Catalysis in the Refining of Fischer-Tropsch Syncrude

Arno De Klerk obtained his formal qualifications at the University of Pretoria, South Africa and holds B. Eng., B. Eng. Hons. and Ph.D. degrees in Chemical Engineering, as well as an M.Sc. in Analytical Chemistry. He has been registered as a professional engineer in South Africa since 1999. His career started in forensic science before moving to industry in 1994 where his work was mainly in catalysis, catalyst evaluation and the refining of Fischer-Tropsch syncrude and coal liquids. He managed the Fischer-Tropsch refinery catalysis group of Sasol from 2001 until 2008 before moving to the University of Alberta Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering. He is author of around 50 scholarly papers, most of which dealt with Fischer-Tropsch refining and refining catalysis. Edward Furimsky has some forty years of research experience in the conversion of petroleum, coal and natural gas to various commercial products. His studies have included the upgrading of petroleum feeds, environmental and safety aspects, options for using spent refinery catalysts, quantification of emissions, and the optimization of refining schemes to lower overall emissions. He is also is also the author of two books, several book chapters, 130 journal articles, and a dozen reviews.