Philip Kwong

Associate Professor Philip Kwong

Associate Professor/Reader

School of Chemical Engineering

Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.


Associate Professor Philip Kwong has made significant contributions in the field of sustainable waste management and resource recovery from waste biomass to support the growth of future industries around circular economy goals. He has extensive experience in air pollution control, waste management, catalysis, and biomass energy generation. He is particularly interested in converting waste materials into value-added functional products for environmental mitigations and energy generations.

Philip is the Associate Head of School (Internationalisation) at the School of Chemical Engineering. He has published more than 60 articles in high-impact journals, peer reviewed conferences, and technical reports. Over 90% of the publications are in the top journals in his field. He was also awarded a prestigious invitation fellowship by the Japan Society for Promotion of Science for recovering valuable resources from sewage sludge.

Philip’s world-leading expertise in resource recovery from biomass has recently been transferred into international patents. This has led to his establishment of a technology start-up company (http://www.bygen.com.au) that has attracted more than $1.5M investment since 2018. Philip’s pioneered technology has been utilised around Australia in different industries to produce low-cost carbon materials from various waste agricultural resources. His technology has been named as one of the “10 Australian inventions equipping us for the future” by The Brilliant.

Research interests:  Biochar, biomass combustion, battery recycling, metal extraction, waste management.

Research and development in sustainable energy and waste management system, including biomass combustion, pyrolysis and gasification with expertise in flue gas and synthesis gas analysis, biochar characterisation and utilisation of biochar for carbon sequestration and environmental applications. Dr Kwong also works in air pollution control and building energy efficiency. He has developed an energy efficient air purification system using catalytic combustion and adsorption for both industrial and domestic applications.

Research facilities in Dr Kwong's laboratory
Continuous Pyrolysis Reactor
Batch Pyrolysis Reactor
Flue Gas Dilution and Isokinetic Particle Sampling System
Anderson Cascade Impactor (0.3 - 10um)
Optical Particle Counter (0.3 - 10um)
Flue Gas Analyser (CO2, O2, CO)
Agilent 490 Micro GC
MultiRAE Portable Gas Monitor (VOCs, NH3, H2S, SO2, NO and NO2)
Ozone Gas Monitor
Ozone Gas Generator
Tube Furnaces 
Muffle Furnace
FTIR (Gas phase and solid phase)
Mass Flow Controllers
TSI Velocicalc

Research Grants

2024 Sustainable metal extraction and recovery from metal-containing waste for renewable transition and circular economy-  AE230100358 ; Australia’s Economic Accelerator Seed Grants, Department of Education, Australian Government.

2023 Physicochemical characteristics of the pyrolysis liquid and biochar from carbonisation of different residual biomass, Contract Research with SylvaCo.

2023 Production of nitrogen enriched biofertilizer for enhancing soil nutrients and crop production, Biomanufacturing Industry Doctoral Training Centre; Government of South Australia and Peats Soil & Garden Supplies.

2023 Development of biochar-based nutrient recycling technology for enhancing nutrient retention and grapevine productivity in vineyard soils, Biomanufacturing Industry Doctoral Training Centre; Government of South Australia and Treasury Wine Estates.

2022 Sustainable soil application of engineered biochar in vineyard, Contract Research with Temple Bruer Wines.

2022 Assess compostability performance and further development requirement of packaging products, Innovation Connection Grant, Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, Australian Government.

2021 Future-proofing Australian farms to reduce the severity and impact of droughts by using biochar to increase soil water holding capacity, organic matter, and carbon content, Natural Resource Management Drought Resilience Program – Grants, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Australian Government.

2021  Co-production of renewable energy and value-added products using radiata pine residues; Contract Research with Plantation Treated Timber.

2020    Feasibility study of co-gasification of bagasse and solid waste in a sugarcane mill, Innovation Connection Grant, Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, Australian Government.

2020     Moving towards zero emissions through on-farm circular resource-recovery system to improve soil carbon sequestration and organic matter, and reduce water reliance in a vineyard, National Landcare Program Smart Farms Small Grants, Australian Government.

2019    Production of Kindling from BioWaste, Innovation Connection Grant, Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, Australian Government.

2018 ByGen- Sustainable conversion of agricultural wastes into high value functional materials, South Australian Early Commercialisation Fund (SAECF), TechInSA, Government of South Australia.

2018 Co-production of renewable energy and activated biochar using spent grape marc, Student Project sponsored by Tarac Technologies.

2018  Sustainable Conversion of Agricultural Wastes into High Value Functional Materials, Commercial Accelerator Scheme (CAS), Adelaide Enterprise, The University of Adelaide.

2017 Evaluation of winery waste biochar as a value-added product, Student Project sponsored by Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI).

2016 New solutions for air quality and old development challenges: Biochar technology; Interdisciplinary Research Fund (IRF), The University of Adelaide.

2016 Odor control using low-cost adsorbents derived from hydrothermal carbonization of sewage sludge; Invitation Fellowship for Research in Japan, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

2015 Co-production of biochar and bioenergy from winery residue to improve vineyard water use and renewable energy production efficiencies; Premier’s Research and Industry Fund, Catalyst Research Grant, Department of State Development, Government of South Australia.

2014 Improving vineyard water efficiency by addition of biochar derived from grape stalks and vineyard prunings: modelling effects of pyrolysis conditions on biochar water holding capacity; Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation Incubator Project, Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation (GWRDC).

2013 Co-production of biochar and renewable energy from agricultural residue for carbon sequestration; Interdisciplinary Research Fund (IRF), DVC, The University of Adelaide.

Patents

2023 Lixiviant and Uses Thereof (Aust. Pat App. No. 2023903496)

2022 Apparatus and process for producing hydrogen (Aust. Pat App. No. 2022901978)

2017 Apparatus and method of producing activated carbon material (WO2019104382)

Teaching Grants

2015 Development of flexible experimental activities to connect theory with applications in engineering curriculum, Stephen Cole the Elder Fellowship Project Scheme, Faculty of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences, University of Adelaide.

2014 Development of an online laboratory for the Unit Operation Laboratory course in Chemical Engineering; Beacon of Enlightenment Strategic Plan priorities relating to technology enhanced learning, University of Adelaide.

2012 Investigation on collaborative learning to the students with different academic background; School of Chemical Engineering Learning and Teaching Project, University of Adelaide.

CHEM ENG 2018 Process Fluid Mechanics

CHEM ENG 3024 Professional Practice III

CHE ENG 3035 Fluid and Particle Mechanics

CHEM ENG 3036 Unit Operation Laboratory

CHEM ENG 4048 Biofuels, Biomass & Wastes

CHEM ENG 4054 Research Project

  • Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2024 Co-Supervisor Development of high-performance perovskites for carbon dioxide reduction in solid oxide electrolysis cell Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Cancan Peng
    2024 Co-Supervisor Engineering of photocatalyst for fuel and valuable chemical generation Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Muhammad Adnan
    2023 Principal Supervisor Advanced sustainable strategy for the removal of PFAS and microplastics from wastewater Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Md Anwarul Islam
    2022 Principal Supervisor Characterisation and Optimisation of Pyroligneous Acid Properties for Agricultural Applications Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Duc Huy Hung Nguyen
    2022 Co-Supervisor Atomic-level photocatalysts for generation of solar fuels and value-added chemicals Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Elhussein Mohamed Mahmoud Hashem
    2022 Co-Supervisor Production of nitrogen enriched biofertilizer for enhancing soil nutrients and crop production Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Kun Chen
    2022 Principal Supervisor Development of biochar-based nutrient recycling technology for enhancing nutrient retention and grapevine productivity in vineyard soils Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Yijia He
    2022 Co-Supervisor Atomic-level design and synthesis of photocatalysts for energy application Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Meijun Guo
    2021 Principal Supervisor Recovery of valuable metals from spent lithium ion batteries Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Cherry Nguyen
    2021 Co-Supervisor Synthesis of Catalysts for Energy Application Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Amin Talebian Kiakalaieh
    2016 Co-Supervisor Characterisation of Biochar for Environmental Mitigations Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Mr Benjamin Morton
  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2018 - 2022 Principal Supervisor Enhancing Green Hydrogen Production during One and Two Stage Catalytic Pyrolysis of Biomass with Mechano-chemically Prepared Char Supported Iron Catalyst Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Richard William Thomson
    2016 - 2021 Co-Supervisor Diagnostics of Particles and Droplets under High-Flux Radiation Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Wanxia Zhao
    2016 - 2020 Co-Supervisor Elemental Detection at Ambient Condition by LIBS and Microwave-assisted LIBS Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Md Abdul Wakil
    2014 - 2018 Co-Supervisor Photocatalytic Solar Energy Conversion on Metal-free Semiconductors Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Mohammad Ziaur Rahman
    2014 - 2018 Principal Supervisor Emissions from the Co-Generation of Biochar and Bioenergy with Agricultural By-Products Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Lewis Dunnigan
    2012 - 2016 Co-Supervisor Engineering Photocatalysts towards High-Performance Solar Hydrogen Production Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Jingrun Ran
    2011 - 2015 Principal Supervisor Linking the Hetero-Chemistry of Nanoporous Carbonaceous Materials to Their Performance Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Saeid Sedghizeinolhajloo
    2010 - 2015 Principal Supervisor TRANSFORMATION OF CARBONACEOUS SKELETON DURING THE ACTIVATION AND THERMAL ANNEALING OF NANOPOROUS CARBONS Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Cheng Hu
  • Memberships

    Date Role Membership Country
    2010 - ongoing Member IChemE Australia
  • Editorial Boards

    Date Role Editorial Board Name Institution Country
    2015 - ongoing Associate Editor Frontiers in Environmental Science - -
  • Position: Associate Professor/Reader
  • Phone: 83130724
  • Email: philip.kwong@adelaide.edu.au
  • Campus: North Terrace
  • Building: Engineering North, floor 1
  • Org Unit: Chemical Engineering

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