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Biorenewables from gram to kilo: optimising feedstocks, improving processes andvalorising by-productsWednesday 10th April 2019
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About the BDC
The BDC is an open-access scale-up R&D
centre providing partners with innovative ideas to convert plants, microbes and biowastes
into high-value products.
Our vision is a world where the
economy is a bioeconomy.
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What makes us different?With both biologists and chemists, the BDC team offers a unique combination of multi-disciplinary expertise coupled with state-of-the-art pilot-scale processing capabilities in one coordinated centre. … and access to
academic researchers across the University of
York
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Biorenewables R,D & D BDC helps to bridge the gap between academia and industry in the research, development and demonstration of bio-based innovations:
UniversitiesFeedstock, process and product research & discovery
Research
Pilot facilitiesScale up and demonstration
Development
SMEs & Multinationals Process and product development
Demonstration
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Working with the BDC
Commercialtailored
packages to suit each client Publically-
funded grants RCUK, Innovate UK and H2020 grants of all
sizes
Pre-funded business
support for SMEs located in Yorkshire
Innovation programmefor technical bio-based projects
Capital investmentsfor equipment
used in innovative processes
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What does this mean in practice?
350+Bio-based
projects since 2012
>200separate clients
(SMEs, researchers &
multinationals)
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Biorefining value pyramid
Value (£)
Volume (t)
Chemicals
Materials
Fuels
Energy
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Raw material upgrading, waste stream valorisation and biorefinery development
Raw material upgrading,
waste stream valorisation
and biorefinerydevelopment
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Batteries from biomass
EU collaboration to prove feasibility of
using starch in energy storage and
green catalysis
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 686163.
This material reflects the author's view and the Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.
H2020: GA n°686163
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H2020 Project: Porous4App
4 Year project scaling up a process developed at laboratory scale at the University of York
BDC’s role was to identify and deliver scale up route for production from current gram scale to pilot scale, produce prototype volumes, support business plan data, support nano-safety testing and provide vision of commercial scale
Potential applications in batteries and heterogeneous catalysis
H2020 - GA n°686163
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Project Partners Academic Institutes
– Leitat (Spain)– CNRS (France)– University of York (UK)– EMPA (Switzerland)– ICIQ (Spain)
SMEs– Varta Micro Innovation (Austria)– Meta Group (Italy)– Blueprime / Singulair Solutions (Netherlands)– Ibercat (Spain)
Multinational– Johnson Matthey (UK)
H2020 - GA n°686163
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Process Overview
Base for porous carbon is polysaccharide– Alginic Acid– Starch
Temperature of carbonisation dictates surface area of material
Depending on temperature of carbonisation can expect up to 80% mass loss
H2020 - GA n°686163
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Expansion
Universal Process System – RoboQbo 15-4
10L of Gel produced at 20% Polysaccharide loading within an hour of operation
Previous system produced 5 kg of gel at 10% Polysaccharide loading within a 4-5 hour period
H2020 - GA n°686163
Gelator 10% RoboQbo 10% RoboQbo 20%
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Expansion
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10
20
30
40
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60
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100
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
Tem
pera
ture
(°C
)
Time (minutes)
Operating Conditions: RoboQbo 15-4, Starch at 10% solid loading, 600 rpm
H2020 - GA n°686163
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Drying
This stage preserves the porous network and a range of options have been explored
Freeze drying was determined as the most suitable process
Method had been developed in a previous project to produce expanded polysaccharide
Largest off the shelf system handles 1kg and with a three day method per week output is 2kg
To produce 20kg of expanded polysaccharide would take 9 weeks assuming no breakdowns
H2020 - GA n°686163
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Drying
Identified that we needed to upscale the freeze dryer step
This was no simple task– Food grade– Expensive (£7k for a 20 litre batch)– Use of solvent is not compatible
H2020 - GA n°686163
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Drying
Managed to identify and negotiate a deal with a local freeze dryer manufacturer to run our material– Frozen in Time (www.freezedriers.com)– Have a capacity of 100 litres input (20 kg output)– Also if required in future they can build a bespoke unit.
H2020 - GA n°686163
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Carbonisation
Design and build programme – Carbolite– Rotating tube furnace design– Inconel tube with screw auger
Due to low heating rates the furnace is 4.4 metres long
RT 400 °C 400 °C 1000 °C
(S/A)400
H2020 - GA n°686163
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CarbonisationH2020 - GA n°686163
Product Hopper
Feed Hopper
Scrubber
Knock Out Pot
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BDC-S000-Carb-450-B1-T
BDC-S000-Carb-450-B2-T
BDC-S000-Carb-450-B3-T
BDC-S000-Carb-450-B4-TBDC-S000-Carb-450-B6-T
BDC-S000-Carb-450-B7-T
BDC-S000-GC-450-B1-T
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
0 5 10 15 20 25
Surf
ace
Area
Nitrogen Flow Rate (Dm3/min)
Effect of Flow Rate on Surface Area
H2020 - GA n°686163
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0
100
200
300
400
500
600
BDC-A000-Carb-450-B2-T BDC-A000-GC-450-B1-T
Surf
ace
Area
H2020 - GA n°686163
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Pilot Plant
Stage Equipment Status Understanding of scale up/process
Gelation RoboQbo 15-4 Operational StrongDrying FiT F100 Operational StrongCarbonisation Carbolite
CustomOperational Developing
H2020 - GA n°686163
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Conclusion
A pilot plant has been developed to produce mesoporous carbons from polysaccharide sources
Samples currently undergoing testing at industrial partners– IBERCAT (Catalyst applications)– VARTA Micro Innovation (Battery applications)– Johnson Matthey (Catalyst and Battery applications)
H2020 - GA n°686163
