Industrie + Technik

Prof.Dr.

Glycol lignin | A Japanese consortium led by Lignomateria Co. has inaugurated a demonstration plant in Ibaraki Prefecture for the production of glycol lignin. The technology, based on work at Japan&rsquo;s Forest Research Institute, uses polyethylene glycol (PEG) and dilute sulphuric acid at 140 &deg;C to extract lignin from Japanese conifer trees. PEG preserves wood during processing. The annual production capacity is 100 tonnes and could be scaled up to several thousand tonnes. Prototypes of automobile hoods and biodegradable materials for 3D printers have been produced from glycol lignin. The annual consumption of plastics in Japan is about ten million tonnes; calculated from the growth rates of conifer forests in Japan, glycol lignin-based materials could possibly contribute more than two million tonnes.
Carbon market | China is attempting to build a nationwide carbon market. China&rsquo;s 4540 operating coal plants generate over 1,000 gigawatts, about half of the global coal power capacity, and generate 62 % of China&rsquo;s electricity, contributing over 40 % of the nation&rsquo;s energy-related CO2 emissions. A team from China&rsquo;s coal industry and academia has investigated how carbon pricing will effect the financial sustainability and lifetime change of each plant. They conclude that even with a low initial carbon price of 50 CN&yen; (6.6 &euro;) per ton of CO2 growing at 4 % per year and the permits being fully auctioned, the average residual lifetime of all the plants will be reduced by 5.4 years, and the CO2 emission from 2020 to 2050 will be reduced by 22.7 billion tonnes.
Hydrogen as a fuel | According to the China Hydrogen Alliance, by the end of 2020 China had 7352 fuel cell vehicles and 101 hydrogen fuel stations in operation, ranking second in the world after Japan. By 2050, China&rsquo;s hydrogen demand is estimated to rise to about 60 million tonnes. Sinopec, one of the largest petroleum companies in China and the owner of some 30 000 petrol stations, has announced its intention to accelerate its energy business with hydrogen energy and transform itself into the world&lsquo;s leading clean energy company. To this end, the company plans to install 1000 hydrogen refuelling stations and 5000 charging and swapping stations by 2025.
Rolf Schmid, <a href="https://www.bio4business.eu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.bio4business.eu</a>

Meldung

Window to Asia

Hazardous water pollution caused by pure or chemically refined hydrocarbons – e.g., crude oil, nano- and microplastics, or herbicides – can be removed by rust. Nanoscience combined with chemical recognition motifs on surfaces enables an efficient and sustainable technique.
Water is essential for all life on earth – yet the supply of clean water in sufficient quantities is at risk. While our need for clean water is certified as a human right, recognised as such through UN Resolution 64/292 in 2010, almost all water pollution is human-made.A crucial class of contaminants relate to the excessive use of hydrocarbons including fossil fuels and all oil-based chemical refined products, which differ in their chemical structure, their molecular weight, and their properties. The global water contamination is not primarily driven by spectacular disasters – like the still remembered Deep Water Horizon accident in 2010 – but by daily production, improper handling, and regular consumption of hydrocarbon-based products in huge quantities.Besides fossil fuels, plastic products are becoming increasingly precarious. Due to the poor recycling rate (38 % in Germany, 9 % in the United States) and their chemical persistence, it is predicted that by 2050, a volume of 12 billion tonnes of plastic debris will be accumulated in the environment. This is not only an environmental disaster but also a waste of energy resources equivalent to approximately 1,200 TWh – more than twice the total power generation in Germany in 2020.Preventing any water pollution would be the most favourable solution. But for those organics that escape careful handling, efficient and sustainable remediation is required. Such a technique needs to solve a series of requirements:<list list-type="simple"><list-item></list-item></list>The process needs to be efficient, simple, scalable and inexpensive.<list-item>It needs to be universal, to remove chemically different contaminants with one single platform.</list-item><list-item>The auxiliary materials (e.g., sorbent) must be non-toxic and should be recyclable.</list-item><list-item>Ideally, the collected contaminants are safely decomposed or utilised as resource.</list-item><h2>Working with magnetism</h2>The concept of magnetic water cleaning (MWC) is to collect contaminants magnetically. Naturally, hydrocarbons and their derivatives are not magnetic, but they can adsorb on surfaces of magnetic carriers. Once added, the loaded carriers can be removed from the water phase using common magnetic separation approaches.Super paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (Spions) exhibit large surface-to-volume ratios of &gt; 100 m2· g–1 and attract efficiently to external magnetic fields. Chemically, Spions are particles smaller than 30 nm diameter of magnetite (Fe3O4) or maghemite (Fe2O3) – basically, rust. They are widely used as cheap pigments. However, the iron oxide surface – typically terminated with hydroxyl groups – does not provide suitable attraction to hydrophobic alkanes, aromatic groups, or other hydrocarbon skeletons.The key of MWC is to use the Spion platform and to functionalise the surface towards strong interaction to dedicated classes of organic compounds, or more specifically to implement chemical recognition motifs (figure 1). For this, a large set of attractive interaction motifs is available, ranging in strengths: from weak van der Waals forces, dipoles and charges to strong covalent bonds. They can be used individually or combined.<figure><img src="https://media.graphcms.com/ImubIHhZRPa9LSrYzaiq"><figcaption><label>Abb. 1: </label>The concept of magnetic water cleaning materials – “smart rust” of core-shell Spions.</figcaption></figure>
A strong toolkit for the functionalisation of Spion surfaces consists of phosphonic acid-based chained molecules that form stable self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) as a shell around the Spion core in a reliable way. The nature of the chain of the SAM molecules strongly determines the surface properties of the core-shell Spion, and the selection of the right structures can ensure the selectivity and efficiency needed to extract contaminants (see infobox). For this, a deeper understanding of local interaction energies and thermodynamics, gained through simulation of molecular dynamics, can enable a more precise experimental approach towards knowledge-driven design – what turns the rust into “smart rust”.<h2>Applications</h2>The following three examples all use the same Spion-core as a platform and magnetic remediation as a technical tool in water cleaning, but they differ in the applied recognition motif:Glyphosate (N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine) is one of the most widely used herbicides in the world (production &gt; 1 mt/yr). It is also one of the most controversial chemical compounds, as it is suspected of being carcinogenic. Due to the unique combination of phosphonic acid and carboxylic acid moieties in its structure, where both are also known as perfect binding motifs for oxides, glyphosate binds covalently on ordinary magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles. Experimental and theoretical results indicate that approximately 2.7 molecules per nm2 bind onto the Fe3O4-surface and can be magnetically removed.1) By treating water with raw “rust”, the glyphosate concentration is easily reduced below the maximum permissible value of 0.1 µg · L–1 (European Drinking Water Directive). It falls even below the detection limit, as demonstrated for real water samples in competition with other contaminants. In this case multiple and strong covalent binding motifs of the contaminant are responsible for the gain in efficiency and selectivity.Hydrocarbons are still the fuel of global industry (oil production &gt; 4800 million tonnes per year in 2019). But production, transportation, and consumption generate water contamination in addition to CO2 emission. Crude oil is a mixture of alkanes, alkenes, aromatics and heterocycles that share one universal property: hydrophobicity. Hydrocarbons tend to segregate from the water phase and thus enrich a hydrophobic environment (e.g., solvent extraction or laundry). This behaviour can be employed through the design of Spions whose surfaces are functionalised by alkyl chains. The resulting hydrophobic shell provides an attractive host for the contaminant by seeding oil-water separation and stabilising the segregated oil phase. Indeed, magnetic remediation out of the water phase is highly efficient (up to 14 times the volume of oil compared to volume of Spions), reliable (tested for sea water, reservoir water, different temperatures). Furthermore, the Spions can be unloaded and reused at least ten times, thus making them candidates for recycled use.2) The use of a general motif (hydrophobic segregation, van der Waals attraction) leads to efficiency but without pronounced selectivity and favours a more broadband MWC to unspecific or mixed contaminations.Nano- and Microplastics are so-called emerging contaminants, pollutants that have only been recognised as such since the 1990s. The differentiation between microplastics (1 mm – 1 μm) and nanoplastics (less than 1 μm) has started just recently, because the nanosized plastics simply could not be counted. However, the smaller the plastic particle, the more problematic it is: Nanoplastics have an extremely large specific surface area that toxins or heavy metals can attach to, which then enables them to find their way into organisms. Estimates indicate that each of us consumes up to 5 grams of microplastics per week via daily food. That is as much as eating a credit card.Their molecular structure makes many types of plastics highly persistent, hindering their biological degradation, which means that plastic waste remains in the environment for decades. Plastic does not decompose, it just gets crushed smaller and smaller. For MWC, the plastic waste represents a challenge in contaminant size and in the chemical diversity of polymers. As a powerful tool of chemical recognition, the different surface charges of plastic debris were identified, related either to the chemical nature of the polymer or the propagating surface oxidation (majority of plastic waste). Corresponding Spions, designed with SAMs that provide hydrophobic motifs in combination with positive or negative surface potential, enable the selective remediation of oppositely charged plastic waste.3) Here, the Spions act as kind of Coulomb-clue to form larger agglomerates that become magnetically collectable due to their Spion content (figures 2, 3).<figure><img src="https://media.graphcms.com/W4qQf5L6T9mNVCuvlcoA"><figcaption><label>Abb. 2: </label>Optical photographs of lab-scale nanoplastics remediation via permanent magnet.</figcaption></figure>
Mixtures of plastics that exhibit both types of surface charges can be collected efficiently with each of the Spions. Featuring also hydrophobic motifs, the molecular design of the charged Spions moreover enables selectivity between organic polymers and inorganic sediments of similar surface charge – a key property needed for efficient application. In this context it’s notable that these Spions have shown non-toxic behaviour in cell tests.The MWC materials for plastic collection combine selectivity and sensitivity in chemical recognition through smart design rules for the corresponding SAM molecules. The prospect of designing Spion motifs for collecting further types of contaminants (e.g., toxic cations and hormones) is currently being explored with support from the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the German Federal Environmental Foundation (Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt, DBU). However, putting our concepts into real-life application presents a completely different challenge.<h2>From lab research to innovation</h2>Currently, our team is pushing the scale-up in production of the core-shell Spions. Even if the remediation works efficiently and the materials can be recycled, the huge amount of pollutants calls for tonne-scale production of functionalised Spions.A second task is to develop tech-scale remediation machinery – particularly adapted to nanoparticle collection. A first protype is envisaged as a full operating system unit (based on a 20-foot standard container, figure 4), including wastewater inlet, Spion dosage and mixing, magnetic separation, inline analytics (potentially recycling), and clean water outlet. This setup is scalable by parallelisation of several containers and usable for multipurpose cleaning based on different Spions. This endeavour is currently being pursued as a spin-off from academic research under the title MWC – Magnetic Water Cleaning.<figure><img src="https://media.graphcms.com/AOAAbk7RxaFITjVL1FeH"><figcaption><label>Abb. 3: </label>Concept of a 20 feet container-based prototype.</figcaption></figure>
<figure><img src="https://media.graphcms.com/sFDTEpX8TFyzb82b4rHX"><figcaption><label>Abb. 4: </label>Left: SEM-, top right: STEM- and down right: STEM-EDXS-images of polystyrene nanoplastics-Spion aggregates.</figcaption></figure>
<h2>INFO: Selectivity and sensitivity of pollutant association to Spions: thermodynamics in a nutshell</h2>Effective water cleaning by Spion particles calls for the binding of the pollutant species in a selective manner – hence ignoring other, potentially harmless solutes. Using thermodynamic equilibrium averages, the ratio of binding two competing species A and B may be estimated on the basis of the corresponding binding free energies and , respectively:In turn, the binding free energy is determined by a favourable potential energy of binding a pollutant (say A) and the trade-off in entropy caused by extracting A from the solution. While the former may be optimised by tailoring molecular recognition, the entropy loss that results from depleting A from an increasingly disperse solution eventually constitutes the thermodynamic limit of how pure water can be cleaned.In particular at low solute concentrations we must consider the solvent as the main competitor for coordinating the Spions. With B = water we get:This implies that the extraction of a pollutant becomes increasingly inefficient with decreasing concentration in the solution. We define the sensitivity as the concentration limit to which a pollutant may be extracted from water, until the Spions would catch pollutants equally likely as water ( ):Using potential of mean force calculation, molecular simulation tools readily offer the calculation of binding energies and thus provide practical estimates of achievable water purification.Movie available: or <a href="https://t1p.de/6bl1" target="_blank">t1p.de/6bl1</a><h2>The authors</h2>This article was written by Marcus Halik, Marco Sarcletti, and Dirk Zahn. Halik is a professor at the Institute of Polymer Materials (Material Science Department) at the University Erlangen-Nürnberg since 2005. His main research interests are molecular self-assembly, flexible electronics, and organic-inorganic hybrids. Sarcletti is a PhD candidate with Marcus Halik since 2017. Zahn is a professor for theoretical chemistry since 2010.<a href="mailto:marcus.halik@fau.de">marcus.halik@fau.de</a><h2>In a nutshell</h2>The concept magnetic water cleaning is based on super paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (Spions) with surface-to-volume ratios of &gt; 100 m2· g–1.To bind hydrophobic molecules, the Spion-surface is functionalized with phosphonic acid-based chained molecules which form stable self-assembled monolayers as shell around the Spion core.This platform can be adapted in such ways that contaminants like herbicides, crude oil or nano- and microplastics are removed.
<ul class="references"><li>
1 H. Park, A. May, L. Portillaet al., Nat. Sustain. 2020, 3, 129–135</li><li>
2 M. Sarcletti, D. Vivod, T. Luchs et al., Adv. Funct. Mater. 2019, 29, 1805742</li><li>
3 M. Sarcletti, H. Park, J. Wirth et al., Mater. Today 2021, doi: <ext-link ext-link-type="doi">10.1016/j.mattod.2021.02.020</ext-link></li></ul>

Artikel

Magnetic water cleaning

Mikroplastik lässt sich zentral in einer Kläranlage entfernen, bevor es in weitere Gewässer und etwa aus marinen Ökosystemen in den menschlichen Körper gelangt. Welche Verfahren wie funktionieren und woran noch zu forschen ist.
Die mechanische und biologische Reinigung in Kläranlagen reduziert derzeit die Menge an Mikroplastikpartikeln um durchschnittlich 88 Prozent.1) Kunststoffteilchen unter 20 Mikrometer Durchmesser gelangen aus Kläranlagen aber weiterhin in Gewässer. Deshalb nutzen manche Betreiber zusätzliche Filtertechniken, um die Abtrennung zu verbessern. Vereinzelt verwenden sie chemische Reinigungsverfahren, weitere sind in der Forschung und Entwicklung.Chemische Verfahren lassen sich in zwei Kategorien unterteilen: solche, die das Abtrennen von Mikroplastik erleichtern, und solche, die Kunststoffe abbauen. Beide Wege sind weiter zu differenzieren (Abbildung rechts).<figure><img src="https://media.graphcms.com/Q3JRZymwR3WwnXcBG7kP"><figcaption><label>Abb. 1: </label>Systematisierung chemischer Verfahren, die Mikroplastik beseitigen.</figcaption></figure>
<h2>Chemisch agglomerieren</h2>Chemische Flockung erleichtert es, Mikroplastik abzutrennen, da sie bei der Sedimentation im Nachklärbecken Feststoffpartikel vergrößert. Häufig werden dabei Aluminium- und Eisensalze eingesetzt. Diese destabilisieren suspendierte Mikrokunststoffpartikel und bilden beispielsweise durch basische Fällung voluminöse Niederschläge, die weitere Kunststoffpartikel adsorbieren. Zusätzlich können hochmolekulare Polyelektrolyte die Mikropartikel vernetzen, wodurch große, leicht filtrierbare Flockencluster entstehen. Damit sind Reinigungsgrade zwischen 50 und 90 Prozent möglich.2,3)Die Gruppe um Schuhen entwickelte einen Sol-Gel-Prozess auf Basis von Organotrichlorsilanen, der ähnliche Effekte nutzt: Durch Hydrolyse und Polykondensation bilden diese zunächst kleine Kolloide im Wasser (Sol); dreidimensionales Vernetzen führt zum Gel. Dabei wachsen die Teilchen agglomerierend um die Polymerpartikel und dazwischen. Die hochvernetzten Festkörper haben bis zu 10 000-fach größere Volumina als die Teilchen, was es einfacher macht, sie zu entfernen (Abbildung S. 48 oben).4)<figure><img src="https://media.graphcms.com/2wLp3poYTPCGUXn4TMNk"><figcaption><label>Abb. 2: </label>Sol-Gel-Prozess zur Mikroplastikagglomeration und erleichterten Entfernung. RG: reaktive Gruppe, Org.: organische Gruppe. Abbildung: Wasser 3.012)</figcaption></figure>
Die Reinigungseffizienz beträgt bei Polyethylen und Polypropylen mit den richtigen Organosilanen mehr als 95 Prozent.4,5)<h2>Elektrisch koagulieren</h2>In der Elektrokoagulation werden an der Anode positiv geladene Metallionen (meist Fe2+ und Al3+) ins Wasser freigesetzt. Die Kathode führt Elektronen zu, wobei das Wasser dissoziiert und Hydroxidionen entstehen. Die entstehenden Metallhydroxide führen zur Flockung. Der bei der Wasserdissoziation entstehende Wasserstoff treibt die Flocken an die Wasseroberfläche. Dort lassen sie sich abtrennen.Die Elektrokoagulation erreicht bisher eine Entfernungseffizienz bis zirka 85 Prozent. Vorteile des elektrochemischen Prozesses sind unter anderem die Umweltverträglichkeit, die Automatisierbarkeit sowie die Energie- und Kosteneffizienz des Verfahrens. Nachteilig ist der hohe Elektrodenverschleiß.6)<h2>Magnetisch sammeln</h2>Eine weitere Möglichkeit, Mikroplastik abzutrennen, sind magnetisierte Komposite [diese Nachrichten, S. 43]. Ein Beispiel sind Trennpartikel aus superparamagnetischen Eisenoxidkernen (Fe2O3, Hämatit) und einer porösen Silikathülle. Diese Partikelzusammensetzung ermöglicht, die Teilchen magnetisch zu entfernen und die Oberflächen des Konstrukts weiter zu funktionalisieren. Dafür modifizieren polyoxometallatunterstützte ionische Flüssigkeiten (POM-ILs) die Oberflächen. Die POM-ILs-Schicht kann aufgrund hydrophober Wechselwirkungen organische, anorganische und Mikroplastik-Verunreinigungen binden (untere Abbildung).7)<figure><img src="https://media.graphcms.com/lWSpRnguRvqEAf85tkBE"><figcaption><label>Abb. 3: </label>Magnetische Komposite, um Mikroplastik zu binden und zu entfernen. Links: Polystyrolkugel, beladen (rot gestrichelte Linie); Mitte und rechts: Testlösungen vor und nach der Mikroplastikentfernung.7)</figcaption></figure>
Theoretisch lassen sich die Abwassermengen einer Kläranlage mit diesem Verfahren behandeln; die Technik ist aber noch im Labormaßstabstadium.<h2>Chemisch-oxidativ arbeiten</h2>In der Photokatalyse adsorbieren nanostrukturierte Halbleiter energiereiche Photonen und erzeugen dadurch Elektronen-Loch-Paare (Exzitone). Diese reagieren mit umgebenden Sauerstoffmolekülen und Wasser zu hochreaktiven Spezies wie Superoxiden (O2−) und Hydroxylradikalen (OH·). Diese führen zum oxidativen Teilabbau der Polymerketten, wobei sich neue funktionelle Gruppen bilden, darunter Carbonyl-, Hydroperoxid- und Peroxidgruppen.8) Nach 18 Stunden Behandlung sind allerdings nicht einmal 7 Prozent eines Partikels abgebaut.9) Zudem zerfallen die Kunststoffe in kleinere Teilchen (Nanoplastik) und sind weiterhin in der Umwelt vorhanden. Somit ist das Verfahren zurzeit ungeeignet, um Kunststoff zu beseitigen.Auch die in der Abwassertechnik etablierte Ozonierung und Chlorierung bauen Mikroplastik oxidativ ab. Ähnlich wie in der Photokatalyse werden die Partikel zersetzt, und es entstehen Verbindungen mit sauerstoffhaltigen funktionellen Gruppen. Allerdings können aufgrund der Transformation einiger Abwasserinhaltsstoffe toxikologische Oxidationsnebenprodukte entstehen. Um diese Stoffe zu entfernen, wäre ein zusätzlicher Behandlungsschritt notwendig.10) Des Weiteren sind die bei der Chlorierung entstandenen Kohlenstoff-Chlor-Bindungen gegenüber weiterem Abbau resistent, sodass die Partikel in der Umwelt bleiben.11) Daher ist die Chlorierung als ungeeignet einzustufen.<h2>INFO: Mikroplastik – woher und wohin</h2>Für die Europäische Behörde für Lebensmittelsicherheit (Efsa) und einige Forscher besteht Mikroplastik aus Polymerpartikeln kleiner 5 mm, für viele Meeresforscher gilt dies kleiner 1 mm. Gelangen die Partikel in die Nahrungskette, gehören zu den Schäden falsche Sättigung, beeinträchtigte Fortpflanzung, verringerte Wachstumsrate und Krankheiten wie Krebs.Primäres Mikroplastik wird gezielt hergestellt. Sekundäres Mikroplastik entsteht durch chemische, physikalische und biologische Einflüsse. Größte Primärquelle sind Pelletverluste: 182 Gramm je Einwohner und Jahr (g·EW–1·a–1). Als Maßnahme dagegen sind Auswaschungen an Produktions- und Verarbeitungsstandorten zu unterbinden.Die größte Masse an Mikroplastik gelangt in Deutschland sekundär durch Reifen- und Bitumenabrieb ins Wasser (1450 g·EW–1·a–1). Straßennahe Spezialfilter könnten hier helfen. Im Haushaltsabwasser dominiert der Faserabrieb von Textilien (77 g·EW–1·a–1), den Waschmaschinenfilter abtrennen könnten. Inhaltsstoffe von Hygieneartikeln und Kosmetika liefern den Kläranlagen eine eher unbedeutende Partikelfracht (4,6 g·EW–1·a–1).<h2>Die Autoren</h2>Den Beitrag haben Markus Miller (oben) und Thomas Osterland verfasst. Miller hat im April den Bachelorstudiengang Umwelt- und Verfahrenstechnik an der Hochschule Augsburg abgeschlossen. Osterland ist promovierter Chemiker und seit dem Jahr 2015 Professor für chemische Technologie an der Hochschule Augsburg in der Fakultät Maschinenbau und Verfahrenstechnik. Mit Mikroplastik befasst er sich in Wasser-, Abwasser- und Umwelttechnik sowie über die Betreuung von Abschlussarbeiten wie Millers Bachelorarbeit „Überblick über die weitergehenden Reinigungsverfahren zur Mikroplastikentfernung aus Kläranlagen“.<div><img src="https://media.graphcms.com/wq4mAxRwSMC3nM9ScYDS">

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1 P. U. Iyare, S. K. Ouki, T. Bond, Environ. Sci.: Water Res. Technol. 2020, 6, 2664</li><li>
2 G. Zhou, Q. Wang, J. Li et al., J. Zhang, Sci. Total Environ. 2021, 752 (141837)</li><li>
3 B. Ma, W. Xue, Y. Ding et al., J. Environ. Sci. 2019, 78, 267</li><li>
4 A. F. Herbort, M. T. Sturm, K. Schuhen, Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. Int. 2018, 25, 15226</li><li>
5 M. T. Sturm, A. F. Herbort, H. Horn, K. Schuhen, Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. 2020, 27, 10888</li><li>
6 W. Perren, A. Wojtasik, Q. Cai, ACS omega 2018, 3, 3357</li><li>
7 A. Misra, C. Zambrzycki, G. Kloker et al., Angew. Chem. 2020, 132, 1618</li><li>
8 W. Liang, Y. Luo, S. Song, X. Dong, X. Yu, Polymer Degradation and Stability 2013, 98, 1754</li><li>
9 M. C. Ariza-Tarazona, J. F. Villarreal-Chiu, V. Barbieri, C. Siligardi, E.I. Cedillo-González, Ceram. Int. 2019, 45, 9618</li><li>
10 C. Baresel, M. Harding, J. Fång, Applied Sciences 2019, 9, 710</li><li>
11 M. S. El-Shahawi, A. Hamza, A. S. Bashammakh et al., Talanta 2010, 80, 1587</li><li>
12 M. Sturm, M. Rudloff, P. Bimmler et al.,Wassertechnik (WWT) 2018, Modernisierungsreport, 45</li></ul>

Gewässerschutz: Chemische Reinigungsverfahren

Rohstoffe aus Abwasser | Um kritische Metalle aus industriellen Abwässern zu gewinnen, haben zehn europäische Partner im Projekt Biomimic Prozesse weiterentwickelt, darunter das Fraunhofer-Institut für System- und Innovationsforschung und das Freiberger Unternehmen Geos. Beispiele waren Grubenwässer aus stillgelegten Bergbaustollen in Sachsen, Sickerwasser aus der Rotschlammlagerung einer Aluminiumoxidanlage in Irland und Lösungen aus der Aschenlaugung einer schwedischen Müllverbrennung. Mit den Verfahren lässt sich die EU-Versorgung zwar nicht sichern, aber das lokale Umweltproblem verringern.<a href="https://biomimic-project.eu" target="_blank">biomimic-project.eu</a>Für weniger Müll im Meer | Nikoleta Bellou, Forscherin am Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, hat mit ihrem Team eine Überblicksstudie veröffentlicht, wie sich Müll im Meer vermeiden und sich das Meer davon reinigen lässt. Zwischen 1990 und 2015 sind demnach bis zu 100 Millionen Tonnen Müll in die Ozeane gelangt, vor allem Kunststoffe. Die Forschenden haben fast 200 geplante oder bereits umgesetzte Lösungen betrachtet, die etwa mit Drohnen, Robotern, Förderbändern, Netzen, Pumpen oder Filtern arbeiten – je nachdem, ob sie an der Küste, auf hoher See oder am Meeresgrund säubern wollen. Die meisten Projekte kamen nicht über eine Entwicklungsphase hinaus. 60 Prozent hatten primär das Monitoring zum Ziel.<ul class="references"><li>
1 Nature 2021, doi: <ext-link ext-link-type="doi">10.1038/s41893-021-00726-2</ext-link></li></ul>
Chemikalienstrategie | Das Helsinki Chemicals Forum (HCF) will weltweit einen sichereren Umgang mit Chemikalien fördern. Beim 12. HCF im April diskutierten virtuell mehr als 200 Delegierte die neue EU-Chemikalienstrategie. Es ging zudem um Risikokommunikation und die Rückverfolgbarkeit besorgniserregender Chemikalien. Dazu kamen Ideen, wie sich Marktvertrauen schaffen lässt sowie ein Anreiz, sicherere Chemikalien-Alternativen zu entwickeln und zu nutzen. Der Abschlussbericht fasst die Debatten zusammen [zum Report: <a href="https://t1p.de/f2b8" target="_blank">t1p.de/f2b8</a>].Das nächste HCF soll vom 30. bis 31. März 2022 stattfinden.<a href="https://helsinkichemicalsforum.messukeskus.com" target="_blank">helsinkichemicalsforum.messukeskus.com</a>Maren Bulmahn

Metalle, Kunststoffe und sicherere Alternativen

Der Essener Chemievertrieb Brenntag baut mit zwei Akquisitionen sein Spezialitätengeschäft in China aus. Im Juli übernahm er 67 % der Anteile an Zhongbai Xingye, einem Spezialitätendistributeur für Lebensmittelinhaltsstoffe wie Molkereiprodukte und Proteine. Bis Ende 2024 will Brenntag das Unternehmen vollständig übernommen haben.Ende Juni hat Brenntag die restlichen 49 % Anteile am Pigment- und Additivunternehmen Wellstar Group mit Hauptsitz in Hongkong erworben.

Brenntag stärkt Spezialitätengeschäft in China

Japan has a long tradition in cooperative programs. Usually these are down-to-earth, sintered through many rounds of expert discussions that have resulted in a consensus, which is formalised in an affidavit carrying the personal stamp signatures of the participants. Such group-centered endeavours for kaizen, continuous improvements made step by step, have often resulted in flawlessly perfect products.
In research and development (R&amp;D), Japanese research associations follow similar mechanisms. With a theme often initiated and financially supported by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industries (Meti), usually through its project house New Energy and Industrial Technology Organisation (Nedo), public-private partnerships are formed whose members in industry, academia, and government jointly develop a new technology through open innovation, before they dissolve after several years (Table 1, p. 56).<figure><img src="https://media.graphcms.com/h1vDIpzSEO9qdCo7IpF3"><figcaption><label>Abb. 1: </label>A photographer under the Fujiyama in the night. lisheng2121/AdobeStock</figcaption></figure>
<table-wrap>

<label>Tab. 1</label><h2>Examples of current Japanese research associations.</h2><img src="https://media.graphcms.com/6h2aBWtmQBymjWsLaGzy">

</table-wrap><h2>Plans looking 30 years ahead</h2>To address events that lie far ahead in the future, it takes a different concept to escape the endless compromises of consensus-based processes described before. The Japanese have found a group-oriented approach for such long-term programs as well. Japan has become known for developing plans looking 20 or 30 years ahead, such as “hydrogen-based society 2050“4) based on expert estimates scrutinised by a Delphi procedure and followed by stage-gate processes during realisation. The latest master plan of this kind is the “moonshot programme for human well-being”, the most ambitious element of Japan’s current science, technology and innovation plan. It targets a visionary “society 5.0”, a human-centered and inclusive society that reconciles economic growth and resolution of social issues. This plan “integrates cyberspace and physical space” and is based on data clouds, artificial intelligence, and quantum technology innovation hubs, together with “smart cities” that will serve as showcases for society 5.0.The Moonshot Programme is defined as a portfolio of “inspiring and ambitious goals and concepts for challenging R&amp;D on societal issues that are difficult to tackle but will have profound impact once resolved“ (Table 2, p. 56). Programme managers are being asked to promote this portfolio “without fear of failure“. In 2020, around 830 million euros have been put aside for the moonshots.<table-wrap>

<label>Tab. 2</label><h2>Targets of the “moonshot programme” (to be achieved by 2040 or 2050).</h2><img src="https://media.graphcms.com/iYzfHj7xQQgJWyR8buCh">

</table-wrap><h2>The goals</h2>Goal #1’s central element is referred to as Cybernetic Avatars, including remote robots and 3D images as proxies but also empowering the physical and cognitive abilities of humans using information and communication technologies and robotics.Goal #2 is built on a “whole body network atlas” that makes it possible to monitor functional changes in physiology throughout the course of an individual’s life and identify transitions from a healthy state to a pre-symptomatic state, e.g., during the onset of cancer or dementia.Goal #3 foresees artificial intelligence (AI) robots that have the same sensitivity as humans. As their physical abilities become equivalent to or better than those of humans, they be permitted to act alongside human beings by 2050.Goal #6, a fault-tolerant quantum computer, is an obvious target for Japan’s powerful computing industries.Goal #7 is equally obvious in view of Japan’s “super-ageing“ society which, according to official projections, will have shrunk to about 100 million people (projections vary in view of immigration), one-third of whom are 65 years or older. The goal is to create a sustainable system to care for people up to the age of 100.<h2>Goal X for the youth</h2>In addition, there is a Goal X, defined as an “open call for ideas from youth-focused brainstorming teams, who will lead the next generation”. It responds to the alarming fact that the number of young researchers in Japan who advance from master‘s to doctoral programmes has dropped to about 9 percent, about half the number of 20 years ago.We will now take a closer look at goals 4 and 5.<h2>Cool and clean earth</h2>The programme director for goal #4, “cool earth &amp; clean earth” (figure)5), is Kenji Yamji, Director-General of the Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth (Rite) in Kyoto.6) The programme is composed of three project groups:7)<figure><img src="https://media.graphcms.com/hKiptYlQSKEwE5LHjUok"><figcaption><label>Abb. 2: </label>Moonshot Goal #4. Realisation of sustainable resource circulation to recover the global environment by 2050.5)</figcaption></figure>
<list list-type="simple"><list-item></list-item></list>Development of technologies to recover greenhouse gases(GHGs) and convert them into valuable materials.<list-item>Development of technologies to recover nitrogen compounds and convert them into harmless or useful materials.</list-item><list-item>Development of marine biodegradable plastics in which the timing and speed of degradability can be controlled.</list-item>Within this framework, a team led by Takafumi Noguchi, University of Tokyo, is studying calcium carbonate concrete (CCC),8) a recycled concrete material produced from atmospheric CO2 and concrete wastes. If half of all concrete would be made with CCC in 2050, annual CO2 emissions could be reduced by 20 million tonnes, and 6.2 million tonnes of CO2 would be fixed.For the mitigation of greenhouse gases generated from agriculture, the team led by Minamisawa Kimasu of Tohoku University is pursuing a programme called “Cool Earth via Microbes in Agriculture“ and is already deliberating joint projects with European partners from the Soil Project, a Horizon Europe programme.9)Nedo has organised several projects to address marine plastic litter. In addition to evaluation methods for marine biodegradability, new resins, new biomanufacturing processes, and new composite technologies will be developed, with the aim of achieving a new domestic market of 200,000 tonnes per year of marine biodegradable plastics by 2030.10)A considerably larger project, with 50 members and government support of 25 million euros for three years, is pursuing better recycling of waste plastic.11) Key elements are<list list-type="simple"><list-item></list-item></list>sorting technology for optimal treatment,<list-item>technology for recycling into materials that are comparable to the original plastic materials,</list-item><list-item>technology for decomposition and conversion into petrochemical raw materials, and</list-item><list-item>technology for highly efficient energy recovery by incinerating waste plastics that cannot be recycled.</list-item><h2>Sustainable food supply</h2>The programme director for Goal #5, “sustainable food supply without food-loss and environmental loading”, is Kazuhiro Chiba, President of Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology. The programme is made up of two subprojects:12)<list list-type="simple"><list-item></list-item></list>food production systems that achieve expansion of food supply and conservation of the global environment, and<list-item>food consumption system aiming at zero food loss and waste.</list-item>Food production will be based on novel production systems, such as the breeding of “super crops” that have incorporated drought-tolerant genes from their wild relatives. To this end, the present crop breeding concept needs to be changed “from selecting to creating”, where key elements will be the use of divergent genetic resources, the use of big data and AI technologies, and the utilisation of genome editing and synthetic biology.Another important effort concerns soil management. Haruko Takeyama of Waseda University will lead a project on “a resource-recycling food production system fully utilising biological functions of microorganisms and insects”. The aim is to reduce the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides through five research topics: a soil microflora atlas, improved crops, environmental control and measurement, cultivation management, and social science.New protein sources such as insects will also be developed by a team led by Takashi Yura of Ochanomizu University. In fact, there already are pertinent start-ups such as Gryllus13), which has developed technology to breed and harvest crickets (Gryllotalpidae); on this basis the food company Muji14) has established their brand of “cricket crackers” – 100 grams of these crackers contain 60 grams of protein.<h2>International cooperation</h2>These examples demonstrate how Japan, challenged by ever stronger economic competition from its Asian neighbours, by a national debt burden of 260 percent of its Gross Domestic Product, and by the consequences of a super-ageing society, is following long-term visions in pursuing a 150-year strategy to create wealth through science and technology.International cooperation is a clear priority, and there is considerable interest in interacting with European partners, e.g., through the European Horizon programme. Though Japan is not eligible for EU funding, it can participate in EU-funded projects if it covers its own costs.<h2>The author</h2>Rolf Schmid holds a master and a Dr degree in chemistry from Freiburg University and is a retired professor of Stuttgart University. He has written several books and reports on biotech-related developments in Japan and China and consults on these issues through his company Bio4Business located in Stuttgart, Germany. <a href="https://www.bio4business.eu" target="_blank">www.bio4business.eu</a><div><img src="https://media.graphcms.com/dXphV5xIRLa8QUZ1IE09">

</div>
<ul class="references"><li>
1 <a href="https://ihi.co.jp/en/all_news/2020/other/1196667_2042.html" target="_blank">ihi.co.jp/en/all_news/2020/other/1196667_2042.html</a></li><li>
2 <a href="https://pwmi.or.jp/pdf/panf1.pdf" target="_blank">pwmi.or.jp/pdf/panf1.pdf</a></li><li>
3 <a href="https://jba.or.jp/activity/adv_biotech/study_group/functional-food/" target="_blank">jba.or.jp/activity/adv_biotech/study_group/functional-food/</a></li><li>
4 a) R. Schmid, Nachr. Chem. 2017, 65, 1004; b) R. Schmid, H. Uchida, Nachr. Chem. 2019, 67(10), 24</li><li>
5 <a href="https://www8.cao.go.jp/cstp/english/moonshot/concept4_en.pdf" target="_blank">www8.cao.go.jp/cstp/english/moonshot/concept4_en.pdf</a></li><li>
6 <a href="https://jst.go.jp/moonshot/sympo/sympo2019/material/yamaji_20191217_ps2-discussion_191216–1223.pdf" target="_blank">jst.go.jp/moonshot/sympo/sympo2019/material/yamaji_20191217_ps2-discussion_191216–1223.pdf</a></li><li>
7 <a href="https://jst.go.jp/moonshot/sympo/sympo2019/material/day2_wg4_20191218_wrapup.pdf" target="_blank">jst.go.jp/moonshot/sympo/sympo2019/material/day2_wg4_20191218_wrapup.pdf</a></li><li>
8 <a href="https://t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/foe/press/setnws_202104151058544435600863.html" target="_blank">t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/foe/press/setnws_202104151058544435600863.html</a></li><li>
9 <a href="https://lifesci.tohoku.ac.jp/en/date/detail---id-49850.html" target="_blank">lifesci.tohoku.ac.jp/en/date/detail---id-49850.html</a></li><li>
10 <a href="https://nedo.go.jp/news/press/AA5_101348.html" target="_blank">nedo.go.jp/news/press/AA5_101348.html</a></li><li>
11 <a href="https://nedo.go.jp/news/press/AA5_101345.html" target="_blank">nedo.go.jp/news/press/AA5_101345.html</a></li><li>
12 <a href="https://jst.go.jp/moonshot/sympo/sympo2019/material/day2_wg5_20191218_wrapup.pdf" target="_blank">jst.go.jp/moonshot/sympo/sympo2019/material/day2_wg5_20191218_wrapup.pdf</a></li><li>
13 <a href="https://gryllus.jp" target="_blank">gryllus.jp</a></li><li>
14 <a href="https://japantoday.com/category/features/new-products/limited-edition-cricket-crackers-from-muji" target="_blank">japantoday.com/category/features/new-products/limited-edition-cricket-crackers-from-muji</a></li></ul>

Made in Japan: Mooshot program for human well‐being

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