2026 Undergraduate Research Showcase

Document Type

Student Presentation

Presentation Date

4-24-2026

Faculty Sponsor

Dr. Owen McDougal and Rose Saxton

Abstract

The production of dairy products generates millions of gallons of wastewater every day. Processors treat the wastewater using methods called flocculation and suspended air flotation to capture and collect the solids from the water. The solids form a high-moisture (~85-90%) sludge, called flocs, that is hauled away and sold as low-value animal feed. The current research study aims to convert the flocs obtained from the treatment of Greek yogurt processing wastewater into a biocrude for energy utilization through hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL). HTL is a process that transforms organic material into hydrocarbon-dense biocrude through conditions of high temperature, typically in the range of 250-375°C, and high pressures on the order of 4-22 MPa. Using flocs from wastewater treatment as feedstock for HTL conversion, this work will assess the quantity (yield) and quality (energy and composition) of the biocrude and the aqueous phase using traditional analytical techniques including bomb calorimetry, GC-MS, and ICP-MS. We propose to conduct a techno-economic analysis for the use of HTL on dairy wastewater flocs to upcycle the low-value biomass into biocrude oil that can be used as biofuel in the processing facility, providing a sustainable source of energy and negating the costly requirement to transport the material.

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