Ferruccio Trifirò born in Barce (Libya) on 17.06.1938. professor emeritus of the University of Bologna, graduated in Chemical Engineering from the Politecnico of Milano in 1963 having as a supervisor Prof. Giulio Natta (Nobel Prize for Chemistry,1963).
In 1965 he worked in Prague at the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Academy of Sciences, in 1968 he worked at the Department of Chemistry at the University of Reading (UK), in 1974 he won a scholarship Alexander von Humboldt to work at the Institut fur Techische Chemie in Erlangen (D).
He was assistant of industrial chemistry at Politecnico of Milano from 1967 to 1975, in November 1975 he was appointed Professor of Industrial Chemistry at the Faculty of Engineering of Cosenza, in November 1976 he was called as professor to Faculty of Industrial Chemistry in Bologna. His main research has been to a large majority in the field of heterogeneous catalysis to realize a sustainable chemistry applied to the synthesis of large intermediate with processes of oxidation and hydrogenation and to a lesser degree in the field of homogeneous catalysis, environmental catalysis, transformation of biomass into raw materials for chemistry to realize a sustainable chemistry.
He is the author of 517 scientific publications, 24 patents, three books published abroad in English in the field of oxidation processes, editor of 8 books, and 17 reviews about teaching.
From 1996 till now is director of the journal “La Chimica e l’Industria” of Italian Chemical Society and he published in Italian in this magazine among 160 short notes or topical editorials and 80 articles on scientific and technical aspects related to the chemical industry.
He is member of the editorial board of the Journal “TI-JES . Tecnica Italiana Italian Journal of Engineering Science” (of International Informations and Engineering Association) and of “The Journal of Conservation Science in Cultural Heritage”.
His research has always been characterized by a collaboration with industries and many of his papers and patents have, in fact, published along with industrial researchers.
The industries with which he has collaborated, outside European projects, with personal research contracts are: Georgia Pacific, Monsanto, Millenium, Catalytica Studies Division, UOP (US); Societe du Petrole d'Aquitaine, Rhodia, Air Liquide, Elf Atochem, Rhone Poulenc, Arkema (France); Booregaard (Norwegian), Sud Chemie (Germany), Solvay (Belgium), Sabic (Saudi Arabia), Stamicarbon , Eniricerche, Sir, Euteco, Ausimont, Carbochimica, Liquichimica, Enel, Itea, Montedison, Radici Chimica, Hera Forli, Colorobbia and Vannetta, Technip (Italian).
With an European project he was working with Swedish industries(Catator, Perstrop, Sosdra Vaxjo Energy, Lantmannen Energi) in biomass gasification to produce chemicals. A second feature of his research was to have had close relationships with foreign researchers, long before European projects come true: he, in fact, has publications with French, British, Belgian, German, Spanish, Swedish, and with researchers of the countries of East European (Russian, Czech, Polish, Bulgarian and Romanian), long before it opened the Iron Curtain and researchers outside Europe (US, India, Argentina and Brasil).
He has been coordinator of a master degree in Materials Science and Sustainable chemistry for two years. He was a member of UNIDO (UN organization) to achieve a sustainable chemistry in developing countries for more than fifteen years until 2008.
He worked for several years in the commissions for the pollution and wastes of the Region Emilia Romagna. He has been a scientific consultant of the project “Moniter” monitoring incinerators in Emilia- Romagna region in the years 2007-2008-2009.
He was appointed by the Emilia-Romagna Region member of the Committee for the prevention and forecasting of major risks, as an expert chemical risk, in the years 2006, 2007 and 2008.
He received an honorary degree in chemical engineering from the University of Bratislava in 1997 to mark the 60th anniversary of the birth of the degree course in technology. He received the title of honorary professor of the faculty of Chemical Engineering from the University of Litoral of Santa Fe (Argentina).
He received the prize in Berlin for "Scientific achievements in oxidation catalysis", by the International Committee of oxidation catalysis in 2001. From Italian Chemical Society he received the following prizes: in 1992 Pino medal from the Division of Industrial Chemistry of Italian Chemical Society; in 2001 the medal Fauser Group Interdivisional Catalysis Chemical Society Italian for "The example to unite innovation in research on catalysis for industrial innovation"; in 2009," the gold medal "Emanuele Paternò" with the following justification "world-class scientist in the study and implementation of sustainable chemical processes, energy production Biomass, in the search for new materials for environmentally friendly chemistry; in 2014 he received the prize Domenico Marotta from the Italian Chemical Society: “ as a scientist and organizer of initiatives in the chemical and its pe inexhaustible work of popularizer of chemical culture.
He was member of the Scientific Committee of the OPCW (Organization for the destruction of chemical weapons) from 2013 to 2017 He was president of “Accademy of Science of the Institute of Bologna” from 2015 to2017.
He is member of European Society and of Russian Scientific Society.
He was appointed from December 2013 to 2018 as scientific adviser TICASS (Innovative technologies for environmental monitoring and sustainable development) of the Italian region Liguria a pole of Scientific-Technological Innovation, a consortium company that includes companies, universities and research institutions.
