Bioenergy and Catalysis Laboratory (LBK)

Sustainable management of energy and material resources implies that, in a long term, renewable energies will be used to drive closed material cycles. The Bioenergy and Catalysis Laboratory (LBK) is doing research to develop processes, catalysts and materials for providing primary energy and material products from biomass and/or waste. Improving the eco-efficiency of products and services (i.e. more value for less pollution and less resource intensity) has been the guiding principle of the research projects of LBK.

In particular we focus

On the development of efficient conversion technologies for biomass to clean-burning secondary fuels (Catalytic Process Engineering - CPE).

On the conversion of (waste) biomass via gasification either into 2^nd generation bio-fuels (synthetic natural gas SNG) or to electricity via high temperature fuel cells, gas turbines and gas engines. Since a few years, the conversion of biogas from anaerobic digestion and the production of renewable methane in Power-to-Gas applications are also investigated (Thermochemical Processes group - TCP).

On the thermal processing of waste materials with special emphasis on the separation of valuable and/or toxic metal fractions from mineral materials. The goal is to increase the recycling rate of waste products by eco-efficient processes (Chemical Processes and Materials - CPM).

On catalytic exhaust gas cleanup and the development of catalysts for the efficient conversion of biomass (Applied Catalysis and Spectroscopy - ACS).

Our four groups are