Robin Kerstens

• Thursday 10 December 2020
• 17:00 (UTC+1)
• Supervisor: Prof. dr. Ing. Jan Steckel
• Online PhD defence: Due to the current circumstances, the public defence will be available through live streaming, using Microsoft Teams. Please confirm your presence before the 8^th of December, after which you will receive a link where you can participate.
• Faculty of Applied Engineering - CoSys Lab Research Group

Alexandros Margaritis

• 9 December 2020
• 14:00 (Brussels time)
• Supervisors: Prof. dr. Wim Van den bergh, Prof. dr. Johan Blom
• Faculty of Applied Engineering - EMIB
• Follow online:The public defence will be available through live streaming, using Microsoft Teams. Please confirm here your online presence before the 7^th of December
  

Emmanuel Audenaert​

• 24 June 2020
  
• Supervisors: Prof. Gunther Steenackers (UAntwerp), Prof. Dirk Vandermeulen (KULeuven) and Prof. Christophe Pattyn (UGent)

​Jasper De Viaene​

• 25 May 2020
  
• Supervisors: Prof. dr. ing. Kurt Stockman (Ghent University) and Prof. dr. ing. Stijn Derammelaere (UAntwerp)

Abstract

​Navid Hasheminejad​

• 9 January 2020
  
• Supervisors: Prof. dr. Cedric Vuye and Prof. dr. Steve Vanlanduit

​Boris Bogaerts​

• 20 December 2019
  
• Supervisors: Prof. dr. Rudi Penne and Prof. dr. Steve Vanlanduit

​Eliane Goossens​

• 13 December 2019
• Supervisors: Prof. dr. Filip Lemière and Prof. ir. Marc Wijnants

​Dennis Laurijssen​

• 29 November 2019
  
• Supervisors: Prof. dr. ir. Ing. Walter Daems, Prof. dr. Ing. Jan Steckel and Prof. dr. Steven Truijen

​Freek Van Riet​

• 25 October 2019
• Supervisor: Prof Ivan Verhaert

Seppe Sels​

• 26 September 2019
  
• Supervisors: Prof. Steve Vanlanduit and Prof. Rudi Penne

Edwin Walsh​

• 14 December 2018
  
• Supervisors: Prof. dr. ir. Walter Daems and Prof. dr. ing. Jan Steckel

​Panos Chasapopoulos​

• 10 October 2018
  
• Supervisors: Prof. A. van Witteloostuijn and Prof. C. Boone
• Joint defence UAntwerp - Tilburg University

Abstract

The first study examines whether the effect of cultural diversity on economic performance of European regions is influenced by the level of generalized social trust and individuals’ trust in public institutions. The second study investigates how the origin and the skill level of immigrants in European regions affect natives’ attitudes toward them. The last study examines the impact of international immigration on electoral support for the radical right in Dutch municipalities.

​Matti Buyle​

• 25 May 2018
  
• Supervisor: Prof. dr. ir. Amaryllis Audenaert

​Bart Vanrenterghem​

• 28 March 2018
  
• Supervisor: Prof. dr. ing. Tom Breugelmans

​Lukasz Pazdur​

• 23 March 2018
  
• Supervisors: Prof Serge M.F. Tavernier and Prof ir. Kourosch Abbaspour Tehrani

Abstract

The chemical (related) industry is one of the largest industries in the world. At this moment this industry is mainly petrochemically based. Due to a rising shortage of petroleum and the stress between its function as fuel (source of energy) and its function as raw material (source of chemical building blocks), new strategies are deployed with respect to alternative raw materials that could lead to chemical building blocks.

Oleochemistry (centered on carbon containing molecules from natural oils and fats) seems an interesting way to obtain valuable chemical building blocks. A very interesting point is that it is a natural source of desirable long carbon-chain molecules, which can be further derivatized. The oleochemical approach has however also some disadvantages. A first important issue is the food versus fuel and/or food versus raw material discussion. The second issue is that there is a lack of long chain multifunctional, more specifically long chain α,ω-bifunctional molecules occurring in nature. Yet, such molecules can be used in high-value applications such as biopolymers and biolubricants.

As long chain bifunctional compounds, like α,ω-dicarboxylic acids are not provided by nature in sufficient amounts, it is important to develop a process to obtain these compounds in an environmentally friendly and economically viable way. It is important to design a process with an environmentally friendly catalyst and to optimize the process in such a way that not only edible clean fats/oils are used as starting material but also inedible fats/oils and maybe used oils/fats (used cooking oil).

This PhD work contributes to the valorization of unsaturated renewable materials into industrially relevant products. More specifically, the goal of this PhD work was to realize a sustainable method for the preparation of long carbon chain α,ω-bifunctionalized molecules starting from unsaturated long chain fatty acids and/or their derivatives. Two different methods to produce α – ω long chain building blocks were investigated: (1) the shift of mid-chain double bonds in derivatives of unsaturated (free) fatty acid esters by means of hydroboration-isomerization and (2) the synthesis and derivatization of long chain unsaturated dialkyl ethers.

The largest application of α,ω-bifunctional compounds (short as well as long type) can be situated in the production of biopolymers. Most of said biopolymers are based on polycondensation reactions (polyamides, polyesters, ...). Depending on the chain length of the α,ω-bifunctional compound the amount of polarity can be controlled in the biopolymer that has a polar repeating unit (e.g. ester group) that will be “diluted” with the long apolar hydrocarbon chain. At the moment a lot of apolar (petro)polymers are used that are not biodegradable (PE, PP, etc.). From literature it is found that most of all produced apolar (petro)polymers are not recovered and thus induce environmental pressure. In case long chain α,ω-bifunctional molecules with a high number of –CH₂- groups in the chain could be produced, polymers could be made that could mimic the apolar (petro)polymers. This polyester type “Pseudo-PE” would be degradable and hence will give raise to less environmental pressure.

​Thomas Dobbeleers​

• 25 January 2018
  
• Supervisor: Prof. Jan Dries

​Stijn Verbeke​

• 31 October 2017
  
• Supervisor: Prof. dr. ir. Amaryllis Audenaert

​Jeroen Peeters​

• 14 September 2017
  
• Supervisors: Prof. dr. ir. Gunther Steenackers and Prof. dr. Joris Dirckx

Joke Anthonissen​

• 17 May 2017
  
• Prof. dr. Ing. Wim Van den bergh and Prof. dr. Johan Braet
  

Raf Berkvens​

• 27 February 2017
  
• Supervisors: Prof. dr. ing. Maarten Weyn and Prof. dr. ir. Herbert Peremans