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Lawrence Darkwah

Chemical Engineering

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About

Prof. Dr. Lawrence Darkwah is the current Coordinating Dean (KNUST Obuasi Campus). He has been teaching at the Chemical Engineering Department of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology for more than eighteen years. He has supervised many PhD and MSc. theses both in the Processing, Energy and Environmental aspects of Engineering (covering Chemical, Agricultural and Biotechnology, Civil and Mechanical Engineering Disciplines). Some of these research works utilised biological systems for process development and plant designs. These projects had to assess both the technological and economic feasibility of such plants.Lawrence has research interests in biological and pyrolytic conversion of biomass resources into energy for productive use. He has over the last ten years being teaching postgraduate students how to produce liquid biofuels from diverse feedstocks and giving global case studies for emulation in West Africa. These have been done both as a formal course that counts for some students curricula whilst for others, it has been skills development and knowledge acquisition entrepreneurship in biogas.Prof. Darkwah researches into biological oxidation for mineral extractive purposes and designs environmental mitigation systems for field applications, based on his previous industrial practice and consultations.Lawrence is a fellow of The Energy Center (TEC-KNUST) and a theme leader in Biogas technology in the collaboration between (TEC-KNUST) and North Rhine Westphalia (NRW) in which a biogas laboratory was setup in the Chemical Engineering Department of KNUST to advance capacity-building and training in that area.Prof. Darkwah is a Graduate Member of the Ghana Institution of Engineers and also a member of the Ghana Science Association. He has a wide spectrum of consultancy and collaborative research experiences which impacts on policy-makers and industrial applications. His academic and consulting works are recognised in the Energy, Chemical and Minerals Engineering Sectors.

Research Summary

(inferred from publications by AI)

The researcher's work is centered around integrating innovative eco-friendly technologies across multiple scientific domains. Their primary themes include the application of adsorption and biosorption methods for effective pollution removal, the exploration of biogas production from agricultural residues for feasibility studies, and the development of sustainable waste management strategies. They also focus on advancing energy efficiency through the assessment of bioenergy systems based on agricultural residues and improving soil health by developing bioremediation techniques using recombinant organisms like Fusarium. The researcher's efforts extend to addressing heavy metal contamination in environmental studies and optimizing water quality, as well as recycling and managing municipal solid waste effectively. Their overarching goal is to create a comprehensive framework that combines innovative technologies across physics and life sciences to address challenges in energy, environment, and waste management, aiming for sustainable solutions globally.

Research Themes

All Papers

Waste Biomass and Biomaterials Adsorbents for Wastewater Treatment(2022)
Mini-grid electricity service based on local agricultural residues: Feasibility study in rural Ghana(2018)
Assessment of technical potential and selected sustainability impacts of second generation bioenergy in Ghana(2015)
Evaluating the Health and Environmental Consequences of Sulphur-Related Diesel Emissions(2024)
Feasibility Study of Biomass Hybrid Micro-Plants for Mini-Grid Based Electricity Services in Rural Communities in Ghana(2014)
A review of anaerobic digestion of slaughterhouse waste: effect of selected operational and environmental parameters on anaerobic biodegradability(2021)
Technical and Socioeconomic Potential of Biogas from Cassava Waste in Ghana(2015)
Development of mathematical model for predicting methane-to-carbon dioxide proportion in anaerobic biodegradability of cattle blood and rumen content(2022)
Impact of Different Mixing Ratios on Biomethanation of Cattle Blood and Rumen Content(2021)
Assessment of solar radiation resource from the NASA-POWER reanalysis products for tropical climates in Ghana towards clean energy application(2022)
Assessment of solar radiation resource from the NASA-POWER reanalysis products for tropical climates in Ghana towards clean energy application(2022)
Assessment of Typha capensis for the remediation of soil contaminated with As, Hg, Cd and Pb(2019)
Evaluation of the Rate of Heavy Metal Absorptions by Typha Capensis and Heliconia Psittacorum(2018)
Assessment of diesel fuel quality(2024)
Pyrolysis of municipal food waste: A sustainable potential approach for solid food waste management and organic crop fertilizer production(2023)
Valorization of palm biomass waste into carbon matrices for the immobilization of recombinant Fusarium heterosporum lipase towards palm biodiesel synthesis(2020)
Valorization of Palm Biomass Waste for Sustainable Production of Lipase-Carbon Matrices And Biodiesel(2020)
Decolourisation of Textile Wastewater by Dye Degrading Microorganisms Isolated from Textile Effluent(2021)
Water quality assessment of a wastewater treatment plant in a Ghanaian Beverage Industry(2013)
Conventional and Unconventional Transformation of Cocoa Pod Husks into Value-Added Products(2022)
Mapping, Characterization and Dispersion of Metallic Pollutants within a Catchment of Illegal Gold Mining Activities in Ghana(2018)
Chemical Plant Design for the Conversion of Plastic Waste to Liquid Fuel(2021)
Laboratory Scale Bioremediation of Acid Mine Water Drainage from a Disused Tin Mine(2005)
Water quantity auditing of a Ghanaian beverage plant(2013)
Mine water and the environment: a case study at Central African Gold Bibiani Limited, Ghana(2013)
Bioremediation of Soil and Water Contaminated with As, Hg, Cd, and Pb Using Heliconia psittacorum(2019)
Pilot Plant Bioremediation of Hydrocarbon Contaminated Drill Mud - Case Study in Ghana(2016)
Assessment of Energy Potential of Residential Solid Waste in the Asokore Mampong Municipality of the Ashanti Region of Ghana(2025)

Collaboration Network

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About This Profile

This profile is generated from publicly available publication metadata and is intended for research discovery purposes. Themes, summaries, and trajectories are inferred computationally and may not capture the full scope of the lecturer's work. For authoritative information, please refer to the official KNUST profile.