A scientific seminar by Dr. Basem Abdullah Al Alwan

Biofuels Production via Catalytic Hydrocracking of DDGS Corn Oil and Hydrothermal Decarboxylation of Oleic Acid over Transition Metal Carbides Supported on Al-SBA-15

 

As a part of the scientific and academic activities of the Faculty of Engineering, the Department of Chemical Engineering organized a scientific seminar on Monday 15/10/2018 at 11 am, entitled “Biofuels Production via Catalytic Hydrocracking of DDGS Corn Oil and Hydrothermal Decarboxylation of Oleic Acid over Transition Metal Carbides Supported on Al-SBA-15”. The seminar was presented by Dr. Basem Abdullah Al Alwan, a member of the faculty of the Department of Chemical Engineering, and attended by a number of faculty members from the department. Dr. Basem showed the importance of producing biofuels to protect the environment from toxic emissions and to be a major contributor to fossil fuels produced in Saudi Arabia. He pointed out that biofuels can be produced by two processes, the catalytic hydrocracking process and the hydrothermal decarboxylation process. He also explained how to reduce the cost of the two processes and increase the quality of biofuels using cheap raw materials, and novel catalysts that have high and unique properties.

Bimetallic (nickel and tungsten) carbide catalysts supported on Al-SBS-15 were used in the catalytic hydrocracking process. He pointed out that these catalysts can be affected by several factors such as, the method of preparation, the metal ratio, the metal dispersion, and the formation of metal alloys. By conducting many practical experiments, the professor found that enhancing the metal dispersion and minimizing the formation of metal alloys increases the performance of the catalysts and their stability.

Several catalysts have also been used to study their abilities and activities in converting used plant oils to biofuels without the addition of hydrogen gas, which is considered a costly material, via hydrothermal decarboxylation process. He believes that this process would become the future of the biofuel industry because it could be applied and built in any part of the world since it does not need hydrogen gas supplies. He explained how hydrogen gas can be in-situ generated through the hydrolysis of plant oils without the need to an external hydrogen source.

This seminar was appreciated by the faculty members of the department of Chemical Engineering, and they expressed their interest and admiration, wishing Dr. Basem Al Alwan more success and brilliance.

Source: Dr. Atef Jery - Chemical Eng. Department

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Announcement

Masters Orientation Program 1446 H

  The Committee of Higher Studies for Masters and Research at the Department of Electrical Engineering recently held an Orientation Program for new MSc students to mark the beginning of the first semester of the academic year 1446. The event commenced with a welcoming address from the Department Chairman, Dr. AbdulRahman Alayedh, who set a positive tone for the sessions to follow. In the subsequent discussion, Dr. Mohammad Mastoor Alammar, the Coordinator of the Research and Higher Studies Committee, presented crucial information regarding the MSc Program's norms and regulations, which included guidance on the advising committee, course credits, and thesis requirements. The orientation program sought to educate students about the structure of the Master’s Program at both the college and university levels. It also introduced faculty members and their respective specializations, clarified the roles of various units within the academic system, and outlined how the College of Engineering and the Department of Electrical Engineering can support students throughout their academic journey. Additionally, committee member Dr. Javed Khan Bhutto shared his research experiences and discussed future prospects related to the Masters Course. The session concluded with Dr. Mohammad Mastoor Alammar delivering a vote of thanks to all attendees, marking a successful start for the incoming MSc students.

QS World Ranking 2024

The College of Engineering Achieves Advanced Positions In The QS Global Ranking  For The  Year 2024

The College of Engineering at King Khalid University achieved the top 200 majors in the world after achieving a rank of 151-200 in the field of chemical engineering. The university also achieved record numbers in the field of electrical and electronics engineering by ranking 401-450 in the world.

A field visit for students of the College of Engineering to the Al Watania for Indsutries and Tasnee factory in Riyadh

  Based on the keenness of the College of Engineering at King Khalid University - represented by the Training Unit - to perfect and develop its outputs and link them to the labor market and for its male and female students to receive the best quality and distinguished learning methods, a number of college students, under the supervision of the head of the Training Unit, Dr. Dhafer Ali Alqahtani, coordinated a field visit. The students visited Al Watania for industries and Tasnee factory  in Riyadh on Wednesday and Thursday, November, 22-23, 2023. The visit aims to acquaint the students with the technologies that fall within their specialization and are used in the Al watania for Industry (its plastic and container manufacturers) and Tasnee (the battery factory), which allowed the college students to learn about the nature of factory work by meeting with the engineers working in the factories. The visit began with a visual presentation of the factories’ parts and components, the developments that took place in them from their inception until today, and what are the security and safety precautions. This visit included a field tour of the factory facilities and their effective contribution to the latest technologies and quality of production in the field of plastics, containers and batteries. An open meeting was also held to discuss and answer students’ inquiries related to factory operations and technologies. At the end of the visit, the college employees expressed their thanks to the representatives of the factories for the warm reception, and the efforts they made to make this visit a success, which comes within the cooperation and constructive interaction between the universities with the governmental and private sectors in the field of industry to link the theoretical reality with the practical and applied, because of its great positive impact and great benefit to its graduates and graduates of the College of Engineering.