Chemical Engineering

Research in the field of separation processes at the ICPF has in recent years been concentrated in the Department of Membrane Separation Processes. Membrane separation is utilized here especially for the separation of gas mixtures (cleaning raw biogas, separation of volatile organic compounds from the air, flue gas cleaning).

Various polymer membranes, ionic liquid membranes, polymers of intrinsic microporosity, and composite membranes are utilized for these purposes. Pertraction and pervaporation are used for the separation of liquid mixtures. Another long-term focus is separation of individual enantiomers and elimination of drugs and endocrine disruptors from water by pertraction. Pervaporation is utilized for the separation of liquid components including azeotropic mixtures. Research includes modelling transport properties of membranes such as permeability, activation energy of permeation, and selectivity of the separation process. Data is evaluated with the aid of models based on activity coefficients, equations of state, and occasionally by modelling of molecular dynamics.

Research in the field of catalysis and reaction engineering at the ICPF takes place in the Department of Catalysis and Reaction Engineering. This field covers a wide range of scientific activity, from the preparation of catalysts and the study of mass transport in catalysts and their microstructure, to their use in process engineering. Clarifying the relationships between the structure, composition, activity, and selectivity of oxidation catalysts allows for more efficient use of biofuels in the automotive industry, for example, or the development of new types of photocatalysts for environmental technologies. An integral part of our research is the precise characterization of the textures and microstructures of materials, including the elucidation of transport in the pores of a catalyst. For this, we have developed our own software. All of this know-how is used in describing catalytic processes and designing optimal pore structures of heterogeneous catalysts, and ultimately preparing our own catalysts.

Research in the field of multiphase systems at the ICPF takes place in the Department of Multiphase Reactors. The research stems from a long tradition of study in transport and reaction processes of liquid-gas systems such as bubble columns and other aerated systems. This has expanded to include fluid-solid systems for the study of flow in granular media and liquid-gas-solid systems, as in three-phase apparatuses, bioreactors, and flotation. Research on multiphase phenomena is carried out on three levels according to the natural hierarchy of the structure of physical reality—that is, on the level of one to two particles (micro), the level of particle clusters (meso), and the level of the vessel (continuum—macro). In addition to experiments, theoretical models and numerical simulations are used in the study of all systems. Experiments are based on advanced diagnostic methods such as time-resolved PIV, microPIV, electrodiffusion diagnostics, and high-speed imaging. Our theoretical and numerical methods make use of the most up-to-date software such as ANSYS Fluent, COMSOL, MATLAB, etc. An integral part of our research on multiphase systems is characterization of phases and study of steady-state and dynamic processes at the phase interface. For this, rheological and tensiometric methods are utilized.

Research in the field of microreactor engineering at the ICPF is undertaken by the Microreactor Technologies Group in the Department of Multiphase Reactors. The main focus is the application of flow microreactors to the intensification and optimization of existing chemical technologies and the design of new ones. This includes multiphase processes that are non-catalytic, as well as those that are homogeneously or heterogeneously catalysed. Examples have included the study of sulfonation and sulfation reactions for the surfactant industry, absorption of gases in liquids, selective catalytic oxidation and hydrogenation in the gas phase, homogeneous and heterogeneous catalytic hydrogenation in the liquid phase, and radical polymerization. Processes are studied from the perspective of hydrodynamics, heat and mass transfer, and chemical kinetics with the objective of designing flow-through technologies for the efficient development of specific products. Our laboratory is equipped with several types of flow microreactors of various scales, and emphasis is placed on online analysis as well. Research activity also includes equipment design, 3D print prototyping, and manufacturing of microreactors for specific applications.