Overview

Join in for this special free webinar to watch two highly promising young chemical engineers share their projects that emerged as winners of IChemE's Young Engineers Awards for Innovation and Sustainability (YEAIS) 2025.

William Ryden won the award in the Early Career and Water & Sanitation categories for his project titled  Wem: Implementing Innovative Low Footprint Wastewater Treatment for Small Communities.

William was involved as a graduate process engineer for a project in a small community named Wem in Shropshire. The site's footprint was limited and filled with the existing aging assets, but the project team were tasked with providing a solution which took effectively double the flowrate and also reached a tightening Phosphorous effluent quality of 0.6mg/l. The 'Oxibox' solution provided by the client Severn Trent Water, was new and unknown to his company. He learned the process chemistry behind the process so he could then provide process support when the dimensions of the structure had to change due to ground conditions, developed a commissioning sequence, led the commissioning development, and got involved with the STEM and community outreach work. This presentation is a summary of the work he did as part of the team to develop a new, innovative solution, and how this work ties back to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Chew Zhi Ling won the award in the Postgraduate and Responsible Production, Innovation & Industry categories for her project titled A Waste-To-Health & Wealth (W2HW) Approach: Tuning Multifunctional and Sustainable Colloids (Eutectogel & Oleogel).

Food and agricultural wastes continue to challenge environmental sustainability, but they also offer untapped opportunities for innovation. This presentation explores how durian seed can be harnessed to develop eutectogels and oleogels using natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) and black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) oil. These colloids can be further enriched with phytonutrients from oil palm leaves to enhance their antioxidant and health benefits. Attendees will gain insights into the tuneable properties of these multifunctional colloids and their potential applications across food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and other sectors. The research highlights innovative approaches to waste valorisation and the production of value-added colloids that support circular economy practices and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Speakers

William Ryden, Graduate Process Engineer, Mott MacDonald Bentley

He graduated from Aston University with a Bachelor's in Chemical Engineering in 2022, and has previously 1 year's experience at AkzoNobel in the paints and coatings sector during his degree. Originally, he is from Lincolnshire in the UK, and now he works in Shropshire in: wastewater projects, STEM outreach and being the ECP lead of the Nutrient Removal and Recovery group.

Chew Zhi Ling, PhD Student, Xiamen University Malaysia

Chew Zhi Ling is a PhD student in Chemical Engineering at Xiamen University Malaysia (XMUM). Her research interests focus on biomass and food waste valorisation, oils and fats technology, natural deep eutectic solvents, green extraction process, and sustainable colloids. In 2021, she gained industrial experience as a process engineering intern in the oleochemical sector. During her postgraduate journey, Zhi Ling has actively engaged in competitions, outreach activities, and conferences, earning multiple awards at university, national, and international levels. As the only Malaysian recipient of WWF Education for Nature Trudy Fellowship 2023, she has secured an international research grant to support her studies. She is also a Graduate Engineer registered with the Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM) and an Associate Member of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE)

Time

13:00 - 14:00 BST.

Software

The presentation will be delivered via Microsoft Teams. We recommend downloading the app from the Microsoft website, rather than using the web portal.