Dr Massimiliano Materazzi - University College London

Research Fellowships 2017

Dr Massimiliano Materazzi’s research at UCL’s Department of Chemical Engineering is aimed at developing new technologies to help prevent climate change, while achieving higher resource efficiency with sustainable, environmentally responsible production. His work bridges fundamental knowledge on particle science and catalysis with the engineering design and scale-up of industrial chemical reactors for sustainable applications. He underpins this with techno-economic analysis and sustainability assessment through close links with industry.

In particular, he focuses on producing hydrogen, biofuels, and chemical platforms from waste materials using novel thermochemical processes, such as gasification and pyrolysis integrated with catalytic upgrading and CO₂ capture. These novel processes can help accelerate the transition from traditional petrochemical feedstock toward biorenewable alternatives that are cost-competitive and environmentally friendly.

Dr Materazzi employs advanced techniques, including high-pulsed X-rays and thermal imaging with access to unique industrial facilities to characterise the transformation of waste. These techniques are applied throughout the processes, from initial devolatilisation to final product synthesis. Through these he is gaining a better understanding of the complex solid–gas interactions and common failure mechanisms of conventional reactors, and this leads to improved systems design for waste applications.

His recent research, as part of his Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowship, modifies typical synthesis routes to better suit the quality of the syngas used to create the final products. This includes the possibility of using electron-induced effects of new-generation plasmas on gas conditioning for synthesis of olefins (recycled plastics) or advanced fuels for shipping and aviation.