HEИндивидуална стипендия2023–2025

Lig2BTX · Catalytic Hydrotreatment of Kraft Lignin to Aromatics

„Хоризонт Европа“ — Действия „Мария Склодовска-Кюри“

Период: 2023-11-01 → 2025-07-31
Финансиране от ЕС: 155 548 €
Участници: 2
Схема: HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF

Линиите свързват координатора с партньорите.

Накратко на български

Лигнинът от дървесна пулпа се превръща в ароматни въглеводороди (като бензен и толуол) чрез нови катализатори от неблагородни метали. Това помага за замяната на суровините от crude oil с възобновяеми ресурси при производството на пластмаси, лекарства и багрила.

Този кратък обзор е генериран от изкуствен интелект

Кратко обяснение, генерирано от езиков модел по текста на CORDIS. Оригиналът е по-долу.

Резултати накратко

Catalytic Hydrotreatment of Kraft Lignin to Aromatics

The European Green Deal has set itself the goal of making Europe climate-neutral by 2050. To achieve this, it is essential to replace fossil raw materials with renewable resources for fuels, energy and chemicals. Aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene, toluene and xylene (BTX) are essential for the production of plastics, fibres, pharmaceuticals, detergents and dyes. At present, almost the entire BTX supply is dependent on crude oil. The development of sustainable alternatives is therefore a strategic priority for Europe’s energy independence, environmental goals and industrial competitiveness. Lignin, a natural polymer found in plants, is the only renewable raw material rich in aromatic rings. It is produced in very large quantities as a by-product of the pulp and paper industry by around 130 million tonnes per year worldwide, but is mostly burned to produce low-value energy. Exploiting the potential of lignin for the production of BTX could make it a cornerstone of the circular bioeconomy. The Lig2BTX project has addressed this challenge by developing a solvent-free catalytic hydrotreatment process to convert Kraft lignin into valuable aromatics. Within the project, novel “dandelion-type” hollow microsphere catalysts based on non-noble metals (Ni, Co, Mo, W, Y) were developed to achieve an efficient, selective and sustainable conversion of lignin. By integrating catalyst synthesis, reactor engineering, and knowledge at the molecular level, the project aimed to develop a scalable process that reduces costs, increases selectivity towards aromatics and contributes to a profitable biorefinery model. The expected impacts include the following: 1. Scientific: Increased knowledge of catalytic lignin utilisation through breakthrough catalyst designs and process innovations. 2. Industrial: Providing new pathways for biorefineries to diversify products and reduce dependence on petroleum-derived aromatics. 3. Societal: Supporting the European climate targets, the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the transition to a circular economy.

Текст от CORDIS, на английски · Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз

Цел на проекта

Crude oil is the primary source for six-membered aromatic hydrocarbons, building blocks for the production of synthetic fibers, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and dyes. Due to the looming petroleum crisis, biomass valorization is currently receiving a great emphasis in industries and academic institutions for sustainable chemical production. For decades, the pulp and paper industries struggled to generate sustainable technologies to produce value-added chemicals from the Kraft lignin, where it was utilized as fuel to produce heat. This issue is now at the forefront in front of the second generation of biorefineries. Since the first generation of biofuels relies on the food material resulting in rising food prices. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop sustainable processes for the production of aromatics from renewable sources, i.e., lignin, a natural biopolymer consisting of 6 membered aromatic rings. Therefore, the hydrotreatment of lignin to aromatics contributes to emerging resource sustainability and makes the bio-refining processes profitable. The proposed project, Lig2BTX, aims to develop a unique, sustainable catalytic hydrotreatment process for the production of aromatics from an inexpensive and abundant Kraft lignin by utilizing Dandelion type single hollow microsphere catalyst. Also, investigation of the best routes for high yields of aromatics and minimize the overall production cost. The Lig2BTX project combines knowledge from the synthesis of catalysts, chemical engineering, and understanding the molecular level processes by DFT studies. This project will provide breakthrough scientific and engineering experience combined with an excellent training program. It will implement several work packages, focusing on Dandelion flower-like metal oxide synthesis, processes for the production of aromatics from lignin, and optimization of the process the high yields of aromatics, together with the innovation management.

Оригинален текст от CORDIS (на английски).

Участници

UNIVERSITAET GRAZ · GrazКоординаторАвстрия
KEMIJSKI INSTITUT · LjubljanaСловения