Prof. Dr. Navadol Laosiripojana

The Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment (JGSEE)

Advanced Fuel Processing Laboratory

My research is focused on the study of catalytic processes for alternative and renewable fuel productions. This involves the development of new and industrially practical heterogeneous catalysts for hydrogen-rich gas, biodiesel and biomass-to-liquid (BTL) productions. Under financial supports by industrial and governmental sections, several reactions related to these fuel syntheses (i.e., reforming, transesterification, esterification, hydrolysis/dehydration, aldol-condensation/hydrogenation) are investigated with an aim to convert local feedstocks (e.g., methane, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, crude palm oil, lignocellulosic biomass, and industrial-wastes) to clean fuels. The investigation includes the studies of feedstock purification; catalyst synthesis; reaction activity, stability and selectivity; reaction kinetics in laboratory-scale reactors; and prototype-scale catalytic reactor design and construction.

Biofuel production technology; Biorefinery technology; Natural gas processing technology; Applied catalysis in energy conversion process; Chemical reaction engineering of energy process

1. Development of the process for converting lignocellulosic biomass to bio-ethanol
2. A study of biomass pretreatment and fractionation processes for biofuel production
3. Conversion of biomass to valuable chemicals using integrative biorefinery concept
4. Upgrading of natural gas and biogas to biomethane as transportation fuel
5. Development of heterogeneous catalyst for several biofuel production processes
6. process for converting lignocellulosic