"From Waste to Energy"... Chonnam National University Wins Grand Prize at National Competition

Students from the Department of Chemical Engineering at Chonnam National University were honored with the grand prize in the video category at the "2025 Chem Frontier Chemical Engineering Student Creative Design Competition" hosted by the Korean Institute of Chemical Engineers. (From left) Team Lee Jeongjae Anibnida, Team Jeonghwajo, Department of Chemical Engineering, Chonnam National University. Provided by Chonnam National University

Students from the Department of Chemical Engineering at Chonnam National University have opened new possibilities for "resource-circulating energy processes," surpassing the limitations of waste treatment. Through innovative chemical process design, these students have experimentally demonstrated solutions to environmental problems and the securing of sustainable energy, gaining attention as future leaders in eco-friendly energy transition.

According to Chonnam National University on October 16, students from the Department of Chemical Engineering were honored with the grand prize in the video category at the "2025 Chem Frontier Chemical Engineering Student Creative Design Competition" hosted by the Korean Institute of Chemical Engineers.

The team "Lee Jeongjae Animnida" (led by Choi Eunji with nine other members, supervised by Professor Kim Donghoon), which won the grand prize, produced bio-oil by co-pyrolyzing waste plastics and biomass and precisely analyzed the process using digital analytical equipment.

Through this, they experimentally demonstrated the potential to contribute to solving environmental issues and securing sustainable energy, receiving high praise for creativity and engineering excellence.

This team particularly focused on the hydrocarbon components generated during the pyrolysis of waste plastics. By co-pyrolyzing coffee grounds with high hemicellulose content, they improved reactivity and maximized energy recovery efficiency. In addition, by utilizing advanced digital analytical equipment such as GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) and TGA (thermogravimetric analysis), they precisely identified the composition, reaction characteristics, and temperature dependence of the products, thereby enhancing the reliability of their experiments.

The research results showed that the oxygen content and rapid decomposition characteristics of coffee grounds contributed to forming a more balanced fuel oil (bio-oil) composition compared to the pyrolysis of plastics alone.

Through this, the Chonnam National University team was recognized for providing scientific evidence that waste treatment can evolve into a "resource-circulating energy system."

Choi Eunji, the student who led the team, stated, "It was fascinating to find clues to solving environmental issues through chemical processes, and it was very meaningful to implement theory in practice through direct experiments and analysis. I hope to continue contributing to sustainable energy transition through chemical engineering in the future."

Meanwhile, two teams were also honored with awards in the poster category.

The "Jeonghwajo" team received the Encouragement Award for their project "Superbacteria-Responsive MOF: Antibiotic Adsorption of Cooling Rate-Controlled UiO-66," in which they designed a purification material that can selectively adsorb and remove antibiotics from livestock wastewater using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs).

In addition, the "gasi9" team (led by Yoo Dongwook with seven other members) won the Silver Award for their project "Development of Silicon-Added Bio-Anode Materials for Secondary Batteries Using Gashibak and Rice Husk." They showcased an eco-friendly technology that synthesizes silicon-carbon composites from discarded biological resources and applies them as next-generation lithium-ion battery anode materials.

They were highly evaluated for simplifying the manufacturing process using naturally derived silica and for improving the electrochemical stability and capacity retention of the electrodes.

Professor Kim Donghoon of the Department of Chemical Engineering stated, "This achievement demonstrates that the Department of Chemical Engineering at Chonnam National University is establishing itself as a center for nurturing creative engineering talent who will lead the future in energy and environmental fields."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.