Mr. Yu Matsueda | Chemical Engineering | Research Excellence Award
Mr. Yu Matsueda | Chemical Engineering | Student at James Cook University | Australia
Chemical Engineering Mr. Yu Matsueda is an ambitious and forward-looking chemical engineer whose academic training, research experiences, and professional engagements reflect a strong commitment to sustainable bioresource valorisation and renewable-biomass conversion, merging core Chemical Engineering principles with applied environmental and energy-system challenges. Mr. Yu Matsueda completed his Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Chemical Engineering at James Cook University (Townsville, QLD), attaining a GPA of 6.4, laying the foundation for his future work in biomass, sustainability, and process engineering; he continued into the Ph.D. in Engineering at the same institution, focusing on advanced chemical engineering research and graduate-level investigations into biomass conversion, waste valorisation, and energy integration. During his undergraduate and early research career he gained practical experience working as a lab research assistant at INPEX (Townsville), where he investigated current and potential methods for analyzing oil content in water samples using techniques such as GC-MS, fluorescence spectrometry, and UV–VIS spectroscopy — honing his problem-solving skills, data analysis capabilities, and ability to present results and prepare technical reports for industry audiences. Simultaneously, he contributed as a tutor for first-year engineering students in Process Engineering courses, demonstrating his commitment to education and mentorship, and worked with a project funded by Atlas Soils assessing soil restoration from dredged materials and organic waste — collecting and preparing soil samples, monitoring soil quality changes, and applying his analytical skills. These experiences allowed Yu Matsueda to build strong competencies in analytical instrumentation, experimental design, sample preparation, spectroscopy, chromatography, data analysis, report writing, and process modelling. His research interests centre around renewable lignocellulosic biomass conversion, sustainable valorisation of agricultural and industrial residues, pyrolysis and thermal-chemical transformation processes, energy integration in industrial systems, waste-to-energy conversion, environmental chemical engineering, and development of sustainable process routes for bio-based materials and fuels — combining traditional chemical engineering with modern environmental and sustainability goals. Through his work, Yu Matsueda has contributed to transforming biomass waste (such as sugarcane bagasse) into value-added materials or energy-rich products and integrating such processes into existing industry infrastructures, thereby advancing the global bioeconomy and circular economy frameworks. His skills in chemical analysis, chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques, process engineering fundamentals, sustainable system modelling, and application of engineering principles to environmental and energy problems give him a versatile and future-oriented profile. Though early in his academic career, Yu Matsueda is building momentum through peer-reviewed publications that reflect his focus on sustainable biomass valorisation and integration of renewable feedstocks into industrial energy systems. With this strong academic-industry blend, clear research focus, technical skills, and motivation, Yu Matsueda is positioning himself as a promising young researcher and engineer dedicated to advancing sustainable Chemical Engineering solutions for the challenges of waste management, renewable energy, and bio-based material production — demonstrating vision, capability, and a drive to contribute positively to environmental sustainability and industrial innovation.
Featured Publications
Matsueda, Y., & Antunes, E. (2024). A review of current technologies for the sustainable valorisation of sugarcane bagasse. (2 citations)
Matsueda, Y. (2025). Conversion of renewable lignocellulosic biomass-derived nanocellulose into graphene via pyrolysis and high shear-mediated exfoliation.
Matsueda, Y. (2024). Modelling the integration of bagasse pyrolysis into sugar mill energy systems.