The chemical industry is faced with many challenges in reducing its environmental impact, resulting from synthesis processes in the production of medicines, commodity chemicals, plastics, food and drinks, and so much more.
With the potential of achieving zero emission via the use of renewable electricity, we believe that the application of electrochemical alternatives are a promising solution for the sustainable production of a wide range of chemicals and fuels.
Through continuous innovation, electrochemical systems, performing a variety of reactions in a controlled way, are becoming an attractive way of synthesizing chemical compounds in a sustainable way.
The benefits of working with VITO
VITO acts as a complementary partner to your R&D activities and business development, facilitating the introduction of electrochemical synthesis in your company.
State-of-the-art electrochemistry infrastructure
- Specialised equipment and advanced labs for electrochemistry research and development
- Material analysis infrastructure (morphology, structure, composition…)
- Synthesis of metal (alloy) electrocatalysts via a broad range of approaches and fast screening for the selection of the optimal electrocatalyst/electrode system
- Tailor-made VITOCORE® electrode production for lab- and pilot-scale testing (10 cm² samples - 1m²), based on activated carbon, electrocatalysts and/or a metallic support
- Ability to evaluate electrochemical performance; (current density, faradaic efficiency and catalyst lifetime with H- and flow-cell setups, connected to product analysis equipment
- Assistance in creating kW pilot schemes, testing of hardware
- Access to pilot installations, that can serve different value chains
A tailor made approach, fit for purpose
For each specific R&D issue, we design tailor made electrodes, from lab scale to pilot scale, coupling conversion with separation
We jointly work on a solution for your specific challenges, a solution requiring the least possible process steps, in order to shorten the path to industrial upscaling
How to set up electrochemical conversion plants?
VITO offers feasibility studies and advice on:
- In-house state-of-the-art lab infrastructure developing electrodes from cm² to m² scale
- Our electrodes can be developed using commercial catalyst materials or materials supplied by the custom
How to develop electrochemical routes that are technically feasible and economically viable?
VITO offers a phased approach:
- Conceptualisation of new ideas, supported by patent landscaping and FTO analysis
- Investigation of degree of innovation in a value chain approach and broad context of sustainability programs, next to value screening, on economic and environmental level
- Fundamental research and proof-of-concept studies, where KPI targets, setting of go/no go’s and risk mitigation in the R&D trajectory are elaborated by techno-economic assessments, already at low TRL, whether or not integrated with a life cycle assessment
- Elaboration of valorisation trajectories with relevant stakeholders (technology and component suppliers, integrators, …)
- Testing of membrane electrode assemblies and further development on flow cell/stack level (10 cm² to m² electrode size-range), system integration and pilot-scale demonstration (50 kW range), towards industrialisation and commercialisation. The initial techno-economic feasibility study is validated throughout the R&D trajectory, at increasing TRL