Technology-Oriented Processes

Dr.-Ing. Udo Armbruster

Research focus 

  • Alternative fuels and energy sources
    • CO2 as raw material (methanol and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, dry reforming)
    • Ammonia synthesis
  • Refinement of biomass-based platform chemicals
    • Depolymerization, deoxygenation, hydrogenation
    • Glycerol downstream chemistry (acrolein, oligomers, hydrogenolysis, esters)
  • High pressure reaction technology, also in supercritical fluids

 

Equipment

  • Continuous flow test units for ambient and high pressure also for testing industrial catalysts (up to 5×5 mm) in automated continuous operation
  • Autoclaves up to 5 liters 
  • Routine analysis online with GC and IR sensors to follow the reaction progress, additionally GC/MS and TOC/IC
  • Preparation and evaluation of shaped catalysts (tablets, granules)
  • Catalyst characterization with N2-physisorption, ultrasonic particle measurement techniques and temperature-programmed methods (TPR, TPD, TPO)

 

Projects (Status 2022)

  • 4 bilateral industrial projects
  • 4 publicly funded projects (BMBF, BMDK, WGL)
  • 2 PhD theses

Automated test plant for evaluation of industrial catalysts up to 300 °C, 100 bar (CSTR, 750 ml volume)