Danilo Cantero Sposetti
| AREA | RESEARCH GROUP | INSTITUTE |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical Engineering | Pressure Processes Group | Institute of Bioeconomy |
I graduated from the University of Cordoba, Argentina, as a Chemical Engineer. Then, I moved to Valladolid, where I obtained a Master's degree and a PhD in Fluid Thermodynamic Engineering at UVa. After working as a postdoctoral researcher at UVa for one year, I moved to the USA, where I obtained a postdoctoral associate position at the Energy Institute of Cornell University (USA) for one year.
In 2014, I became a Research Scientist at Renmatix Company, Pennsylvania (USA), where I worked for 2 years and 7 months. Then, I was promoted to Senior Research Scientist (1 year and 3 months) and finally to Vice President of Research and Development, being the R&D leader in the company (1 year and 8 months). Finally, I left my position as Vice President at Renmatix to take up the position of Distinguished Researcher at the University of Valladolid, my current position.
Study the use of supercritical water as a reaction medium for biomass. Water above 374 ºC and 220 bar behaves in a very special way and specifically for biomass it is capable of ultra-fast and low polar reactions. A biopolymer such as cellulose can be decomposed very efficiently in a few milliseconds, which can intensify the process and reduce the reactor volume. However, the use of high temperatures implies a considerable energy cost that we are working to minimize and make sustainable.
My vision is to be a reference in the use of supercritical water not only for biomass depolymerization but also for other processes that can benefit from intensification.