Dr Fanran Meng

School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering

Lecturer in Sustainable Chemical Engineering

USIC Tutor

Level 4 (undergraduate) Director

Fanran Meng
Profile picture of Fanran Meng
f.meng@sheffield.ac.uk
G18, Sir Robert Hadfield Building

Full contact details

Dr Fanran Meng
School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering
G18
Sir Robert Hadfield Building
Mappin Street
Sheffield
S1 3JD
Profile

I graduated from China Central South University in 2013 with a BEng (Hons) in Materials Science and Engineering. I completed my PhD in Materials Engineering and Materials Design at the University of Nottingham in 2017. After this, I was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Sustainable Materials and Energy Technologies at the University of Nottingham and then a Research Associate in Resource Efficiency and Sustainability Fellow at the University of Cambridge.

In 2023, I joined the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Sheffield as a Lecturer.

My research focuses on resource efficiency and engineering sustainability driving reductions in environmental impacts and the development of sustainable engineering practices. My research applies and develops whole systems approaches (process simulation, material flow analysis, life cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis with optimisation algorithm) to complex engineering systems to better understand the transition towards a low carbon economy. I have published ~30 research papers in top journals in sustainable engineering such as Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Nature Climate Change, Environmental Science & Technology, and Resources Conservation and Recycling.

Research interests

My research focuses on resource efficiency and engineering sustainability driving reductions in environmental impacts and the development of sustainable engineering practices. My research applies and develops whole systems approaches (process simulation, material flow analysis, life cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis with optimisation algorithm) to sustainable material and energy systems to better understand the transition towards a low carbon economy. Ongoing work covers a wide range of materials, renewable energy, petrochemical and transportation sectors, e.g. carbon fibre composite recycling, wind turbine blades, lithium-ion EV batteries and plastics supply chain

Key research interests:

  • Sustainable Materials
  • Plastics and chemicals
  • Composite Recycling and Reuse
  • Renewable energy technologies
  • Material Flow Analysis
  • Life Cycle Assessment
  • Techno-economic Analysis
  • Resource efficiency
  • Circular economy
Publications

Journal articles

  • Meng F, Hawkin JL, Gast L, Job S, O Brádaigh C, Cullen JM, Leeke GA, McKechnie J, Poulsen AK, Rothman R , Ryan A et al (2025) . Nature Reviews Clean Technology.
  • Mai L, Liu M, Hao H, Sun X, Meng F, Geng Y, Wadud Z, Tate JE, Dong Z, Li H , Geng J et al (2025) . Scientific Data, 12(1).
  • Qiao Y, Zhu L, Cao H, Liu Z, Wang G & Meng F (2025) . Sustainable Cities and Society, 130, 106614-106614.
  • Li X, Meng F, Dunbar A, Zhang L, Hao Y, He T, Yang N, Mao J, Meng F & Liu G (2025) . RSC Sustainability, 3(5), 2286-2300.
  • Chen W, Wang P, Meng F, Pehlken A, Wang Q-C & Chen W-Q (2025) . Fundamental Research, 5(2), 505-513.
  • Huo D, Davies B, Li J, Alzaghrini N, Sun X, Meng F, Abdul-Manan AFN, McKechnie J, Posen ID & MacLean HL (2024) . Energy Policy, 195, 114390-114390.
  • Davies B, Llamas-Orozco JA, Meng F, Posen ID, MacLean HL, Abdul-Manan AFN & McKechnie J (2024) . RSC Sustainability, 2(8), 2275-2288.
  • Cullen L, Meng F, Lupton R & Cullen JM (2024) . Nature Chemical Engineering, 1(4), 311-322.
  • Gast L, Meng F & Morgan D (2024) . Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 204.
  • Meng F, Brandão M & Cullen JM (2024) . Environmental Science & Technology, 58(6), 2716-2727.
  • Bowler AL, Rodgers S, Meng F, McKechnie J, Cook DJ & Watson NJ (2024) . Journal of Cleaner Production, 435, 140181-140181.
  • Rodgers S, Bowler A, Wells L, Lee CS, Hayes M, Poulston S, Lester E, Meng F, McKechnie J & Conradie A (2024) . International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 49, 277-294.
  • Yang J, Meng F, Zhang L, McKechnie J, Chang Y, Ma B, Hao Y, Li X, Pender K, Yang L , Leeke GA et al (2023) . Communications Earth & Environment, 4(1).
  • Llamas-Orozco JA, Meng F, Walker GS, Abdul-Manan AFN, MacLean HL, Posen ID & McKechnie J (2023) . PNAS Nexus, 2(11).
  • Song L, van Ewijk S, Masanet E, Watari T, Meng F, Cullen JM, Cao Z & Chen W-Q (2023) . Nature Climate Change, 13(11), 1272-1272.
  • Song L, van Ewijk S, Masanet E, Watari T, Meng F, Cullen JM, Cao Z & Chen W-Q (2023) . Nature Climate Change, 13(10), 1136-1143.
  • Rodgers S, Bowler A, Meng F, Poulston S, McKechnie J & Conradie A (2023) . Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence, 122, 106065-106065.
  • Huang X, Bao L, Bao R, Liu L, Tao J, Wang J, Zhang Z, Ge Z, Tan S, Yi J & Meng F (2023) . Advanced Powder Materials, 2(2), 100090-100090.
  • Meng F, Wagner A, Kremer AB, Kanazawa D, Leung JJ, Goult P, Guan M, Herrmann S, Speelman E, Sauter P , Lingeswaran S et al (2023) . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 120(8).
  • Xiao C, Zhou J, Meng F, Cullen J, Wang X & Zhu Y (2023) . Science of The Total Environment, 869, 161779-161779.
  • Qiao Y, Wang Z, Meng F, Parry T, Cullen J & Liu S (2022) . Journal of Cleaner Production, 371, 133615-133615.
  • Rodgers S, Meng F, Poulston S, Conradie A & McKechnie J (2022) . Journal of Cleaner Production, 364, 132614-132614.
  • Liu P, Meng F & Barlow CY (2022) . Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 180, 106202-106202.
  • Upadhyayula VKK, Gadhamshetty V, Athanassiadis D, Tysklind M, Meng F, Pan Q, Cullen JM & Yacout DMM (2022) . Environmental Science & Technology, 56(2), 1267-1277.
  • Meng F, Dornau A, Mcqueen Mason SJ, Thomas GH, Conradie A & McKechnie J (2021) . Applied Energy, 298, 117118-117118.
  • Heng H, Meng F & McKechnie J (2021) . Waste Management, 133, 59-70.
  • Rodgers S, Conradie A, King R, Poulston S, Hayes M, Bommareddy RR, Meng F & McKechnie J (2021) . Johnson Matthey Technology Review, 65(3), 375-394.
  • Ibbett R, Tucker G, McKechnie J & Meng F (2020) . Biomass and Bioenergy, 143, 105817-105817.
  • Sun X, Luo X, Zhang Z, Meng F & Yang J (2020) . Journal of Cleaner Production, 273, 123006-123006.
  • Meng F, Cui Y, Pickering S & McKechnie J (2020) . Composites Part B: Engineering, 200, 108362-108362.
  • Cui Y, Zhu J, Meng F, Zoras S, McKechnie J & Chu J (2020) . Renewable Energy, 150, 101-115.
  • Meng F & McKechnie J (2019) . Environmental Science & Technology, 53(20), 12141-12149.
  • Sun X, Meng F, Liu J, McKechnie J & Yang J (2019) . Journal of Cleaner Production, 220, 1-8.
  • Meng F, Ibbett R, de Vrije T, Metcalf P, Tucker G & McKechnie J (2019) . Waste Management, 89, 177-189.
  • Liu P, Meng F & Barlow CY (2019) . Journal of Cleaner Production, 212, 1268-1281.
  • Cui Y, Zhu J & Meng F (2018) . Energy Conversion and Management, 178, 200-216.
  • Meng F, Olivetti EA, Zhao Y, Chang JC, Pickering SJ & McKechnie J (2018) . ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 6(8), 9854-9865.
  • Meng F, McKechnie J & Pickering SJ (2018) . Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 109, 207-220.
  • Meng F, McKechnie J, Turner T, Wong KH & Pickering SJ (2017) . Environmental Science & Technology, 51(21), 12727-12736.
  • Meng F, McKechnie J, Turner TA & Pickering SJ (2017) . Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 100, 206-214.
  • Xiao C, Zhou J, Shen X, Cullen J, Dobson S, Meng F & Wang X () . Sustainability, 14(21), 14136-14136.
  • Zaky AS, Carter CE, Meng F & French CE () . Processes, 9(8), 1399-1399.

Conference proceedings

  • Meng F, McKechnie J & Pickering SJ (2017) Towards a circular economy for end-of-life carbon fibre composite materials via fluidised bed process. Iccm International Conferences on Composite Materials, Vol. 2017-August
  • Pickering SJ, Turner TA, Meng F, Morris CN, Heil JP, Wong KH & Melendi S (2015) Developments in the fluidised bed process for fibre recovery from thermoset composites. Camx 2015 Composites and Advanced Materials Expo (pp 2384-2394)

Preprints

  • Meng F, Wagner A, B. Kremer A, Kanazawa D, J. Leung J, Goult P, Guan M, Herrmann S, Speelman E, Sauter P , Lingeswaran S et al (2022) , American Chemical Society (ACS).
  • Meng F, Wagner A, B. Kremer A, Kanazawa D, J. Leung J, Goult P, Guan M, Herrmann S, Speelman E, Sauter P , Lingeswaran S et al (2022) , American Chemical Society (ACS).
Grants
  • The Royal Society International Exchanges Scheme – Cost Share Programme 2021, Multi-scale simulation of the interaction between climate change and road asphalt concrete material recycling system.
  • Life cycle assessment and technoeconomic analysis for Sustainable Aviation Fuel. Wilson Biochemicals Ltd.
  • Saudi Aramco, Impacts of life cycle-based regulations on light-duty fleet GHG emissions
Teaching activities
  • CPE180 Heat transfer
  • CPE465/CPE61012 Energy systems and management
  • MAT1920 Sustainability and the Materials Lifecycle
     
Professional activities and memberships
  • Associate Editor, Journal of Cleaner Production
  • Editor, Resources, Conservation & Recycling Advances
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
  • Member, EPSRC ECR Forum (Manufacturing and the Circular Economy Research)
  • Member, International Society for Industrial Ecology (ISIE)        
  • Member, Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering (SAMPE)
  • Member, Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC)
  • Member, The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining
  • Member, Royal Society of Chemistry