Distinguished iNANO Lecture: Catalytic Conversion of Sugars into Chemicals – From Lab to Demonstration Scale

R&D Director Esben Taarning, Sustainable Chemical Group, Haldor Topsøe A/S, DK

Catalytic Conversion of Sugars into Chemicals – From Lab to Demonstration Scale    

Conversion of sugars using heterogeneous catalysis pose a scientific and technical challenge, and relatively few breakthroughs have been achieved so far.

For the past ten years, Haldor Topsøe A/S has been developing a new process in which sugars are “cracked” into smaller oxygenates. This year, a major step was taken by the start-up of a sugar-cracking demonstration plant in Lyngby. This plant will enable several down-stream catalytic processes to be piloted/demonstrated in Lyngby as well, and thereby open the door for new and efficient processes for transforming sugars into ethylene glycol, glycolic acid and novel monomers for coatings and resins. The talk will describe the developments from a scientific perspective.    

Host: Professor Troels Skrydstrup, iNANO & Department of Chemistry, AU

Coffee, tea and bread will be served from 10:00 am in front of the auditorium.