Content description of the project
N2-0242 Electrification of biorefineries by induction-heated catalytic conversion of bio-aromatics (i-HeatCat) project is complementary scheme ERC-starting grant project, which is extensively simplified and only involves 3 work packages further subdivided into 2 or 3 tasks within only 2 project years as follows. WP1: Catalyst synthesis and characterisation (T1.1) and performance testing in conventionally-heated (T1.2) and induction-heated catalysis (T1.3). WP2: Proof of concepts will only demonstrate (T2.1) continuous induction-heated catalysis for simple reactions of gases and volatiles, and (T2.2) Modelling-supported formation of products by design. WP3: Development of kinetic modelling methodology will have a supporting role and will involve (T3.1.) ab-initio calculations for fundamental understanding of reaction mechanisms, followed by descriptive (T3.2) and predictive (T3.3) modelling of reaction kinetics and transport phenomena.
In WP1 within T1.1, 10 batches (20 in the original project) of various magnetic catalysts will be prepared and characterised on 5 g scale for catalytic hydrotreatment as Deliverable D1.1.1. All fresh catalysts synthetized in this work will be thoroughly characterised by microscopic (SEM, TEM), spectroscopic (FTIR, DRIFT, EDX, XRD) and chemi/phisi-sorption techniques (BET, TPD) by Month 6 within Deliverable D1.1.1., while by D1.1.2. characterisation of all used, spent (from T1.2, T1.3, T2.1) and eventually re-designed catalysts will be completed. In T1.2 all the catalysts will be tested for their thermocatalytic activity towards hydrotreatment of bio-based aromatics D1.2. In contrast to complex lignin conversion proposed in the original project, i-HeatCat will demonstrate the concept of induction-heated catalysis for simpler bio-based aromatics, particularly furfural and hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) for the sake of simplicity and clarity, retaining the complexity of lignin to be tackled in my next ERC grant proposal. Conventional conductively heated reactors (T1.2) are inefficient due to requiring huge energy inputs to heat-up the medium. Furthermore, thermal instability of bioaromatics leads to depolymerisation and degradation reactions in the hot liquid phase and on the even hotter reactor walls. Inductive heating allows delivering the heat locally to the catalyst particle while keeping the liquid media and reactor walls colder, hence preventing the undesired depolymerisation reactions in the bulk liquid. Within T1.3 all the catalysts will be tested in induction-heated reactors and in D1.3.1, the 5 most active ones will be selected to be further used in a newly-designed continuous reactor developed within T2.1, while further testing and long-term stability evaluation will be done on a batch system as well (D1.3.2). Initial proof of concept T2.1 will involve the construction of a continuous induction-heated reactor which will be initially tested for well-known gas-phase reactions (D2.1.1, e.g. for ammonia synthesis), before vaporised or eventually liquid bio-aromatics are to be demonstrated to be hydrogenated continuously in an induction-heated reactor (D2.1.2). T3.1 will ultimately result in an elucidated reaction mechanism (D3.1), based on which the microkinetic model is to be formulated in order to analyse (regression analysis) all the collected experimental data in WP1 (T3.2), while kinetic parameters obtained (D3.2) are to be used in T3.3 for the prediction of optimal process parameters for induction-heated catalysis of bio-aromatics (D3.3.). This will be ultimately experimentally validated in T2.2 leading to the production of various bio-based products by-design (D2.2), e.g. bio-based aromatic, saturated and/or non-saturated alcohols, diols, triols, or even completely depolymerized products.
Temperature profile in a) magnetic- and b) conductive- heated reactor.
Gantt chart of proposed research project i-HeatCat representing work packages (WP), Tasks (T) and Deliverables (D).
Composition of the project team with links to SICRIS
At the National Institute of Chemistry the project group includes:
doc. dr. Miha Grilc; SICRIS https://cris.cobiss.net/ecris/si/en/project/19753
