Abstract:
The management of waste streams is probably one of the major frontier remaining in separation science and chemical engineering, requiring combinatorial and multi-disciplinary solutions to develop more circular economies. Industrial brines and wastewaters are untapped representing clear environmental challenges but also from which valuable or scarce resources may be extracted. The development of scalable selective extraction procedures and materials to enable the capture, concentrate and repurpose valuable materials shall therefore be aligned with large scale waste management policies and valorization schemes, to support a resource recovery economy. This talk will present a review of schemes and policies developed globally to integrate resource recovery strategies and present case studies and remaining technical, economical and social challenges to enable such change. The development of decentralized water production pathways and waste management solutions will be discussed in light of the availability of current technologies.

Bio:
Dr. Ludo DUMEE joined as a faculty at Khalifa University in Fall 2020, and works as a theme lead on CO2 Utilization within the Research and Innovation Center on CO2 and H2 (Abu Dhabi UAE). Ludo is a materials engineer interested in the development and application of advanced separation materials, to support cost-effective resource recovery schemes from water, gas and bio-effluents. His research interests lay in the understanding of nanoscale interactions between contaminants and surfaces as well as the design of reactive and stimuli-responsive materials to develop ultra-selective remediation and capture processes. He is also developing technologies to support non-conventional water production, including atmospheric water generation, and scalable pre-treatment solutions to macrofouling occurring across large water treatment plants within the UAE. His team works on the development of innovative extraction solutions to recover valuable resources from liquid effluents, including lithium and proteins, as well as tackle challenges arising from emerging micro-pollutants, such as PFAS or microplastics. He graduated his PhD in 2012 between the CSIRO and Victoria University (Melbourne, Australia) prior to joining the University of Melbourne and thereafter Deakin University, as a group leader.