![Dr Waheed Afzal Dr Waheed Afzal](/img/200x200/staffpages/uploads/s01wa5/avatar/9NlIK12S79xwscMBRez30zXaLfqszf64i5nvmCWO.jpeg)
CEng, CSci, FIChemE, FHEA
Senior Lecturer
- About
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- Email Address
- waheed@abdn.ac.uk
- Telephone Number
- +44 (0)1224 272526
- School/Department
- School of Engineering
Biography
With an extensive academic journey spanning across multiple countries, including the US, France, Denmark, and Pakistan, I have dedicated my academic career to the fields of sustainable process engineering, environmental protection, safety, and clean energy.
My research primarily focuses on developing sustainable solutions to environmental challenges including carbon capture and utilization, waste valorisation, wastewater treatment, and biofuels. Through my research, I aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change.
Alongside my research, I take great pride in mentoring and educating the next generation of engineers. By emphasizing the practical application of engineering principles, I equip my students with the skills and knowledge necessary to tackle real-world environmental sustainability challenges.
As programme coordinator, I lead MSc in Process Safety and MSc in Advanced Chemical Engineering.
PgCert (2016): University of Aberdeen
Post-Doc (20010-13): University of California, Berkeley
PhD (2009): Mines Paris PSL
European PhD (2010): Mines Paris PSL and Technical University of Denmark
MS (2005) & BSc Engg (2004): Punjab University, LahoreMemberships and Affiliations
- Internal Memberships
- External Memberships
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Memberships
Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (FIChemE)
Chartered Engineer (CEng)
Chartered Scientist (CSci)
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
External Services
Assessor of Cypriot Universities and Programs: Cyprus Agency of Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education (2023-date)
External Examiner, MEng/ BEng Chemical Engineering, University of Manchester (2021-date)
University assessor for the accreditation of undergraduate and master degree programs: IChemE (2021-date)
Assessor and Panel Member, CEng and PPSE (Individual Case Procedure): IChemE (2020-date)
PhD Examiner, Universities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Strathclyde, Exeter, and Teesside (2015-date)
External Examiner, HND/ HNC Chemical Engineering, Teesside University (2018-2023)
Funding Agencies and Panels
Reviewers Penal for Engineering and Physical Sciences, the Newton Fund administered by the British Council (2016-2019)
Reviewer, foreign National Research bodies of South Africa, Singapore, and Pakistan, 2016-
Reviewing for Journals
Journal of Physical Chemistry (ACS); Journal of Chemical & Engineering Data; Journal of Chemical Thermodynamics; Fluid Phase Equilibria; Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research; Chemical Engineering Communications; Journal of Quality and Technology Management; PIChE Journal
Latest Publications
Investigating the effects of nano-Fe₃O₄ and MWCNTs on the filtration and rheological properties of water-based muds at elevated temperature and pressure
Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, vol. 701, 134912Contributions to Journals: ArticlesInsights into the development of greener mild zeolite dealumination routes applied to the hydrocracking of waste plastics
Applied Catalysis A: General, vol. 685, 119873Contributions to Journals: ArticlesAdvancing Plastic Recycling: A Review on the Synthesis and Applications of Hierarchical Zeolites in Waste Plastic Hydrocracking
Catalysts, vol. 14, no. 7, 450Contributions to Journals: ArticlesInvestigating the quantum size effects of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in photocatalytic fermentative biohydrogen production
Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 449, 141738Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.141738
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Maximizing the potential of biohydrogen production through cyclic photo fermentation: An approach towards zero waste
Energy Conversion and Management, vol. 304, 118234Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2024.118234
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
- [ONLINE] SSRN Pre-print
Prizes and Awards
European Doctorate (2010)
- Research
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Research Overview
Low carbon cement and construction material; mineral Carbon capture and utilization; clean energy technologies; waste valorization; waste plastics
Research Areas
Accepting PhDs
I am currently accepting PhDs in Engineering.
Please get in touch if you would like to discuss your research ideas further.
Research Specialisms
- Chemical Engineering
- Energy Engineering
- Safety Engineering
- Minerals Processing
Our research specialisms are based on the Higher Education Classification of Subjects (HECoS) which is HESA open data, published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
Current Research
Current PhDs:
- Muhammad Usman Azam (PhD Expected 2023), Sustainable technologies for the conversion of waste plastics, (lead supervisor).
- Bishnu Bhattarai (PhD Expected 2023), Management of industrial waste with xenobiotics, (lead supervisor)
- Zahrah Zanna Ibrahim (PhD Expected 2024), Advances in EoR aided by ionic liquids, (co-supervisor)
- Rukayat Salawu (PhD Expected 2025), Mineral carbon capture and conversion, (lead supervisor)
- Mohamed Elnashar (PhD Expected 2025), Safety of green hydrogen supplychain, (co-supervisor)
Successful PhDs:
- Lewis McDonald (2022), Precipitated Calcium Carbonate for Low-Carbon Portland Cements, (lead supervisor).
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Wanawan "Nan" Pragot (2021), Mineral carbon capture and conversion into useful products: an experimental and ecological study (lead supervisor). University of Aberdeen
- Mohamud Yassin (2021), Feasibility study of microwave-assisted swing adsorption for post-combustion carbon capture (co-supervisor).
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Mohsin Ali Raza (2020): Thermodynamic and transport properties of biomass based chemicals (lead supervisor). University of Aberdeen
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Geraldo AR Ramos (2018): Investigation of EOR techniques (co-supervisor). University of Aberdeen
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Purnomo Sidi (2018): Investigating the suitability of Eichhomia crasspipes for use in drilling fluids (lead supervisor). University of Aberdeen
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Muhammad S Akram (2018), Kinetic study and reactor simulation of methylcyclohexane dehydrogenation reaction for a mobile power plant (co-supervisor). Punjab University, Lahore
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Dureem Munir (2018), Catalytic hydrocracking of waste plastics to liquid fuels (co-supervisor). Punjab University, Lahore
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Shahzad Y Khawaja (2014): Factors influencing the extraction efficiency in a pulsed sieve-plate extraction column (co-supervisor). Punjab University, Lahore
Post-Doc:
- Dr Maria-Ara Carballo-Meilan (2018-19), Precipitated calcium Carbonate Products (OMYA RG 14551), University of Aberdeen
- Dr Mohsin A Raza (2022-23), Renewable energy integration in farming and agriculture (KT Associate) ANM Group and University of Aberdeen
Past Research
Fluid-phase equilibria and thermophysical properties; conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to liquid fuels; applications of ionic liquids in chemical processes; Impact of sulphur species on oil and gas systems; gas hydrates; gas processing
Collaborations
Prof. Christophe Coquelet, Director of Process Thermodynamics, Department of Energy and Processes, École des Mines de Paris (MINES ParisTech)
Prof. Georgios Kontogeorgis, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark
Prof. Paul Hallett, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen
Funding and Grants
Current and Recent External Grants
Grant ‘Add Your Value Application’ to European Commission: Successful £47,179 (Co-I along with several other colleagues). 2019-21
Grant 'Integral Process Optimization for Sustainable Offshore-Structure Dismantling Yard Operation Application', Royal Academy of Engineering: £79,934- (Co-with three other colleagues). 2019-2021
Grant, 'Carbon utilization in high-value precipitated calcium carbonate under low solid conditions' £100,000 PI, 2018- 2019
Scottish Funding Council through the Northern Research Partnership, Sulphur species in fuel products and environment, £4000, PI, 2016-2017
Scottish Funding Council, Micro wind turbine with carbon capture module, £5000 PI, 2015-2016
Travel Grant: Santander Mobility Grant, Raman spectroscopy in carbon capture, Visit of Germany, December 2016
Travel Grant: British Council Researcher Links, Renewable energy technology: future, opportunity, and challenges for the UK and Turkey, Istanbul 4-7 April 2016
Travel Grant: UK Carbon Capture and Storage Research Centre, CCS in the UK - Moving Forward, Manchester Biannual, Manchester 13-14 April 2016
- Teaching
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Programmes
- Postgraduate, 3 semester, September start
- Postgraduate, 3 stage, January start
- Postgraduate, 3 stage, September start
- Postgraduate, 3 semester, January start
- Postgraduate, 3 year, September start
Courses
Teaching Responsibilities
Programme Design and Leadership
Programme Coordinator:
MSc Advanced Chemical Engineering
MSc Process Safety
Current Teaching
MSc: Separations & Product Purification (Coordinator and Contributor)
MSc: Safety & Risk Management (Contributor and Coordinator)
MSc: Human Factors Engineering (Contributor and Coordinator)
BEng/MEng: Biochemical Engineering (Contributor)
BEng/MEng: Chemical Engineering Design (Contributor)
MEng: Group Design Project in Chemical Engineering (Contributor)
BEng/MEng/MSc: individual Research Projects
Research Supervision
Personal Tutor
Teaching in the Recent Past
Process Risk Identification & Management
Energy Conversion and Storage
Advanced Process Dynamics and Control-Theory
Process Dynamics and Control-Theory
Process Instrumentation and Control-Lab
- Publications
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Page 5 of 8 Results 41 to 50 of 76
Unusual trend of viscosities and densities for four ionic liquids containing a tetraalkyl phosphonium cation and the anion bis (2, 4, 4-trimethylpentyl) phosphinate
The Journal of Chemical Thermodynamics, vol. 70, pp. 122-126Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jct.2013.09.037
Two-step delignification of miscanthus to enhance enzymatic hydrolysis: aqueous ammonia followed by sodium hydroxide and oxidants
Energy & Fuels, vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 542-548Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/ef401317z
High Solubilities for Methane, Ethane, Ethylene, and Propane in Trimethyloctylphosphonium Bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl) Phosphinate ([P8111][TMPP])
Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, vol. 53, no. 1, pp. 363-368Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/ie402677t
Separation of Small Paraffin-Olefin Mixtures With An Ionic Liquid: Thermodynamic Study Using COSMO-RS
Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Conference ProceedingsSolubilities, Densities and Viscosities of Two Low-Density Ionic Liquids Containing Small Hydrocarbons
Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference Proceedings: Conference ProceedingsSolubilities of small hydrocarbons in tetrabutylphosphonium bis (2, 4, 4-trimethylpentyl) phosphinate and in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis (trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide
Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, vol. 52, no. 42, pp. 14975-14978Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/ie402196m
High solubilities of small hydrocarbons in trihexyl tetradecylphosphonium bis (2, 4, 4-trimethylpentyl) phosphinate
The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, vol. 117, no. 36, pp. 10534-10539Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/jp403460a
Solubilities of some gases in four immidazolium-based ionic liquids
The Journal of Chemical Thermodynamics, vol. 63, pp. 88-94Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jct.2013.03.007
Henry’s constants and activity coefficients of some organic solutes in 1-butyl, 3-methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate and in 1-methyl, 3-trimethylsilylmethylimidazolium chloride
The Journal of Chemical Thermodynamics, vol. 57, pp. 178-181Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jct.2012.08.022
Dispersed Phase Holdup in a Tall and Low Plate Free Area Liquid Pulsed Sieve-Plate Extraction Column
Separation Science and Technology, vol. 48, no. 1, pp. 175-182Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01496395.2012.681334