Ursel Hornung studied chemistry at the University of Darmstadt and graduated as Dipl.-Ing. in a diploma thesis on temperature programmed desorption of amines from zeolithes. She received her Phd 1996 at the University of Kaiserslautern in plastic pyrolysis concering the degradation kinetics of common thermoplastics like PE, PP, PA, PS and PVC. Between 1996 and 2000 she moved to the University of Karlsruhe (now KIT) and continued working on plastic pyrolysis, especially on the temperature controlled staged pyrolysis of plastic mixtures. 2003 she moved to the Karlsruhe Research Center (now KIT) and worked as scientist at the Institute of Nuclear and Energy Technologies on kinetic studies for the gasification of biomass. Between 2006 and 2010 she changed to the Institute of Technical Chemistry–Thermal waste Treatment  and investigated the Coupled  pyrolysis   and   low  temperature reforming  as well as the kinetic degradation of biomass. Since 2010 she is group leader at the Institute of Catalysis research and technology and focuses on the platform chemicals from biomass especially via hydrothermal liquefaction. 2018 she got an appointment as reader at the University of Birmingham.

1992 - 1994              stipend  Max-Buchner-Forschungsstiftung der DECHEMA

1993 - 1994              stipend VW-fund: program “Environmental Engineering”

1995 - 1996              stipend Graduiertenkollegs “Biotechnology” of the University Kaiserslautern

1997                         She Study Award Finalist (Shell)

BL2F: EU Project on HTL of Black Liquor for fuel applications (Home - BL2F)

B4B: Biorefinery for Baden-Württemberg (link to webpage) (Biorefinery for the bioeconomy in Baden-Württemberg (B4B) - Biopro BW (bio-pro.de))

FNR direct liquefaction of lignin und lignin containing biomass (Projektverzeichnis - Details (fnr.de))

Research programm bioeconomy Baden-Württemberg  „recovery of  bifunctional  compounds from lignin“