MOSCOW (MRC) -- An EU-funded membrane and catalyst project from Evonik has received positive interim evaluation from the Commission, the German specialty producer announced.
The project is the largest EU-funded project coordinated by Evonik, and mechanical completion of the demonstration plant in Marl, Germany, is scheduled for the third quarter. Auditors were satisfied with the progress of the Membrane and Catalysts Beyond Economic and Technological Hurdles (MACBETH) project, which was launched in 2020.
The aim of the project is to develop reactors that make large-scale chemical reactions such as hydroformylation significantly more energy efficient, and has already successfully brought technology of catalytic membrane reactors closer to industrial implementation.
This could see greenhouse gas emissions from large-volume industrial processes reduced by up to 35%, with an increase in resource and energy efficiency of up to 70%, contributing toward the European Green Deal. The project has also been recognised by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, and was also included in a list of projects receiving funding under the broad EU framework programme Horizon 2020.
Hydroformylation is an industrial process in which unsaturated hydrocarbons (or olefins) are converted into aldehydes using synthesis gas, which is a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Aldehydes are intermediate materials used to make higher alcohols, organic acids or esters, which can then be used to produce plasticizers in plastics or as surfactants.
We remind, Evonik introduces a diverse range of additives under the brand name TEGO Cycle to help its customers improve the process and increase the final quality of recycled plastics. Designed to save energy during the mechanical recycling process, the TEGO Cycle portfolio of additives also enhances the quality of polymers, enabling the transition of the plastics value chain into a 'value cycle.'
mrchub.com