Projects / Programmes
January 1, 2004
- December 31, 2008
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 2.02.00 |
Engineering sciences and technologies |
Chemical engineering |
|
Separation processes, SCF-superkritical fluids, extraction, micronisation, enzyme reactions, aerogels, phase equilibria, mass transfer, catalysts, bio-catalysts, immobilization, technology transfer, energetics, transport phenomena, fluid transport, pressure drop, additives, magnetic treatment of water, water dispersion sistems
Researchers (28)
Organisations (3)
Abstract
Production of the high added value products on different areas is common trend in Europe and whole world. Recently, supercritical fluids (SCF) have proven to be one of the key technologies for such production. Determination of the thermodynamic and fluid dynamic (transport) properties of the system is necessary for the successful high pressure process design, which includes:
- Phase equilibria
- Mass transfer
- Heat transfer
Next step is design and optimisation of processes on the following fields:
1. Enzyme catalysed reaction in sub- and supercritical media
- Synthesis of the high added value products for pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industry,
- Reaction in high pressure membrane reactor,
- Immobilization of enzymes on membranes.
2. Separation techniques (conventional and high pressure separation techniques such as extraction, adsorption, …)
- Isolation and concentration of active components from plant materials for pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industry,
- Optimisation of processes.
3. Material processing
- Micronisation – procesing of nanostructure materials using PGSS process,
- Aerogels – nanostructure materials and composites.
4. Reduction of pressure drop in the hydraulic sistems with additives.
5. Magnetic treatment of water.
Significance for science
Exploiting the unique properties of SCF (transport properties, solvent power etc) increased the industrial competitiveness of Slovenia and brought both environmental and economic benefits to Slovenia and wider to European Community. Technologies, developed by use of SCF were viewed as one of the key sustainable technologies with almost no impact on the environment. Different activity fields, included in the programme together with cooperation between partners from science and economy sector enabled: •Definition of requirements of pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry for products and their properties (type, form, content of active ingredient, controlled release time), •Development of new products with high added value by means of SCF, which are not obtainable with classical procedures, •Development of new technologies in the field of SCF for sustainable economical growth of Slovenia, •Production of products with tailor made properties, validation of technical procedures and analytical methods, •Experiments in pilot scale, transfer of technologies to industry,... The results significantlly contributed to fundamental knowledge in the following fields: -binary and ternary phase equilibria in non-ideal systems with SCF, -mass transfer in systems with SCF, -high pressure micronisation processes – PGSS -kinetics and equilibria of enzymatic reactions with SCF and enzyme activity at high
Significance for the country
Developing new, cleaner routes for chemical manufacture is one of the principal challenges facing chemists and chemical engineers not only in Slovenia but also across the world because without these routes our current lifestyle is unsustainable. It is vital that the EU and Slovenia play a leading role in these developments if our chemical industry is to benefit fully from the results. Research in the programme group offered new technologies with low environmental impact and domestic knowledge for product with high added value, which are traded in Slovenia and worldwide. Furthermore, masters and doctors of science, who were meanwhile conclude their studies, had the opportunity of employment in industry. New high-quality and competitive products and technologies increased the programme and range of production, for which new working places were available.
Most important scientific results
Final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Final report,
complete report on dLib.si
