Project description
AAcid project aims to electrochemically reduce CO2 to formic acid for industrial use. The project can make a significant contribution to CO2 capture and utilization (CCU) in the future. The market for formic acid is already around 1 million tons per year and is classified as a strong growth market.
The ICVT as a key partner will synthesize polyelectrolytes up to a kg scale and modify or manufacture membranes up to DIN A3 size. In this way, the formic acid concentration in the electrolyser can be increased because the crossover to the anode can be avoided and pH control at the catalyst can be achieved. The crossover also prevents formic acid concentrations of more than about 5-10% by weight from being reached during processing by electrodialysis (ED) for desalination and conductive salt recycling. The partners ICVT, DLR, ITC, Fumatech and IoLiTec will operate the electrolyser and the partners ICVT, Ertel IonStream, DEUKUM and Fumatech will take care of desalination and conductive salt recycling using ED to high formic acid concentrations of at least 15% by weight, but preferably at least 40% by weight. DEUKUM will test and evaluate the concentration of the salt-free formic acid to 85% by weight by membrane distillation, which enables the use of the residual heat from electrolysis and electrodialysis and can thus increase the overall efficiency. Plinke and Covestro will develop the process design for a CCU demonstration plant and carry out a technical and economic evaluation of the CCU process.
State of research
- Synthesis new anion-exchange polyelectrolytes (AEP) with functional groups coupled directly and via spacer on the back-bone chain.
- Fabricate new/modified mono- and bipolar membranes based on synthesized polymers.
- Prepare and characterization of novel bipolar membranes.
Project partner
- Dr. Vladimir Atanasov, University of Stuttgart, Institute of Chemical Process Engineering (ICVT), Department of Polymer and Membrane Development, Stuttgart, Germany
- Kevin Schnabel, PLINKE GmbH, Homburg Germany
- Dr. Hans-Jürgen Rapp, DEUKUM GmbH, Frickenhausen, Germany
- Dr. Norbert Wagner, the Institute of Engineering Thermodynamics at the German Aerospace Center, Stuttgart, Germany
- Dr.-Eng. Andrej Grabowski, Ertel IonStream UG, Kornwestheim, Germany
- Dr. Thomas Schubert, IoLiTec Ionic Liquids Technolo-gies GmbH, Heilbronn, Germany
- Prof. Dr.-Eng. Elias Klemm, University of Stuttgart, Faculty of chemistry, Stuttgart, Germany
- Dr. Rainer Weber, Covestro Deutschland AG, Leverkusen, Germany
- Dr. Bernd Bauer, Fumatech BWT GmbH, Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany
Contact
Vladimir Atanasov
Dr. rer. nat.Gruppenleiter