bio-char)
• Pyrolysis processes of biomass with the application of advanced analytical methods, including: TGA - thermogravimetric analysis, Py-GC-MS/FID - analytical pyrolysis with the application of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, HS-MS - head space analysis of organic volatiles with the application of mass spectrometry, FTIR - Fourier transform spectroscopy
• Biomass torrefaction
• Valorisation of lignin
• Upgrading of biomass-derived/pyrolysis oils via esterification over solid acid catalysts
• NMR characterisation of bio-liquids
• Analytical instrumentation (thermal analysis, gas chromatography, spectroscopy, GC on-line analyses)
• Process control instrumentation (including high-pressure systems and on-line analyses)
• Renewable energy technologies
• Laboratory Health & Safety

From 2017/18: Chemical Engineering Process Laboratories - practical laboratory classes assigned to the following modules: CE2FHT - Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer; CE2MAT - Mass Transfer; CE2REE - Reaction Engineering, CE2SPE Separation Processes in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Reaction Engineering

From 2023/24: SE4RES – Research Methods for MSc SUSEN & SENPP (module tutor)

From 2022/23: SE4DIS – Research Methods for MSc SUSEN & SENPP (module tutor in 2023/24 and supervisor for MSc dissertations from 2022/23)

From TP2 2023/24: SE4EIA - Environmental Regulations and Impact Assessment (module leader)

From TP3 2025/26: EI4ENV – Environmental Engineering (module leader)

Muscat University Partnership

PhDsupervision

1. Adam El-Aradi, start: 01.10.2024 (3 years / Aston University – EPS PhD scholarship); Production and Modification of Biochar for Soil Amendment Applications. Main Supervisor: Dr Daniel Nowakowski (CEB/EBRI).
2. Imtiaz Iqbal; start: 01.10.2023 (3 years / Aston University – EPS PhD scholarship); Improving Construction Productivity Through the Applications of Digital Construction: Utilising 3D Printed Concrete. 
3. Patrick Kipngetich; start: 01.10.2025 (3 years / Aston University – EPS PhD scholarship); Exploring and evaluating biomass/waste gasification
4. Hydrothermal liquefaction of algae, PhD Research Student: Christopher Thomas (Aston University EAS funded PhD project; 2017-2020)
5. Production of biofuels from various lignocellulosic waste streams by liquefaction and hydro-pyrolysis; PhD Research Student: Regina Siu (H2020 ABC-Salt funded PhD project, 2018-2021)
6. Upgrading of algae-derived bio-crudes for bio-refinery integration; MEng. Project Student: Mohammed Hassan (MEng. project 2019-20)
7. Hydrothermal conversion of lignocellulosics waste to bio-fuels; MEng. Project Student: Isam Khan Woolley (MEng. project 2019-20)

M.Sc. / M.Eng. / B.Sc. supervision (2008-2018)

1. Feedstock selection and characterisation for various thermochemical conversion processes (Arman Zaman, M.Eng. 2018)
2. Hydrothermal processing of algae for the production of biofuels and value-added chemicals (Regina Siu, M.Eng. 2018)
3. Catalytic pyrolysis of lignin (Kassam Ahmed, M.Eng. 2016)
4. Biomass refinement by torrefaction (Yousef Rizvi, M.Eng. 2016)
5. Hydrothermal liquefaction of algal feedstocks (Christopher Thomas, M.Eng. 2016)
6. Sequential catalytic upgrading of fast pyrolysis vapours (Ilias Abdi, M.Eng. 2015)
7. Optimisation of catalytic fast pyrolysis processing conditions (Tariq Anwar, M.Eng. 2015)
8. Design and modelling of biomass torrefaction (Tahir Shaffique, M.Eng. 2014)
9. Upgrading of fast pyrolysis bio-oil by hydrodeoxygenation (Chioma Ewurum, M.Eng. 2013)
10. The impact of alkali metals in biomass on physical and chemical properties of fast pyrolysis bio-oil (Yee Tang, M.Eng. 2011)
11. Improvement of biomass thermochemical and physical properties via torrefaction (Jai Lad, M.Eng. 2011)
12. Slow and fast pyrolysis processing of biomass (Sunday Odusolua, M.Eng. 2011)
13. Characterisation and thermal, chemical and physical processing of green and brown algae (Shirin R. Dybsjord, M.Eng. 2010)
14. Partial Oxidation of lignin (Bavesh Raval, M.Eng. 2010)
15. Catalytic pyrolysis of lignin (Anthony Odongo, M.Eng. 2010)
16. Torrefaction of biomass (William Helliker, M.Eng. 2009)
17. Thermochemical lignin processing in autoclave (Miloud Quadi, M.Eng. 2009)
18. Biomass liquefaction (Amir Jafaripour, M.Eng. 2009)
19. Alkaline hydrolysis of lignin (Javinder S. Sandhu, M.Sc. 2009)
20. Liquefaction of macroalgae (Fahid Mirza, M.Sc. 2009)
21. Modelling of fast pyrolysis reactor (Ahmed Sobeih, B.Sc./Eng. 2008)

PhD Students supervision – BRISK project (2012-2015)

1. Malwina Snieg (University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland) Characterisation of bio-oils produced from selected several species of perennial energy crops; 07/2015
2. Simona Intini (STAR-Facility Centre in Foggia, Italy) – Hydrothermal liquefaction of micro- and macro-algae; 07/2015
3. Giedrius Stravinskas (Lithuanian Energy Institute in Kaunas, Lithuania) – Characterization of sewage sludge and biomass mixtures by Py-GC-MS/FID; 06/2015
4. Marcin Sajdak (Institute for chemical processing of Coal in Zabrze, Poland) – Production of biofuels by catalytic co-pyrolysis of biomass and waste polymers; 05/2015
5. Agnija Ievina (Riga Technical University, Latvia) - Catalytic pyrolysis of biomass; 04/2015
6. Giulia Lotti (University of Florence, Italy) - Biomassanalytical pyrolysis and characterisation of pyrolysis liquids; 02/2015
7. Pelle Mellin (KTH, Sweden) - Catalytic pyrolysis and co-pyrolysis of biomass and polymers; 08/2014
8. Abdul Hye (KTH, Sweden) - Analytical pyrolysis of biomass and polymers; 08/2014
9. Gozde Duman (Ege University, Turkey) - Catalytic (red mud) pyrolysis of biomass; 08/2014
10. Antonio Pineda (Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidad de Córdoba, Spain); Catalytic pyrolysis of biomass using zeolite catalysts; 11/2012
11. Carlos Alberto Cuvila (KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden) - Thermochemical characterisation of acid hydrolysis residues; 10-11/2012
12. Natalia Gómez Marín (Instituto de Recursos Naturales, Universidad de León, Spain) - Fast pyrolysis processing of rape straw; 10/2012

Member of the Institution of Chemical Engineers.
Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Member of the International Lignin Institute.