Eloy Flores, III

Presentation Title:

Sustainable Strategies for Unconventional Feedstock Valorization

Eloy Flores, III, Director Research & Development, Southwest Research Institute

Abstract:

Southwest Research Institute has established an integrated infrastructure that allows for continuous process development of novel systems for high pressure/conventional fluidized bed reactors, fluid catalytic cracking and hydrotreating and their practical use—from small-scale laboratory experiments to larger pilot scales, efficiently converting both renewable and petrochemical feedstocks into valuable end products. SwRI is currently working with the city of San Antonio on municipal solid waste conversion to fuels, agro-industrial waste to fuel precursors and CO2 capturing biochar as well as plant oil and animal fats conversion to bio-gasoline. Moreover, SwRI also has pilot hydrotreaters for refining biocrude feedstock to spec fuels like renewable diesel, gasoline and SAF. This presentation will cover the different engineering strategies in utilizing biomass, plastics and bio-oils towards renewable chemicals and fuels through process improvements and scale-up.

Bio:

Mr. Flores is Director R&D in the Chemical Engineering Department at Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Tx. Mr. Flores leads the Chemical Engineering Department where he manages the development and operation of pilot plants for chemical and petroleum processes for advanced fuel and energy technologies at lab and demonstration scale. Mr. Flores has been privileged to work on process development and scale-up in many different technical areas including fluidized beds, FCC, heavy oil upgrading, carbon capture and sequestration, carbon utilization, coal/plastic/biomass/biosolids/methane pyrolysis, chemical looping oxidative and other dehydrogenation technologies, oxidative coupling, electrolysis to name a few. Mr. Flores holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a Master of Science degree in Environmental Science from the University of Texas at San Antonio and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of North Dakota.