Challenge

LRF is developing plate heat exchangers made of highly filled graphite-polymer composites as a sustainable alternative to stainless steel and resource-intensive metals such as titanium. These PFAS-free and recyclable materials are characterized by high resistance to media, reduced susceptibility to fouling, and ease of cleaning.

The challenge lies in optimizing the thermal conductivity and mechanical strength of the composites, as well as enabling safe, reproducible manufacturing and assembly of the plates.

Key Elements

• Development and characterization of highly filled graphite-PPS and graphite-PP composites
• Manufacture of structured heat exchanger plates via hot stamping
• Development of a joining process using thermoplastic films as filler material
• Testing of strength, leak tightness, heat transfer, pressure drop, and fouling
• Validation of the plate stacks through hydrostatic pressure tests up to 10 bar
• Preparation of the technology for industrial application
  

Project Context

The research described here is part of the following interlinked projects FutureKomP – Joining of thermoplastic and recyclable composites for plate heat exchangersand GRETE – Graphite-PPS plates for heat exchangers and high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells.

Project Description

This project, part of the VIVET innovation community, aims to establish an integrated approach for the development of energy- and resource-efficient chemical syntheses. The goal is to provide methodologies and technologies for evidence-based, model-driven chemical process development. These methodologies will be tested using two model systems – the synthesis of benzimidazoles and naphthohydroquinones – to enable environmentally friendly production routes. Comprehensive knowledge of the underlying physicochemical processes and their reliable representation through mathematical models is crucial for the efficient and sustainable operation of these syntheses. To support this, a differential recycle reactor has been developed at LRF, which enables kinetic studies under well-defined thermal, chemical, and fluid dynamic conditions.

Project Partners

The EnaChem project is carried out in close collaboration with the University of Applied Sciences Mannheim (TH Mannheim). While LRF investigates the reduction pathways of the syntheses, TH Mannheim focuses on the corresponding oxidation.

The industrial partners within the VIVET innovation community are diverse and span various sectors. In addition to partners from the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, such as BASF, Merck, and Roche, companies from the field of measurement and control technology – including IPS and HiTec Zang – are also part of the community. Other organizations and associations, such as the IHK Rhein-Neckar and the Smart Industries network, complete the consortium.

Key Elements of the Project

• Design and construction of a universally applicable screening apparatus for hydrogenation reactions
• Systematic screening of catalysts and solvents
• Development and calibration of a quantitative analytical method
• Execution of kinetic studies in a differential recycle reactor
• Investigation of various hydrogenation syntheses
• Development of a kinetic model
• Model-based scale-up of the reaction
• Knowledge transfer and communication with the industrial partners involved