3D-cat intends to apply its Chemical Processing Units (tailor-made and optimized catalyst and sorbent reactor elements and mini‐reactors) to capture CO2 and replace current systems, such as those with loose catalytic materials, resulting in smaller plants at much lower cost. For this application 3D-cat works in large consortia, connecting technology providers and customers that are typically CO2 point-sources.
3D-cat also produces small lab-reactors that can be printed to, for instance, test catalysts, under highly controlled conditions.
We have printed our first prototypes.
Additive manufacturing of ceramic materials is instrumental in solving our CO2 (and other dirty gas) challenges
3D-cat will Use advanced modular ceramic 3D-structures that are vARIABLE OVER DIAMETER AND HEIGHT, are LOCALLY HEATABLE and have EMBEDDED SENSOrs to capture CO2 on an industrial scale at lower overall cost
In the conversion industries, there is an increased focus on catalysis and sorption, to make the petrochemical industry more efficient and sustainable through i) faster and better reaction conversions at more modest conditions, ii) smaller plant footprint and investment, iii) integration of chemical conversion and heating/cooling functions, and iv) better off-gas treatment of power plants.
The advantages of using 3D ceramic additive manufacturing technology in the fields of catalysis and sorption are optimal spatial design of catalyst or sorbent (for better operational hydraulics), optimal coverage of active components (e.g. metal thickness and spatial distribution), optionality of built‐in heating/cooling channels, and a very low waste production process of the reactor elements themselves. As a consequence of these, conversion reactors will be (much) smaller, which in turn will lead to much lower plant investment. In addition, the optimal design will lead to better conversion rates, which will result in higher efficiency and less waste. Finally, heating and cooling is expected to be more direct, thereby resulting in lower energy consumption per conversion amount.
This technology application not only has the potential to significantly reduce conversion cost per ton or m3, but as a consequence also to enable companies to invest again in the European conversion industry.
Our Patent Position
- Netherlands: patent # 2020804 – 3D-printed reactor; grant date: 28/10/2019
- Europe: patent application # 1971141816.6-1104 – modular additive manufactured reactor system; filing date: 04/01/2019
- US: patent application # US2020/0346181 A1 – modular additive manufactured reactor system; publication date: 05/11/2020
Recent Publications
- Rosseau L., Middelkoop V., Willemsen H., Roghair I., van Sint Annaland M. (2022). Review on Additive Manufacturing of Catalysts and Sorbents and the Potential for Process Intensification, Frontiers in Chemical Engineering, https:/doi.org/10.3389/fecing.2022834547
- Krishnamurthy S., Boon J., Grande C., Lind A., Blom R., de Boer R., Willemsen H., de Scheemaker G. (2021). Screening of Supported Amine Sorbents in the Context of Post-combustion Carbon Capture by Vacuum Swing Adsorption, Chemie Ingenieur Techniek, https://doi.org/10.1002/cite.202000172
- Willemsen H., de Boer R.(2020). Additive manufacturing of 3D ceramic Structures for CO2 sorption, Carbon Capture Journal