Adeniyi Lawal (alawal)

Adeniyi Lawal

Professor and Department Chair of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science

Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. School of Engineering and Science

Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science

McLean Hall 103C
(201) 216-8306

Education

  • PhD (1985) McGill University (Chemical Engineering)
  • MS (1982) Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Chemical Engineering)
  • BS (1978) University of Ibadan (Engineering)

Research

Thermochemical conversion of biomass waste to transportation fuels via pyrolysis, Algae growth and oil extraction, Hydrodeoxygenation of Algae Oils, 2-Stage Anaerobic Digestion of Post Extracted Algae Residue to Produce Biohythane, Hydrodeoxygenation of Pyrolysis Oils, Autothermal reforming of pyrolysis oil and pyrolysis vapors to synthesis gas, Microchemical systems analysis, design and evaluation with applications in chemical synthesis. Reaction Engineering. Process intensification.

Experience

Professor, Dept. of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Stevens Institute of Technology, 2005 - present
Associate Professor, Dept. of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Stevens Institute of Technology, 1998 - 2005
Research Associate Professor, Dept. of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Stevens Institute of Technology, 1992 - 1994; 1997-1998
Senior Research Associate/Research Associate, Dept. of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Stevens Institute of Technology, 1990 - 1992
Senior Lecturer, Dept. of Chemical Engineering, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, 1988 - 1990
Lecturer I, Dept. of Chemical Engineering, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, 1985 - 1988

Institutional Service

  • Department of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science Chair
  • Faculty Search Committee Member
  • Graduate Studies Committee Member
  • Provost Doctoral Excellence Fellowship Member
  • Research Committee Member
  • Stanley Crook Fellowship Member
  • Undergraduate Curriculum Committee Member
  • Department of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science Chair
  • SSE Senior Faculty Hire Member
  • Faculty Handbook Revision Committee Member
  • Provost Research Excellence Awards Committee Member
  • Dr. Min Song's Internal Review Committee, ECE Department Chair Member
  • Department of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science Chair
  • Department of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science Chair
  • Faculty Handbook Committee Member
  • Faculty Search Committee Member
  • Graduate Admissions Open House Events Member
  • Graduate Studies Committee Member
  • PhD Oral Exam Committee, Chair/Member Chair
  • President's Task Force on Equity and Inclusive Excellence Member
  • Provost Doctoral Excellence Fellowship Member
  • Research Committee Member
  • Stanley Crook Fellowship Member
  • Undergraduate Curriculum Committee Member
  • Curriculum Committee Member
  • Graduate Admissions Open House Member
  • PhD Oral Exam Committee Chair
  • SES Associate Department Chairs Committee Member
  • Graduate Curriculum Committee Member
  • Associate Department Chair for Graduate Studies Member

Professional Service

  • Chemical Engineering Science, Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, Energy & Fuels Reviewer
  • Chemical Engineering Science, Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research Reviewer
  • National Science Foundation ERI Program Reviewer
  • NAACP Judge
  • Chemical Engineering Science, Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, Chemical Engineering & Processing: Process Intensification, Review of manuscripts for publication. Reviewer
  • Chemical Engineering Science, Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, Chemical Engineering & Processing: Process Intensification Reviewer
  • National Research Foundation of South Africa Reviewer

Appointments

Program Director of Chemical Engineering, 2005 - 2010
Associate Department Chair of Graduate Studies, 2015 -2020
Department Chair, 2020 -Present

Honors and Awards

Dean's Honors List, McGill University Ph.D. thesis
Stevens Alexander Crombie Humphreys Award for Outstanding Teaching (2000)
Stevens Board of Trustees 2004 Research Award
Technical Editor, Proceedings of the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers AGM 1987
NSERC Fellowship Award of Canada, 1990

Professional Societies

  • AIChE – American Institute of Chemical Engineers Senior member
  • NSChE (US Chapter) – Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers (US Chapter) Senior member
  • AIChE – American Institute of Chemical Engineers Senior member
  • NSChE (US Chapter) – Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers (US Chapter) Senior member
  • AIChE – American Institute of Chemical Engineers Senior member
  • NSChE (US Chapter) – Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers (US Chapter) Senior member
  • AIChE – American Institute of Chemical Engineering Member
  • NSChE (USA Chapter) – Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers USA Chapter Member

Grants, Contracts and Funds

PI for 2 BETO-funded projects on renewable energy -$1.65M (autothermal reforming of pyrolysis oil for syngas production; development of Pt-based bimetallic monolith catalyst for hydrotreating algal oil)
PI for 1 OSD, DoD contract on biomass waste conversion to liquid fuels for national security - $1.7M
PI for 2 DOE-ITP sponsored 5-year projects on application of microreactor technology to chemical synthesis - $4.2M (synthesis of H2O2 by direct combination of H2 and O2; hydrogenation of pharmaceutical substrates)
Currently a Co-PI on a Leidos contract to utilize DoD's industrial-base wastewater for algae growth - $150K/yr for my task

Patents and Inventions

A. Lawal, and D. Qian, “Scalable Microreactors and Methods for Using Same,” United States Patent 7,670,567 B2, March 2, 2010
A. Lawal, O. C. Okafor, S. R. Tadepalli, and G. K. Tampy, “Process for Producing Alkyl Substituted Indanes,” 20110077440 A1, March 31, 2011
A. Lawal, E. A. Dada, W. Y. Lee, H. Pfeffer, “Process for the production of hydrogen peroxide from hydrogen and oxygen, 20060233695 A1, October 19, 2006
A. Lawal and L. Zhou, "Process and Apparatus for Alkyl Halide Fumigant Recovery and Conversion," Application filed 09/27/2018

Selected Publications

Book Chapter

  1. Zhou, L.; Manganaro, J.; Lawal, A. (2017). Techno-economics of a Microalgal Route to Green Diesel. Microalgae as a Source of Bioenergy: Products, Processes and Economics. Bentham Science Publishers.

Journal Article

  1. Abimbola, T.; Christodoulatos, C.; Lawal, A. (2023). Comparison of suspended versus immobilized digested sludge for 2-stage anaerobic digestion of algae. Chemical Engineering Science (vol. 274).
  2. Lawal, A.; Christodoulatos, C. (2023). Comparison of Suspended vs. Immobilized Digested Sludge for 2-Stage Anaerobic Digestion of Algae. Chemical Engineering Science (vol. 274, pp. 118694-118705). Pergamon.
  3. Lawal, A. (2022). Recovery and Utilization of Crude Glycerol, a Biodiesel Byproduct. No. RSC Advances (43 ed., vol. 12, pp. 27997-28008). Royal Society of Chemistry.
  4. Abimbola, T.; Lawal, A.; Christodoulatos, C. (2021). Performance and Optimization Studies of Oil Extraction from Nannochloropsis spp. and Scenedesmus obliquus. Journal of Cleaner Production (vol. 311, pp. 127295-127308). Elsevier.
  5. Lawal, A.; RoyChowdhury, A.; Abraham, J.; Abimbola, T.; Lin, Y.; Christodoulatos, C.; Koutsosoyros, A.; Braida, W. (2019). Assessing Oil Content of Microalgae Grown in Industrial Energetic-Laden Wastewater. Environmental Processes (https:/doi.org/10.1007/s40710-019-00396-5 ed.). Springer.
    https://doi.org/10.1007/s40710-019-00396-5.
  6. Zhou, L.; Lawal, A. (2017). Kinetic study of hydrodeoxygenation of palmitic acid as a model compound for microalgae oil over Pt/γ- Al2O3. Applied Catalysis A: General (vol. 532, pp. 40-49). Science Direct.
  7. Manganaro, J.; Lawal, A. (2016). CO2 Life-Cycle Assessment of the Production of Algae-Based Liquid Fuel Compared to Crude Oil to Diesel. Energy & Fuels (vol. 30, pp. 3130-3139). ACS Publications.
  8. Zhou, L.; Lawal, A. (2016). Hydrodeoxygenation of Microalgae Oil to Green Diesel over Pt, Rh and NiMo. Catalysis Science and Technology (vol. 6, pp. 1442-1454). Royal Society of Chemistry.
  9. Lawal, A.; Kalyon, D. (1997). Viscous heating in nonisothermal die flows of viscoplastic fluids with wall slip. Chemical Engineering Science (8 ed., vol. 52, pp. 1323-1337).
  10. Lawal, A.; Kalyon, D. (1997). Nonisothermal extrusion flow of viscoplastic fluids with wall slip. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer (16 ed., vol. 40, pp. 3883-3897).
  11. Lawal, A.; Railkar, S.; Yaras, P.; Kalyon, D. (1996). Pressurization and heat transfer during twin screw extrusion processing of concentrated suspensions. Journal of Materials Processing and Manufacturing Science (1 ed., vol. 5, pp. 57-78).
  12. Lawal, A.; Kalyon, D. (1995). Mechanisms of mixing in single and co‐rotating twin screw extruders. Polymer Engineering & Science (17 ed., vol. 35, pp. 1325-1338).
  13. Lawal, A.; Kalyon, D. (1995). Simulation of intensity of segregation distributions using three‐dimensional fem analysis: Application to corotating twin screw extrusion processing. Journal of Applied Polymer Science (9 ed., vol. 58, pp. 1501-1507).
  14. Lawal, A.; Kalyon, D. (1994). Nonisothermal model of single screw extrusion of generalized newtonian fluids. Numerical Heat Transfer; Part A: Applications (1 ed., vol. 26, pp. 103-121).
  15. Lawal, A.; Kalyon, D. (1994). Single screw extrusion of viscoplastic fluids subject to different slip coefficients at screw and barrel surfaces. Polymer Engineering & Science (19 ed., vol. 34, pp. 1471-1479).
  16. Lawal, A.; Kalyon, D.; Yilmazer, U. (1993). Extrusion and lubrication flows of viscoplastic fluids with wall slip. Chemical Engineering Communications (1 ed., vol. 122, pp. 127-150).
  17. Lawal, A.; Kalyon, D.; Ji, Z. (1993). Computational study of chaotic mixing in co‐rotating two‐tipped kneading paddles: Two‐dimensional approach. Polymer Engineering & Science (3 ed., vol. 33, pp. 140-148).

Courses

ChE 210 Process Analysis
ChE 332 Separation Operations
ChE 342 Heat and Mass Transfer
ChE 423/424 Senior Design
ChE 672 Polymer Processing