The Chemical Reactor from Laboratory to Industrial Plant

Prof. Santacesaria obtained his Chemistry Degree at the University of Pavia in 1966 with a thesis developed under the guidance of the Nobel Prize Giulio Natta. He worked as a researcher at the SNAM Progetti Co. in 1967. Then, he was hired as researcher at the Polytechnic of Milano from 1968 until to 1986 In this period he developed researches in the following fields: chemistry of propellants, catalysis, kinetics, reactors design and simulation, and separation science. In 1986 he won the chair of Industrial Chemistry of the Science Faculty of the University of Naples "FEDERICO II". He continued the research in almost all the mentioned research themes. Santacesaria had been the National Coordinator of the research on "Colloid, Interface and Surfactants" of the National Program of Research devoted to "Fine Chemistry Development" giving a great contribution to the improvement of the research efforts in these fields. He had been the founder of GICI the Italian Group of Colloid and Interface Science of the Italian Chemical Society and had been the Coordinator of this Group for more than ten years (1985-1995). He had been the organizer of many national and international Congresses, workshops, and postdoctoral schools. He was elected President of the Industrial Chemistry Division of the Italian Chemical Society for the period 2004-2006, renowned for the period 2007-2009. He had been President of the Council of the Industrial Chemistry Degree Course from 1994 until 2009. He collaborated with many Italian and foreign chemical industries. He has published more than 250 papers in qualified journals and is a co-author of more than 30 Patents. In 2011 he was awarded from Italian Chemical Society with the Gold Medal entitled to the Italian chemist "Emanuele Paternò" for the great contributions given to the development of Industrial Chemistry. In 2016 was awarded from the Italian Group of Catalysis of the Italian Chemical Society with the "Giacomo Fauser" silver plaque giving the related Conference. After the retirement from the University of Naples, at the end of 2012, he became CEO of the spin-off company Eurochem Engineering Ltd located in Milano (Italy) continuing his activity as advisor of different chemical industrial companies.

Prof. Riccardo Tesser obtained his Industrial Chemistry Degree at the University of Naples "Federico II" in 1989 with a thesis on multicomponent vapour-liquid equilibrium under the supervision of Prof. Santacesaria. He worked, from 1991 to 1999 at Montefibre Research Centre of Acerra (Naples). In 2000 he became an Assistant Professor in Industrial Chemistry at the University of Naples "Federico II" where he joined the Department of Chemical Sciences working in the research group of Prof. Santacesaria. From 2014 he became an Associate Professor of Industrial Chemistry at the University of Naples and from 2023 he became a full professor in Industrial Chemistry. His main field of research is Industrial Chemistry, especially industrial catalysis and kinetic studies of complex reactions in multi-phase reactors and related mathematical modelling. More recently, his main field of activity has been in biofuels production and the use of renewable resources as raw materials for the chemical industry. The results of these scientific activities have been published in 160 papers in a wide range of international, peer-reviewed, chemistry journals, 18 Italian patents, 11 international patents, and 165 contributions to national and international meetings.