Hugang Li | Sustainable Metallurgy | Research Excellence Award

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Dr. Hugang Li | Sustainable Metallurgy | Research Excellence Award

Taiyuan University of Technology | China

Hugang Li is an engineer with a Ph.D. in Engineering from China Agricultural University College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering. He currently serves as Lecturer at the School of Environmental and Ecological Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, and previously completed a joint-PhD training at the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, followed by a postdoctoral research position at the “Solid Waste and Carbon Recycling Center,” Shanxi Clean Energy Research Institute, Tsinghua University. His research focuses on thermochemical conversion of biomass and solid waste for environmental functional materials, phosphorus resource recovery from sewage sludge, nano-biochar production, and ecological restoration. As principal investigator on projects such as the “Multi-Scale Structural Coordination of Iron-Manganese SpinelActivated Carbon for Dioxin Supercritical Oxidation Enhancement” and “FeCl₃-Coordinated Hydrothermal Phosphorus Recovery and Cyanide Inhibition in Biochar”, he advances sustainable waste-to-resource transformation. His recent peer-reviewed publications address hydrothermal phosphorus/arsenic co-transformation in sewage sludge, vacuum fractional distillation of biocrude oils, heavy-metal immobilization in hydrochar, wastewater treatment via hydrothermal biofuel production, and hydrothermal liquefaction effects on heavy metal and arsenic behavior. Having achieved 23 publications and 675 citations, with an h-index of  11, his work demonstrates both productivity and impact in environmental and waste-resource engineering. He has earned recognition through  national-level natural-science award, a overseas-training scholarship, and invitations to present at major international conferences. He remains dedicated to innovating sustainable waste and bio-material technologies, training the next generation of researchers, and contributing to circular bioeconomy and environmental health.

Profiles: Scopus |  Orcid

Featured Publications

Li, H., Gao, Y., Chen, H., Zhou, H., Qin, Y., & Niu, S. (2025). Acidic Fe(III)-driven hydrothermal co-transformation of phosphorus and arsenic in sewage sludge: Vivianite crystallization coupled with amorphous ferric arsenate formation for phosphorus-enriched hydrochar. Separation and Purification Technology, 373, 133617.

Li, H., Tian, C., Lu, J., & He, C. (2022). Vacuum fractional distillation of biocrude oil and the immobilization of harmful metals. Fuel, 326, 125013.

Li, H., Cao, M., Watson, J., Zhang, Y., & Liu, Z. (2021). In situ hydrochar regulates Cu fate and speciation: Insights into transformation mechanisms. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 410, 124616.

Li, H., Cao, M., Zhang, Y., & Liu, Z. (2021). Hydrothermal liquefaction accelerates the toxicity and solubility of arsenic in biowaste. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 418, 126314.

Li, H., Watson, J., Zhang, Y., Lu, H., & Liu, Z. (2020). Environment-enhancing process for algal wastewater treatment, heavy metal control, and hydrothermal biofuel production: A critical review. Bioresource Technology, 298, 122421.

Alexander Shmatov | Materials Science | Best Researcher Award

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Prof. Alexander Shmatov | Materials Science | Best Researcher Award

Belarusian State Technological University | Belarus

Alexander Shmatov is a distinguished materials scientist and researcher, currently serving as Chief Researcher at Belarusian State Technological University (BSTU) and Professor at Wuhan Textile University . He holds a Ph.D. in Materials Science , D.Sc. in Materials Science and Mechanical Engineering , and has been recognized as a Professor and Academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences . With more than peer-reviewed publications and  patents, his research has received significant global attention, reflected in an h-index of 2 and over 8 citations and documentation is 13. Professor Shmatov has led  national and international research projects and contributed  industrial collaborations, focusing on heat treatment, thermo-chemical treatment, and nanotechnology for material strengthening. His work emphasizes the development of efficient, economical, and environmentally friendly methods for enhancing steels, hard alloys, and diamond-based tools. He has authored four monographs and two tutorials, and actively participated in editorial and scientific committees, including the International Scientific and Technical Conference “TOP.” His contributions have led to practical industrial applications in enterprises, generating significant economic impact. Recognized with multiple awards for research excellence, Shmatov continues to advance material science through innovative technologies, process optimization, and international collaborations, reinforcing his role as a global leader in materials engineering.

Profiles: Scopus | Orcid

Featured Publications

Shmatov, A., & Puteri, N. (2025). Air-sintered copper-aluminum alloy inner electrodes. Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics, 36(14), 1–10.

Shmatov, A., Chien, C. F., & Ku, C. T. (2025). Studies on CuNi alloy with zinc protective layer sintered in air. ES Manufacturing Materials, 2025(June), 1–8.

Shmatov, A., Lee, W. H., & Kuo, T. C. (2024). Study on the fabrication of high-quality hafnium oxide thin films using spatial rotated atomic layer deposition and supercritical fluids treatment. Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A, 42, 062409.

Shmatov, A., Divya, P., & Kuo, T. C. (2024). A study on environmentally friendly electroless-plating. Journal for Electrochemistry and Plating Technology, 2024, 1–8.

Shmatov, A., Lee, W. H., & Yu, Y. W. (2023). Increasing the conductivity of sintered powder Al–Cu material due to electroplating of aluminium particles with copper. Metal Science and Heat Treatment, 65(5–6), 1–7.