CONTRIBUTIONS TO PROJECT

The contribution of IMM to SUPRABIO is in the development of microreactors so as to achieve process and engineering integration and to overcome the negative cost aspects associated with smaller scale production. IMM’s contribution is primarily focused on (a) syngas conversion technologies (b) the conversion of lipids and mixed acids to hydrocarbons and (c) the catalytic processing of polyols, using catalysts developed by the University of Oxford.

Catalytic heat exchangers can play a valuable role in the control and optimisation of heat flow in processes. An opportunity to be explored in SUPRABIO is to extend this to other conversions involving mass transfer for gas/liquid mixing and membrane separation. The conversion of syngas to Fischer-Tropsch liquids illustrates this potential. The heat and mass transfer advantages that are characteristic of microchannel reactors intensifies syngas to fuel processing.

EXPERIENCE AND FACILITIES

Institut für Mikrotechnik Mainz GmbH (based in Germany) has established itself as an internationally recognised service organisation for research and development in microtechnology. The sole shareholder is the State of Rhineland-Palatinate and the main area of concentration in IMM's exploitation strategy (along with the granting of licenses and user rights to interested companies and organisations) is to initiate the founding of new companies. The main focus of research and development is in the fields of chemical process technology and engineering (energy technology, mixing and fine chemistry) and microfluidic systems (industrial analytics, biomedical diagnostics and environmental analysis). Expertise in processes and methods for the realization of microstructures (precision engineering, structuring technologies, surface modifications) are also available.
The working areas of the Energy Technology and Catalysis Department are hydrogen technology and renewable energy sources and micro-structured components for heat management. Core competences are the design of complex process engineering devices, integrated micro-structured plate heat exchanger technology (temperature range -250°C to 900°C), development of catalyst coatings, testing of laboratory, and pilot-scale micro-structured reactors and heat exchangers

CONTACT

Mr. Martin O’Connell
Institut für Mikrotechnik Mainz GmbH
Carl-Zeiss-Strasse 18-20
55129 Mainz
Germany
Tel: +49 6131 990 388
Fax: +49 6131 990 205
Email: oconnell@imm-mainz.de
Web: www.imm-mainz.de