In the etzoldlab

The challenges arising with the needed global energy change as also future sustainable feedstock supply for chemical industry is major guideline for the research in the etzoldlab. From the perspective of chemical engineering the research carried out bridges from the molecular scale and catalysis development, over the scale of transport pathways, e.g. within gas-diffusion electrodes, towards the reactor/electrolyser scale. Finally, the influence of changes on these different scales on full chemical processes is assessed through simulation approaches. Thus, catalyst synthesis and electrode design go hand in hand with experimental testing at technical relevant conditions as well as chemical reaction engineering and flow sheeting simulation. As a future sustainable energy and chemical industry will need a concerted interaction of electrochemical and classical heterogeneous catalysed processes both are studied. Based on this strategy the research of the etzoldlab can be divided in three strongly interacting sub-groups. More details on the research of these subgroups can be found in the sections below.

With our research we are part of the following huger or collaborative research activities:

Within the etzoldlab we operate the following major research equipment (DFG Art. 91b GG).:
  • STA 449F3 Jupiter coupled with mass spectroscopy and automatic sample changer for oxygen-sensitive measurements (Netzsch Gerätebau GmbH, Selb)
    Specifications
    Samples: liquids, bulk materials and powders
    Temperature: RT – 1400 °C
    Heating rate: max. 50 K/min (depending on the temperature program)
    Sample load: max. 35000 mg (incl. crucible)
    Balance resolution: 0.1 µg
    Atmospheres: inert, oxidizing, reduzing
    Sample crucible: Al2O3 (outer-Ø 6.8 mm, 85 μL); automatic sample changer (20 crucible positions)
    Optional: Oxygen analyzer Zirox SGM5T; QMS 403 Aëolos Quadro, amu 300 (SCAN-/MID-mode)
    Further details and request for use of equipment
    Contact: Dr.-Ing. Jan Gläsel (leitung@tc1.tu-darmstadt.de)
    The terms of use (Nutzerordung) can be downloaded here.

The research in heterogeneous catalysis bridges from screening towards detailed mechanistic studies as also from intrinsic kinetics to full process consideration. In this sense, transient-response-studies including isotope labeling (SSITKA), in-situ DRIFT and Raman spectroscopy are employed as also long-term catalyst studied in continuously operated rigs. These insights are complemented by kinetic and thermodynamic simulation as also flow sheeting. The later one gives insights how changes in catalyst activity and selectivity affect the up- and down-stream processes and e.g. total energy consumption or feedstock efficiency. Chemical conversions studied belong to the base chemical and gas phase sector. The focus is on partial oxidations like oxidative dehydrogenation and CO/CO2/H2 conversion to methanol and Fischer-Tropsch products.


A) Experimentally determined and simulated conversion of acrolein from steady‐state measurements and cyclic TPReaction experiment on 50Mo8V2W1.5Ox. The arrows mark the curve of the positive (β = 10 °C min−1) and negative (β = −10 °C min−1) heating rate; B) Process concept for synthesis of CH3OH from CO2 and H2 making use of in-situ phase separation.