Project Overview

Alberta’s oil sands, containing the world’s fourth-largest petroleum reserve, generate large volumes of oil sands process water (OSPW) during bitumen extraction. OSPW contains persistent organic contaminants, including naphthenic acids (NAs), which are the main drivers of toxicity and resist conventional treatment. Advanced, scalable, and cost-effective technologies are required to remove these organics and reduce environmental risk. Recent work by our group has developed numerous solar-driven photocatalysts, including CeO2 and ZnS, that have shown strong lab-scale performance in degrading model NAs and real OSPW while reducing toxicity. The proposed HQP position will extend this work by integrating these catalysts into continuous-flow (also known as flow-through) solar and UV photoreactor systems, bridging lab-scale optimization to pilot-scale implementation in collaboration with Suncor Energy. The HQP will generate critical data on operational parameters, reactor performance, and effluent quality, collaborating with Suncor Energy to validate scale-up potential and accelerate translation of photocatalytic OSPW treatment to industry-ready solutions targeted for commercialization towards the end of 2026.

This project's primary assignment is to evaluate and validate two photocatalytic continuous-flow reactors (one under UV irradiation and one under solar irradiation) for OSPW treatment. These reactors will evaluate and compare the performance of CeO2 and ZnS photocatalysts, which the HQP had fully synthesized, characterized, and optimized at lab scale for OSPW treatment. The HQP will focus on optimizing these materials for application under UV and solar irradiation, including fine-tuning properties such as bandgap and surface characteristics to enhance performance. Using real OSPW, the HQP will systematically study operational parameters for the continuous-flow reactors such as flow rate and irradiance to maximize NA degradation while continuously monitoring effluent quality. A comparative analysis of both reactor systems will identify the most effective and scale-up requirements. In close collaboration with Suncor Energy, the HQP will use industrial feedback to guide the engineering design, support field-testing logistics, and analyze pilot data to validate commercial viability. The HQP will also disseminate findings through high-impact publications, workshops, and stakeholder presentations to Suncor and the broader industry.