Abstract
The organic matter contained in WWTS is virtually enormous (just in the EU, more than 6 Mt/y measured as Chemical Oxygen Demand, COD) and available as a substrate for producing bio-based products. RECHEWS project aim to improve the previously developed process in order to produce drop-in chemicals through a solvent free approach based on thermolytic distillation of PHA rich material for production high purity Crotonic Acid and other relevant drop-in chemicals. The RECHEWS project will open a totally new conversion pathway of “WWTS-to-chemicals” by converting the C atoms in WWTS into crotonic acid and other drop-in chemicals, without consuming new resources/feedstock, and simultaneously decreasing the volume of WWTS to be disposed of. Crotonic acid, currently 100% of fossil origin, finds application. To investigate the technical feasibility of the WWTS-to-chemicals pathways, the project will exploit the B-PLAS DEMO facilities, previously built within EIT-Climate KIC Demonstration project, and currently located in CAVIRO EXTRA premises. The previously developed demo plant will be improved and retrofit to produce high purity crotonic acid, that will be subjected to catalytic conversion using flow chemistry approach in Univeristy of Venice (UNIVE).
Scientific department head
Cristian Torri (PI)
Partnership
Dipartimento di Scienze Molecolari e Nanosistemi, Università “Ca’ Foscari” Venezia