Fraunhofer lighthouse project »ShaPID« – Shaping the Future of Green Chemistry by Process Intensification and Digitalization
Fraunhofer lighthouse project »ShaPID« – Shaping the Future of Green Chemistry by Process Intensification and Digitalization

Technology portfolio

Green catalysis technology

Catalysts accelerate chemical reactions, allow reactions to be carried out under milder (and thus less energy-intensive) conditions, and enable higher selectivities and yields. High-performance catalysts thus ensure resource-saving processes, and form a central pillar of the future industrial use of renewable raw materials in the framework of green chemistry. In the first subproject of the lighthouse project ShaPID, novel catalysts for chemical, electrochemical and biotechnological processes are being developed for application in the ShaPID demonstrators. The reactions to be catalyzed range from targeted CO2-reduction through to formic acid, the synthesis of diazo compounds and butadiene, and the fermentative (whole-cell catalytic) production of polymer building blocks.

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Smart process technology

In the ShaPID project, the field of smart process technology comprises both the design of chemical processes to render them greener and more efficient, and the corresponding apparatus, reactor and plant technology. Strategically, process intensification is carried out by developing and implementing continuous process technologies (where possible) using customized, micro-process engineering reaction modules and modules for downstream processing. At plant level, the focus is again on modular and scalable plant concepts and components, including their interconnection.

 

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Process intelligence

In the technology field of process intelligence, knowledge- and data-based MSO techniques (modeling, simulation, optimization) are developed and applied for optimized module and process design. The goal here is to identify suitable process windows in terms of efficiency, productivity and product quality. For this purpose, software modules are being developed for the virtual representation of the process operation, to enable autonomous processing.

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Process implementation

With regard to process implementation, the focus is on the development and application of techniques that allow the new green reaction and process technologies to be used in an overall process environment, providing the necessary physical and virtual interfaces, and enabling the necessary process control and automation. In particular the application of new technologies in chemical processes requires the objective analysis and evaluation of the target parameters 'greenness' and 'efficiency' - a specialization of Fraunhofer. For this purpose, so-called green metrics tools are developed and applied, ranging from life-cycle assessment (LCA) and system analysis through to toxicity assessments and aspects of the REACh regulation.

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