Dr. Mohammad Ashraf Ali
Dr. M. Ashraf Ali is a Research Scientist (Associate Professor) at the Center for Refining and Petrochemicals of the Research Institute, KFUPM.
Dr. Mohammad Ashraf Ali obtained Ph.D. Degree in Chemical Engineering from University of Bath, United Kingdom, and Master degrees, in Analytical Chemistry and Organic Chemistry. This diversified educational background has been an appropriate foundation for his contributions to significant and technological research issues of petroleum refining and petrochemicals.
Dr. Ali has been active in research for more than a decade. His contributions in the field of petroleum refining are of great significance which addresses the developing technologies for conversion of low-value petroleum fractions into high-value products utilizing both catalytic and non-catalytic methods.
Dr. Ali has contributed in the catalysts development for hydrocracking of heavy petroleum into value-added transportation fuels both at KFUPM and in Japan. As a visiting researcher, he has researched at the Yokohama National University, Kanagawa Science Park and at the University of Kitakyushu at Kitakyushu Science and Research Park during 2000-2003.
He is managing a long-term on-going project on consulting and technical services to refineries and petrochemical industries. He has been very actively involved in the joint Saudi-Japanese research program on High Performance Catalysts Development for heavy oil cracking. He has contributed significantly in the synthesis, characterization and catalytic evaluation of novel zeolite catalysts for the MTBE production. He is also involved in the Ciba Technical development Center project being carried out at KFUPM. His research is playing a significant role in promoting this innovative and revolutionary technology in the field of low-value petroleum fraction into value-added products. He has also been involved in the training of Saudi personnel for catalyst development, characterization and catalytic evaluation.
Dr. Ali has been awarded as a solo inventor a patent entitled Synthesis of methyl tertiary alkyl ether from methanol and isobutene using aluminum fluoride-modified zeolite catalysts, by United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) through Patent No. 6,555,992 B1, dated December 31, 2002. His patent as a co-inventor has been awarded by Japan Patent Office, that titled “catalyst for hydrogenating heavy hydrocarbon oil, its production method, and method for hydrogenating heavy hydrocarbon oil using the catalyst”, Patent No. JP2002210362, dated July 30, 2002. He is a co-inventor in the two patents "Nobel metal modified clay-based hydrocracking catalysts having hydrogen spillover" and “Method for the conversion of methane into hydrogen and higher hydrocarbons using UV Laser”, pending at the USPTO.
Dr. Ali has published more than 60 outstanding papers in reputable journals and conference proceedings in catalysis, environment, petroleum, and product development. He has presented several research papers in national and international conferences and workshops. He has contributed a chapter on Crude Oil Methodology in the Encyclopedia of Analytical Chemistry published by John Wiley, UK. Recently, he has edited a book Handbook of MTBE and other Gasoline Oxygenates with Marcel Decker, Inc. USA. His research work has been widely cited in scientific literature and technical reports.