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Projects


Projects: Projects for Investigator
Reference Number EP/K014749/1
Title Catalytic Routes to Intermediates for Sustainable Processes
Status Completed
Energy Categories Energy Efficiency(Other) 75%;
Fossil Fuels: Oil Gas and Coal(Oil and Gas, Other oil and gas) 20%;
Hydrogen and Fuel Cells(Hydrogen, Hydrogen production) 5%;
Research Types Basic and strategic applied research 100%
Science and Technology Fields PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Chemistry) 50%;
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Chemical Engineering) 50%;
UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation Not Cross-cutting 100%
Principal Investigator Professor D Chadwick
No email address given
Chemical Engineering
Imperial College London
Award Type Standard
Funding Source EPSRC
Start Date 01 February 2013
End Date 31 July 2017
Duration 54 months
Total Grant Value £2,402,105
Industrial Sectors Chemicals
Region London
Programme Manufacturing : Manufacturing
 
Investigators Principal Investigator Professor D Chadwick , Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London (99.991%)
  Other Investigator Professor GJ Hutchings , Chemistry, Cardiff University (0.001%)
Dr K Wilson , Chemistry, Cardiff University (0.001%)
Professor DW Knight , Chemistry, Cardiff University (0.001%)
Professor N ( Nilay ) Shah , Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London (0.001%)
Dr K Hellgardt , Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London (0.001%)
Dr MG Millan-Agorio , Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London (0.001%)
Professor A Cooper , Chemistry, University of Liverpool (0.001%)
Professor M Rosseinsky , Chemistry, University of Liverpool (0.001%)
Dr JB Claridge , Chemistry, University of Liverpool (0.001%)
  Industrial Collaborator Project Contact , Unilever Plc (0.000%)
Project Contact , Koninklijke DSM N.V., The Netherlands (0.000%)
Project Contact , Invista Textiles (UK) Ltd (0.000%)
Project Contact , British Sugar PLC (0.000%)
Project Contact , Nextek Ltd (0.000%)
Project Contact , Synthomer Ltd (0.000%)
Web Site
Objectives
Abstract Oil is the most important source of energy worldwide, accounting for 35% of primary energy consumption and the majority of chemical feedstocks. The quest for sustainable resources to meet demands of a constantly rising global population is one of the main challenges for mankind this century. To be truly viable such alternative feedstocks must be sustainable, that is "have the ability to meet 21st century energy needs without compromising those of future generations." Development of efficient routes to large-scale chemical intermediates and commodity chemicals from renewable feedstocks is essential to have a major impact on the economic and environmental sustainability of the chemical industry. While fine chemical and pharmaceutical processes have a diverse chemistry and a need to find green alternatives, the large scale production of petrochemical derived intermediates is surely a priority issue if improved overall sustainability in chemicals manufacture is to be achieved. For example, nylon accounts for 8.9% of all manmade fibre production globally and is currently sourced exclusively from petrochemicals. It is one of the largest scale chemical processes employed by the chemicals sector. Achieving a sustainable chemicals industry in the near future requires 'drop in' chemicals for direct replacement of crude oil feedstocks. The production of next-generation advanced materials from the sustainably-sourced intermediates is a second key challenge to be tackled if our reliance on petrochemicals is to endThe project will develop new heterogeneously catalysed processes to convert cellulose derivatives to high value platform and commodity chemicals. We specifically target sustainable production of intermediates for manufacture of polyamides and acrylates, thereby displacing petroleum feedstocks. Achieving the aims of the project requires novel multifunctional catalyst technology which optimises the acid-base properties, hydrogen transfer and deoxygenation capability. Using insights into catalyst design gleaned from our previous work, a directed high-throughput (HT) catalyst synthesis and discovery programme will seek multifunctional catalyst formulations for key biomass transformations. Target formulations will be scaled up and dispersed onto porous architectures for study in lab-scale industrial-style reactors. We will also seek to exploit multi-phase processes to improve selectivity and yield. This will be combined with multi-scale systems analysis to help prioritise promising pathways, work closely with industry to benchmark novel processes against established ones, develop performance measures (e.g. life cycle analysis (LCA)) to set targets for catalytic processes and explore optimal integration strategies with existing industrial value chains. Trade-offs between optimising single product selectivity versus allowing multiple reaction schemes and using effective separation technology in a "multiproduct" process willbe explored. The potential utilization of by-products as fuels, sources of hydrogen, or as chemical feeds, will be evaluated by utilizing data from parallel programmes
Publications (none)
Final Report (none)
Added to Database 13/03/13