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Next-Generation-Electrolysis
Nanostructuring, electrolysis, chemical industry, energy saving
Team:
Dr. Denis Bernsmeier
(doctorate, chemistry)
Dr.-Ing. Ralph Krähnert
(doctorate, process engineering)
Dr. Michael Bernicke
(doctorate, chemistry)
Sector:
Chemical Industry
Mentor:
Prof. Reinhard Schomäcker & Prof. Peter Strasser
Faculty:
Faculty II - Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Institute of Chemistry
Department of Chemical Engineering
Support:
EXIST-Forschungstransfer: 01.10.2020 – 31.03.2022
Reduction of the energy consumption of the German chemical industry by the needs of Berlin.
Our idea
Chlorine is an important intermediate for the chemical industry and almost exclusively produced in an electrochemically fashion via chlor-alkali electrolysis under high energy consumption.
Significant energy savings are achieved by improving efficiency of the process occurring on both the electrodes. The present project aims for the technical exploitation of a novel electrode technology for chlorine anodes. Conventional anode coatings will be replaced by novel nanostructured coatings reducing the voltage required for the process on a laboratory scale by approximately 30 to 50 mV. Extrapolated to the current global chlorine market this corresponds to savings in energy costs of ~200 million EUR per year and ~800 000 t less emitted CO2.
The main goals of the project are scale up of the developed nanostructured electrodes to technical electrodes (2.7 m2) as well as create prerequisites for founding a company i.e. design and develop a business plan.