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.

Hatem Ksibi | Mechanical Metallurgy | Best Scholar Award

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Prof. Hatem Ksibi | Mechanical Metallurgy | Best Scholar Award

University of Sfax, IPEIS | Tunisia

Prof. Dr. Eng. Hatem Ksibi is a Full Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Sfax and a Senior Researcher at the Laboratory of Materials Applications in Environment, Water and Energy, University of Gafsa. He holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Paris–Sorbonne North and an Advanced Diploma in Energy Conversion from the University Pierre and Marie Curie. His academic and research career spans over two decades, focusing on materials science, process engineering, and environmental technologies. His work emphasizes the valorization of industrial by-products such as phosphogypsum, supercritical fluid extraction, powder technology, crystallization processes, and biogas production through anaerobic digestion. Prof. Ksibi integrates advanced numerical modeling, simulation, image analysis, and machine learning techniques in engineering problem-solving and education. He has authored numerous scientific publications, supervised several doctoral theses, and contributed extensively to interdisciplinary research linking theory, experimentation, and sustainable industrial practice. With an h-index of 10, over 305 citations, and more than 39 documents indexed in major scientific databases, he actively reviews for international journals and participates in national and international scientific committees. His research advances sustainable engineering solutions and promotes digital transformation in industrial and environmental systems.

Profiles: Scopus | Google Scholar | Orcid

Featured Publications

Ksibi, H. (2025). Refined covolume approach for heavy alkanes in Abel–Noble EOS at high pressures. International Journal of Thermodynamics, 28(2), 35–44.

Ksibi, H. (2024). Morphology and size comparison of crystallized materials using image-based counting techniques: Conventional vs. supercritical processes. Journal of Chemistry and Technologies, 33(2), 312576.*

Ksibi, H. (2023). Bioactive Chemlali olive derivatives and compounds useful for pharmaceutical purposes: A review. International Journal of Plant Based Pharmaceuticals, 3(2), 215–227.

Ksibi, H. (2024). Valorization of phosphogypsum waste into sustainable materials for environmental applications. Environmental Engineering and Management Journal, 23(4), 451–460.

Ksibi, H. (2022). Application of machine learning and image analysis in materials characterization and process modeling. Journal of Materials and Environmental Science, 13(8), 785–794.