Research

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.

Equipment

  • Advanced Catalytic Materials
  • Horizontal tubular furnaces for gas/solid reactions under corrosive atmosphere (Cl2) up to 1600°C.
  • Vacuum furnace up to 2000°C
  • (Vacuum) hot press up to 450°C
  • Stereolithographic 3D printer
  • Electrode production line (automated doctorblade, calendering, sealing)
  • High resolution physisorption and chemisorption (Ar, N2, CO2, CO, H2, …)
  • Thermogravimetry coupled with mass spectroscopy and automatic sample changer for oxygen-sensitive measurements
  • Electrochemical Energy Conversion Processes
  • Several ®RDE workstations with multichannel potentiostats
  • Gas-diffusion-electrode half cells
  • Robot assisted ultrasound nozzle spraying station
  • Fuel cell testing stations
  • CO2 electroreduction half cells with online GC
  • Heterogeneous Catalysis and Processes
  • Transient response testing stations with high resolution mass spectroscopy and GC (for TPR, CPR and SSITKA studies)
  • In-situ raman microscope for spatially resolved spectra coupled to an operando GC
  • In-situ DRIFTS cells with operando gas analysis
  • Continuous flow gas phase catalyst rigs with online analytics (GCs, FTIRs, MS, …)