Biomass Conversion

In light of sustainability, replacing fossil resources by non-edible biomass for the production of chemicals will be unavoidable in a foreseeable future. While recent biomass research has surely represented a major step forward in terms of the fundamental understanding of the chemistry behind these processes, biomass technology is still in its infancy. Now is the time for applied scientists to develop the technology that is required to realize the much needed future bio-refineries. We design novel intensified multi-functional reactors that are key to resolve distinctive challenges during biomass conversion. Our work involves unraveling complex kinetics, understanding the interrelation of physical and chemical processes in the reactor, exploring various intensification and separation strategies, modeling reactor performance, as well as building and testing our reactor designs.

In light of sustainability, replacing fossil resources by non-edible biomass for the production of chemicals will be unavoidable in a foreseeable future. While recent biomass research has surely represented a major step forward in terms of the fundamental understanding of the chemistry behind these processes, biomass technology is still in its infancy. Now is the time for applied scientists to develop the technology that is required to realize the much needed future bio-refineries. We design novel intensified multi-functional reactors that are key to resolve distinctive challenges during biomass conversion. Our work involves unraveling complex kinetics, understanding the interrelation of physical and chemical processes in the reactor, exploring various intensification and separation strategies, modeling reactor performance, as well as building and testing our reactor designs.