FURIO

...is the title of the collaborative project between the Chair of Energy Process Engineering at the Institute of Energy Technology at the University of Siegen and the research group led by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Albert at the Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry at the University of Hamburg. The German Research Foundation (DFG) has approved the submitted proposal and will provide funding to both research groups for the next three years.

The project will kick off in early 2027

What is the project about?

The project aims to develop a sustainable alternative to today’s petroleum-based production of key polymer building blocks. To this end, researchers are investigating new catalysts capable of efficiently converting bio-based raw materials into valuable chemicals.

1,6-Hexanediol (HDO) and 1,5-Pentanediol (PDO) are important raw materials for the production of polymers. They are used, among other things, in plastics, plasticizers, and adhesives. Today, HDO is primarily produced from petroleum. This production process consists of several energy-intensive steps, generates many byproducts, and is therefore not very sustainable.

The project aims to develop a sustainable and bio-based method for producing HDO from hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), a bio-based platform chemical. To this end, heteropolyacid catalysts (HPAs) are being developed that are intended to enable multiple reaction steps in a single process. For future industrial application, the best catalysts will be supported on solid carriers to improve their reusability. The project focuses on characterizing and understanding the materials, as well as optimizing the process using statistical experimental design. Finally, the findings will be applied to the production of PDO from furfural.

We look forward to our upcoming collaboration and hope for many shared successes!