CichOpt

Period
01.11.2018 - 31.12.2021

As part of the overall CichOpt project, utilization concepts are to be developed for the whole-plant use of Cichorium species, i.e. chicory, endive and radicchio. The focus is on the production of food, but the whole plant is to be used in the sense of a biorefinery and different products are to be obtained. The Hohenheim subproject focuses on the production of the platform chemical hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) from the beets.

Based on work in the field of hydroxymethylfufural production, the necessary process components are being designed, constructed and built on a pilot plant scale. For this purpose, an existing pilot-scale biorefinery based on the conversion of lignocellulose will be expanded. Specifically, this means adding a unit to extract the beets to obtain carbohydrates and the reactor. The entire process is then simulated with AspenPIus to calculate the mass and energy flows for an industrial plant. This is the basis for the cost and sustainability analysis, which is also part of the overall project. Samples are also being produced. These samples are necessary in order to be able to produce the downstream plastic products, e.g. packaging films or fibers.

The main purpose of the pilot plant is to demonstrate the process. This is important in order to attract interested parties along the entire value chain, i.e. from the horticultural sector, the drift mills, plant manufacturers, potential producers of HMF or plastic, to customers for the final product.

Project homepage: CichOpt