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ePaper created 2017-03-14, 10:25:37 | version 1.49.03
Bioreinery concepts One sustainable approach to the production of chemical products involves the most complete possible use of biomass according to the principle of a bioreinery. We have already success- fully made use of different agricultural and forestry residuals (straw, wood waste) and organic residuals from a variety of industries (whey, crab shells and insect carapaces, terpenes) as a source of raw material and successfully convert them in fermentative or biocatalytic and combined chemical processes into basic chemicals that are subsequently puriied into ine chemicals or biopolymers. Parallel or subsequent use of the residual biomass closes the cycle and increases the overall eficiency. (Electro)chemical conversion With the energy revolution and the expansion of regenerative decentralized power generation, cheaper power will be available – weather-dependent – in the future. If this excess electric- ity accruing in intervals is used lexibly for electrochemical reactions, basic chemicals can be produced sustainably. For this purpose, we are developing catalysts and suitable electrodes, electrolysis processes and equipment. In the Fraunhofer lead project “Electricity as a Raw Material”, for example, Fraunhofer IGB is developing a one-step procedure to produce ethylene in a single electrochemical process step. An electrolysis cell in which hydrogen peroxide can be produced from just water and air is already available as a prototype at the institute. Puriication technologies Substance separation is a key step in many sectors of the chemical and process industry. For upstream processing of raw materials as well as downstream processing of fermentation and synthesis products, Fraunhofer IGB is developing economical procedures and is planning corresponding facilities. The focus is on resource-eficient membrane or electrophysical pro- cedures that simplify multi-stage processing procedures and that are combined, if necessary, with conventional separation methods such as centrifugation, extraction or chromatographic procedures. 6 8