Elstgeest, Kees (2025) Techno-Economic Analysis of Cyclic Carbonate Synthesis. Research Project, Industrial Engineering and Management.
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Abstract
This study investigates the sustainable synthesis of cyclic carbonates via the cycloaddition reaction of CO2 to epoxides, aiming to transform a greenhouse gas into high-value chemicals with applications in polymer production, solvents, and energy storage. Three substrates, allyl glycidyl ether, butylene oxide, and glycidol, were evaluated under similar reaction conditions using an ion-exchanged Merrifield resin catalyst (Amberlite IRA-910). The process was first optimized in a 100 mL batch reactor and subsequently scaled to a 2 L reactor, with particular attention paid to reaction time, temperature, and catalyst recyclability. Detailed characterization via ¹H NMR and FT-IR confirmed high conversion rates and product selectivity, although catalyst deactivation was observed, in particular in the synthesis of the glycerol carbonate pathway. Complementing the experimental work, a techno-economic analysis was performed, incorporating mass and energy balances, equipment sizing, and cost estimations. High return on investment (ROI) values were projected for all three products, under idealized assumptions. Overall, the study emphasizes the potential of CO2-derived cyclic carbonates as sustainable alternatives to petrochemical counterparts while identifying key challenges such as high feedstock costs and catalyst longevity that must be addressed for industrial-scale applications.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Research Project) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Pescarmona, P.P. and Raffa, P. |
| Degree programme: | Industrial Engineering and Management |
| Thesis type: | Research Project |
| Language: | English |
| Date Deposited: | 07 Mar 2025 15:13 |
| Last Modified: | 07 Mar 2025 15:13 |
| URI: | https://fse.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/34846 |
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