Chemicals and Fuels Development Center
The Chemical and Fuels Development Center is a national leading center for the development of both traditional and developing fuels and chemicals (co-products) with an emphasis on using sustainable production methods.
A R&D area of particular focus is the production of liquid fuels from renewable feedstocks such as biocrude, sewage sludge, and cultured crops. More recently, the team at the CFDC has emerged as leading experts on the conversion of urban areas into foundational feedstock sources for a new generation of biorefineries based on municipal wastes.
The CFDC is led by Dr. Rafael Hernandez of the UL Chemical Engineering department who has established a highly regarded reputation for his work in the area of bio-based diesel derived from agricultural and waste products. The UL departments of Chemical, Civil, Biology, Chemistry, and Geosciences are the primary partnered university entities with the CFDC.