Producing chemicals from wood waste
Different oil-based chemicals are used today in the chemical industry?including mining and oil?to improve efficiency and reduce the environmental footprints of their processes. However, these chemicals are usually expensive and toxic to the environment.
Canada Research Chair in Green Chemicals and Processes, Dr. Pedram Fatehi, is working to generate environmentally friendly chemicals out of lignin, a little-used by-product of the pulping industry. He is investigating fundamental processes for converting lignin into water-soluble products for use in the chemical industry. His research should also lead to processes for producing these chemicals that are in harmony with the operations of the pulping industry.