Overview

Join us for a visit to the manufacturing future lab and advanced propulsion lab at UCL Laboratories.

The visit will begin with a presentation on the latest advancements in thermochemical waste treatment and upgrading, detailing how his well-established and growing research group is driving progress in this field. The presentation will also cover how the group is leveraging the new UCL Manufacturing Futures Lab to accelerate and broaden their work. After the presentation, attendees will take a guided tour of the newly constructed, world-class research laboratories focused on next-generation manufacturing technologies.

Key research areas at the centre include synthetic and engineering biology, additive manufacturing, digital and automation technologies, continuous and intensified processing, and modelling approaches for technoeconomic and life cycle analysis. During the tour, participants will have the chance to view the laboratory equipment and hear directly from researchers about their projects, with a particular focus on Dr Materazzi's work. This includes waste-to-energy processes, gasification, bubbling bed and plasma gasification systems, as well as the use of x-ray techniques to analyse gasification processes in real time.

This event will be especially valuable for those involved in waste-to-X, gasification, pyrolysis, advanced fuels or sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), plasma processing, process intensification, fluidised beds, and other areas of clean energy innovation.

Lab coats and PPE will be provided.

Speaker

Massimiliano Materazzi, Associate Professor of Fluid Particle Systems, University College London (UCL)

Massimiliano is a Principal Research Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) and Associate Professor of Fluid Particle Systems in the Department of Chemical Engineering at University College London (UCL). Before moving to academic research, he worked ten years in the waste-to-energy industry as process engineer and R&D director. His research activity is mainly oriented to several aspects of thermochemical technologies, with particular attention given to design and operation criteria of plasma and fluidised bed reactors for industrial application (including nuclear and renewable energy sectors), reaction engineering and catalytic process design for biofuels.

Massimiliano has worked in waste gasification for more than ten years. During this time, he has built up a wealth of experience in the sector. He is an active member of several industry bodies and regularly contributes to sector research and articles.

The material presented has not been peer-reviewed. Any opinions are the presenter’s own and do not necessarily represent those of IChemE or the Clean Energy Special Interest Group. The information is given in good faith but without any liability on the part of IChemE.

Time

13:30–16:45 GMT.

Schedule

• 13:30–14:00 - Arrival
• 14:00–15:00 - Welcome and presentation by Dr Massimiliano Materazzi
• 15:00–16:30 - Tour of UCL Manufacturing Future Labs
• 16:30–16:45 - Final comments and meeting close