Electrochemical COnversion of CARBohydrates (ECOCARB)

Samenvatting

Electrochemistry is an ideal tool for converting carbohydrates to a broad range of products. It is characterized by high energy efficiency, high selectivity, ambient conditions, and the potential to utilize green electricity directly. Combined with the biobased original of the feedstock, this can allow significant reduction of the carbon footprint. This project will develop and demonstrate, together with the industry, a novel electrochemistry based methodology for the production of alternatives for polyacrylates, which have a broad range of uses (e.g. as detergents). Replacing the currently used polyacrylates by electrochemically produced bio-based alternatives will both benefit the reduction of CO2 and reduce waste production. Furthermore, the electrochemical process will produce hydrogen at the counter electrode. This hydrogen will be used for the reduction of bio-based feedstock such as fructose to mannitol, resulting in a total usage of the electrochemical process – again increasing energy efficiency. Therefore this project will design and develop such an electrochemical process using bio-based feedstock (soluble [poly] saccharides such as sucrose and inulin). Also this project will develop a benign granular starch oxidation process using milder conditions than currently used, aiming at lower carbohydrate loss whilst simultaneously reducing drying energy use. The project was executed with the following partners in alphabetical order: ADM, COSUN. ECOVER and TNO together with WFBR. ADM delivered the starch compounds, COSUN delivered the sucrose and inulin and performed tests on calcium sequestering efficacy, Unfortunately ECOVER was not able to do the washing trials within the project, TNO took care of the scale up of the electrochemistry and WFBR developed the electrochemistry on lab scale.